Does cut flowers live longer in salt or sugar water?

Answer 1

On One Hand: Sugar Prolongs Life

As soon as a flower is cut from the plant, it is in trouble because its life support system is gone. Flowers need a continuous source of water. Adding sugar to the water prolongs the flower's life because sugar acts as its food.

On the Other: Flowers Also Need Biocides and Acidifiers

As soon as you put your flower in a vase of water, bacteria starts growing. It gets in the way, blocking the flower's stem, which makes it difficult for the flower to get water. The biocide kills the bacteria. The acidifiers help the water move up the stem.

Bottom Line

To keep cut flowers fresh as long as possible, give your flowers the packet that the florist gives you. It is filled with biocides, acidifiers and sugar. Or, you can add 1 tbsp. of sugar, 2 tbsp. of fresh lemon juice and ½ tsp. of bleach to 1 quart of water.

Answer 2

No, most plants can be damaged or killed by salt.

To keep cut flowers fresh longer, you can try several things with household products such as:

* Put two teaspoons of sugar and 3 drops of chlorine bleach per quart of cool water to use in the cut flower vase. * Use the bleach only, in same proportions with cool water. * Mix 7-up (or Sprite or similar clear carbonated drink) in the water; about 1/8 cup per quart of water. * Drop an aspirin along with two teaspoons of sugar in a quart of water. The purpose of these additives to the water is to provide some 'food' for the flowers (sugar or soft drink sugars--use regular and not Diet Soda) and something to inhibit bacterial growth (bleach or acids such as provided by the aspirin and the carbonated drinks.)

Other important (perhaps more important than additives) steps to take include keeping the water fresh by changing it daily. keep the flowers out of direct sun and in a cooler part of the room.

Before arranging the flowers, cut off any leaves that will be below the level of the water in the vase, leaves or other debris in the water will hasten the degradation of the water (rot, decomposition) and allow bacteria to grow and in turn cause the flower stems to begin to degrade and not be able to "absorb" water any more. Also keep only as many leaves as needed for a nice arrangement attached to the flowers, extra greenery left on the stems will rob the flowers of water and nutrients and make them wilt sooner.

To prepare the stems for arranging, cut the ends at an angle so they do not rest flat on the bottom of the vase. Angled ends allow better transfer of the water up the stems. Use a very clean and sharp knife to make a clean cut diagonally across the ends. Ideal is to cut the stems under water to keep the saps from thickening and clogging the water transfer up the stems, and to prevent a bolus of air from entering the ends affecting the capillary action. If unable to cut the stems under water, as soon as the ends are cut, immediately put them in water, do not delay that process.

Recut the stem ends each day when changing the water to keep the ends open and not 'sealed'.

If the flowers have a woody consistency to the stems such as roses, pussy willow, and forsythia, the capillary action will be improved if you gently smash the very tip ends to open them into shredded fibers. I whack them with the clean bottom of a saucepan or use the flat side of a kitchen meat tenderizing "hammer".

There are also some flowers that don't do well sharing vases with other flowers. For example, tulips and some other flowers from bulbs can ooze saps that damage other flower stems, they are best displayed in their own vase. Sunflowers can also create this kind of problem with other flowers.

Finally, to repeat, change the water daily and even if that is the only thing you do, you should see a noticeable increase in the life of the cut flowers.

Answer 3

Yes, sugar is good for flowers, but no, at the same time it is not. Sugar operates beneficially as a by-product of photosynthesis, but not necessarily when fed to the same plant as sugary water. Plants produce wastes in which the primary component of what is being eliminated are sugary exudates for soil food web members.

Answer 4

aspirin prolongs the life of cut flowers. usually some people think it is sugar but i know someone who did a test and the sugar only only prolonged it for 5 days but the aspirin prolonged it for 20 days.

Answer 5

Many people say it does, but I've never had luck with it. The only thing I've ever found to help fresh cut flowers stay fresh longer is to put a few drops of chlorine bleach into the water. The reason fresh cut flowers die is usually because of bacteria.

The bleach keeps the bacteria from growing, and also keeps the water nice and clear, instead of the cloudy color it gets just a couple of days after they've been in the water. I've had carnations stay good for as long as two weeks this way, and other flowers for 7 - 10 days, depending on the type of flower.

Although I've never used it when I use my expensive crystal vases because I'm afraid the bleach may damage the crystal. But any glass or plastic container is perfectly safe.

Answer 6

the sugar provides the cut flowers with nurishment they would other wise get from the plants leaves, however to prevent bacteria growth in the vase add a bit of econonika

Answer 7

yeah they do

Answer 8

It helps for a short time.

Answer 9

Yes salt water can