Are Water & Vinegar Good for Cut Flowers?

Adding vinegar to a flower vase keeps the flowers looking healthy.

Freshly cut flowers look beautiful for the first few days but quickly start dying. Florists give customers a food packet that should prolong the life of the flowers, but vinegar and sugar work equally well.

Mixture

Mix 2 tbsp. sugar and 2 tbsp. distilled white vinegar in the flower vase. "Reader's Digest" recommends using apple cider vinegar and sugar in this same combination to keep flowers fresh.

Application

Stir the sugar and vinegar combination until the sugar dissolves completely. Add the flowers to the vase with enough water to fill the vase three-fourths of the way.

Considerations

Change the water in the vase every two to three days, recommends "Reader's Digest." Each time the water is replaced, add the same ratio of vinegar and sugar to the vase.

References

• The Vinegar Institute: Uses & Tips
• "Reader's Digest": 8 Ways to Make Flowers Last Longer