Best DIY Ways To Make Your Own Flower Food At Home
When you receive or buy flowers, you want them to last longer. After all, who doesn’t love the vibrant company of blooms? By feeding them their nourishment, you can significantly prolong the life of your flowers. Sometimes, you receive a flower food packet when you buy a bouquet, but these nourishment packets for your flowers are not always that easily available.
You’ve got nothing to worry about because you can make your own flower food with easily available ingredients at your home. Even if you don’t have them, you can find them at any nearby grocery store and can prepare the food in quick and simple steps. But before diving into the steps of preparing flower food, let’s understand why food is important for flowers.
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Does Flower Food Actually Make a Difference?
Flower food can be of real help in keeping your favorite flowers blooming for a longer time. Preparing the flower food mixture following proper instructions can help blossom the buds in the flower arrangement. The flower food also works to keep the bacteria away from the water so that the flowers can remain fresh for a longer time.
What is Flower Food Made of?
If you are wondering what magical ingredients are used to make flower food, then you must know that it consists of just three simple ingredients:-
- Sugar
- Bleach
- Citric Acid
The presence of just three ingredients can do wonders in keeping your flowers fresh and blooming. Each element in the flower food has properties to preserve the flowers longer than their normal lifespan.
Let’s explore the properties of these ingredients one by one:-
Citric Acid: Flowers thrive better when the pH level of the water is low. Citric acid does that job when mixed in water, making it more habitable for freshly-cut blooms.
Sugar: We all know that plants use photosynthesis to prepare food. In this process, they break down water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar that they can use as their fuel. So, sugar acts as the main component of ‘food’. Since the flowers are cut off, they can’t produce food on their own, and so when we add sugar to the water, the flowers can still get their nourishment and stay fresh.
Bleach: There can be bacteria in the water that can hinder the growth and longevity of the flowers. So, bleach is used as a disinfectant that can help keep the bacteria away, making the water a healthy habitat for the flowers.
Easy Ways To Make Your Own Flower Food
You would need the following materials and equipment to prepare the flower food:-
Equipment
Measuring spoons
Large bowl
Vase
Materials Required
One tablespoon sugar
Half a tablespoon of bleach
Two tablespoons of lime juice
Pitcher of water
Steps for Preparation
1. At first, start by measuring the three ingredients as instructed. Please ensure that you are not adding materials more than the quantity required. Changes in the measurements can produce vapor from the water solution, which can create irritation in the eyes and cause sinuses.
2. Fill a quarter of your vase with water, to which you will add the flower food mixture.
3. Prepare the mixture of three ingredients in a large bowl. Add one tablespoon of sugar, half a tablespoon of bleach, and two tablespoons of lime juice to the water and stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves completely. Once the mixture looks clear, it is ready to nourish the flowers.
4. Add the mixture to the water in the vase and stir it for some time till the mixture is completely blended.
5. Now add your favorite flowers to the water and enjoy their bloom for at least a week.
If you don’t have the ingredients mentioned in the previous steps, we have some other simple ways to make flower food.
Sugar and Vinegar
As we have already discussed, sugar is the main food for flowers, and vinegar inhibits bacterial growth. They both prepare water for the nourishment of the flowers and help in preserving them for a longer time.
Steps for Preparation
1. Add two tablespoons of sugar and one tablespoon of white vinegar to one quarter (liter) of water.
2. Stir the water slowly until both ingredients are dissolved.
3. Add freshly cut flowers to the prepared solution and make sure that the cut stems are covered with 3-4 inches of water.
Water and Lime Soda
Simply adding water to the lime soda can also be very helpful in enhancing the lifespan of the flowers. You just have to fill a quarter of your vase with water and add a quarter of lime to the water ratio. The lemon-lime soda already has sugar, which provides the necessary nutrients to the flowers, and the citric acid present in the lime soda prepares the water for the flowers.
Sugar and Copper Pennies
Adding a cube of sugar and copper pennies can also work the magic of preserving your flowers. Copper is known to have the qualities of an acidifier that helps in preventing the growth of bacteria. So, after mixing a tablespoon of sugar or a sugar cube, drop a few copper pennies to enjoy the presence of your flowers for longer.
Other Pro-Tips To Keep Your Flowers Fresh For a Long Time
Aspirin
If you don’t have the time to mix different ingredients to prepare a water solution, you can always use aspirin to preserve the flowers. Adding aspirin to the water solution is a tried and tested method to ensure the longevity of flowers. You just have to crush an aspirin and add it to the water solution before putting your freshly cut flower stems in the vase. Also, you need to change the water every once in a while to prevent bacterial growth.
Vodka
It is not just a tonic for us humans, but it has great preserving qualities as well. Add 2-3 drops of vodka to the water to reduce the growth of bacteria and nourish the flowers. But you don’t have to go and buy vodka to make flower food. If you don’t have it at home, you can use any clear spirit instead of vodka. It will work in a similar way to preserve your flowers.
Hair Spray
A hair spray can do a lot more than just styling your hair. Bet you never thought while buying your favourite bottle of hairspray that it can also keep your flowers fresh for longer. Just one good spray can do wonders in keeping them blooming. You just have to give your flower bouquet a quick spray (just on the undersides of the leaves and petals) before arranging them in a vase. Also, please make sure that you are standing at least a foot away from the bouquet before spraying to avoid its contact with your eyes.
Fridge
Well, the fridge is the final saviour when it comes to preserving things, may it be food or, in this case, flowers. We all know that lower temperatures prevent faster aging. So, keeping your favourite bouquet in the fridge can also keep them fresh for a long time. So, when you go to bed, don’t forget to give your flowers a cool shelter. When the flowers stay in the fridge overnight, they can stay healthy for up to ten days. So, it can be the best way to preserve your favourite blossoms if you don’t have any time to prepare the flower food.
Don’t Forget the Basic Care
Flower food is surely a major component in deciding the life of your flowers after they are cut off from the stems. But it is also important to provide them with basic care to keep them healthy.
Some basic flower care tips include:-
Cut the Stems: Most often, people forget to cut the flower stems before arranging teh bouquet in a vase. It is necessary to cut the stems to allow proper water intake. So, use garden shears or scissors to cut the stem one or two inches from the bottom at an angle so that the stems do not lie flat on the bottom of the vase.
Remove the leaves: Pruning is also an essential flower care tip. Make sure to remove all the leaves below the water level to prevent any bacterial growth. It will also help the flowers to blossom fully.
Change the water: Don’t forget to change the water every three to four days to reduce bacterial growth. Also, keep your flower arrangement away from direct heat or sunlight.
Final Takeaway
Flowers are the most favourite gifts irrespective of the occasion, but the only sad thing about flowers is that they don’t last forever. However, nourishing them with flower food can significantly increase their lifespan. The flower food can be prepared in simple steps using basic ingredients easily available at home.
So, now that you are equipped with ways to increase the longevity of flowers, nothing can stop you from buying your favourite flower bunch! You can easily find a wide range of luxury flowers at FlowersnFruits. So, place your order today!
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