Indian women love to beautify their homes. And flowers are always a popular choice. Flowers are beautiful; they bring in positive vibrations and uplift your mood. All the more reason we need to know little ways of prolonging their life. Tips always come in handy.
When buying flowers, make sure they are as fresh as possible. If they have already started wilting, just pass them by and choose something else. They should be firm and preserved well. Those dumped carelessly around pavements and hot little stores won`t last too long.
If you are cutting the flowers yourself from the garden, do so early in the morning. They will have a high water content at this time of the day. Place the stems in a container with lukewarm water.
Before using them in an arrangement, re-cut the stems again. Remove half an inch off the bottom of the stalk. Use a sharp knife and cut neatly and swiftly. This will help the stalk absorb water more easily.
Some stems secrete a milky substance when cut. This could block the passages and prevent water absorption. Placing the stem in two inches of boiling water for a minute can prevent this from happening.
Any foliage under water will decay rapidly causing the flowers to wilt too. Remove any foliage under water. This will also prevent bacterial growth.
Warm water is absorbed more easily than cold water. So, place the stems in warm water for your arrangements.
If you can get a commercial flower preservative, add it to the warm water. Some people use a tablet of Aspirin for this purpose.
Always keep the container clean. Wash it with soap and warm water. If neglected, bacteria will grow rapidly in the container and cause the flowers to wilt rapidly.
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