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Whether you spend your hard-earned pay on cut flowers or grow them in your own garden, finding a way to make those blooms last as long as possible ends up being everyone’s goal. Some flower bouquets come with pre-packaged preservative mixes, and there are a few other additives you may have heard about for making arrangements last longer. What does Instagram influencer Farah Merhi add to cut flower vases? She uses water — but also adds about ¼ cup of canned Sprite to keep her plants fresh longer.
Yes, by using a mixture of citrusy soda and water, you can add life to all the fresh flower arrangements brightening up your home. As it turns out, the mixture of Sprite and water isn’t so different than what comes in those little packets of preservatives from the florist, according to Scientific American. Even if you don’t drink lemon-lime soda like Sprite, this is a good reason to keep it on hand since the sugar and acid in it are key ingredients when it comes to making cut blooms last.
How Sprite works to keep flowers fresher
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Whether you use Sprite, 7-Up, or another clear citrusy soft drink as a flower-water additive, don’t opt for diet or zero sugar versions. The sugar in beverages like these is the key to keeping flowers fresh since it subs for food they can no longer glean from soil after they are cut. And as you might suspect given the lemon-lime flavor, they also contain citric acid. Because the soda changes the pH of your flower water to make it a bit acidic, it also encourages freshening water to reach the blooms more quickly and keeps them perkier.
One unfavorable part of using sugary citrus-flavored soda mixed with water for fresh flowers is that it encourages bacteria to grow in your vase. What can you do about that? Add a few drops of bleach to the mixture, according to Susan Han, associate professor of postharvest physiology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She also suggests a mix of 3 parts water to 1 part soda for the basic flower-preserving recipe. With the right mix of ingredients and a little extra care, you too can keep your cut flowers fresher than ever before.
