All about flowers & flower arrangingFlower Food - Why use it?
Whether bought for yourself or as a gift, you will want the flowers to be as beautiful as possible for as long as possible. Once flowers have been cut, they usually do not have enough food reserves to fully open. So using a proprietory flower food is highly advisable to keep the stems free of bacterial growth and to replace the natural food supply. Vase water is noticeably clearer when used and should be made up & used according to instructions. Research shows that flowers last signigicantly longer when a floral preservative is used.
Why flower food works
Flower food contains plant food, a germicide and an acidifier. The food replaces the carbohydrate that the uncut flower was receiving via photosynthesis. The germicide kills bacteria and the acidifier corrects the ph of water to encourage water up-take and minimise bacteria.
Flower Food Recipe
The quantities are important to make a correctly balanced formula!
Per litre of room-temperature or tepid water ((100-110°F or 38-40°C), add:
- 1/2 tsp bleach
- 1 tsp vinegar or a pinch of citric acid
- 1- 2 tsp sugar
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