Extend the life of Valentine’s Day flowers

The most popular day to give and receive flowers is just around the corner. This article serves as a reminder to all of you guys out there that Valentine’s Day is coming up … ladies, you can thank me later.

After one goes through the steps of ordering and delivering these tokens of affection, we want to be sure we can preserve their beauty for as long as possible. Below are some helpful tips to extend the life of your fresh cut flower bouquet:

* Recut stems at a diagonal. Cutting stems under warm water and immediately placing them into a container of warm water prevents air bubbles from getting into the cut end of the stem, plugging up the conducting cells, and slowing down water uptake. Be sure to use a clean, sharp pair of clippers.

* Use the flower preservative that comes with your flowers. This preservative provides food and acidic balance, keeping the chlorophyll green and flower color vibrant.

* Change the water frequently. If you run out of preservative with all these water changes, you can make your own; mix 2 cups lemon-lime soda with 2 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon of bleach.

* Prevent injury from ethylene gas. The very small amounts of ethylene that will cause flowers to die cannot be detected by smell. Ethylene gas is given off by most fruits and vegetables, especially apples. As these fruits and vegetables decay, even more gas is produced. Do not keep your flowers near a fruit basket!

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