How Flower Food Works

Some visitors to the blog have asked me why flower food keeps cut flowers fresher longer.

This answer comes from Annie Bond, author of the book "Better Basics for the Home" (see link below):

The little packet of flower food are bactericides that kill the bacteria, yeasts, and fungi.

Here are tips of reaching this same goal without the chemicals:

• Copper is a fungicide and acts to preserve the water from too many yeasts and fungi.
  
• Aspirin is an acid and helps to kill bacteria overgrowth.
  
• Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar to 1 quart of water. The idea here is the same as with aspirin, since lemon juice and vinegar are acidic.

That also explains why, when arranging bouquets, we remove all the leaves below the water line — so that submerged leaves don't act as a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria and shorten the life of your blooms.