HM Cut Flower Food?

angie_loves_veg

I have had good success with this years flower cutting patch, but when in the vase I would like to add 'plant food' - like you would if you bought a bunch of flowers.

Any thoughts on how to make a general purpose cut flower food...?

(I'm sure I read something once about vinegar...and something else....but what?)

belfastgirl23

I normally just dissolve some sugar in boiling water and then top with cold water. My mum's trick. Can't say for sure it works or doesn't work but the flowers do seem to last...

Penelope_Penguin

Or lemonade?

lister

Commercial plant food contains a number of ingredients, primarily basic nutrients for the plant, plant hormones and bleaching agents.

The most important function is probably to keep the bacteria load in the water low, which is the job of the bleaching agent. A splash of domestic bleach in a litre of water shouldn't harm the flowers too much and will help in this direction. Many florist shops still use just bleached water to keep their flowers in (although they shouldn't - there are better options available now).

Sugar solution allegedly acts as a plant food (and cheap commercial plant foods are little more than this), but my own experience and my intuition as a former research scientist (before becoming a florist) is that there is no particular reason to believe it is especially effective. Indeed, it will encourage the growth of bacteria in the water and hence hasten the decay of the flowers even if the flowers themselves benefit from the sugar.

The hormones are used to control the flower maturation process. Without them fewer immature sideshoots will open and the flowers won't last as long as they could do. Florists often use a holding solution with different hormones and low nutrients to slow the rate at which the buds open.

In short - my own feeling is that sugar (and therefore lemonade) creates more problems than it solves. I don't think in the home you can beat slightly bleached water.

Alternatively ask your local friendly florist. We would sell you the sachets for 5p each... (on the other hand I have come across so many florists who refuse to sell sundries that it can be difficult to find one who will - I despair of many of my industry peers)

angie_loves_veg

Thanks for all your ideas - I found the reference I was hunting for, it recommended:

10ml sugar, 5ml vinegar, 5ml bleach in 2L water

what do you make of that Lister? (or anyone else of course!!)

beemuzed

I'm sure I've read somewhere that a soluble aspirin does the trick?