A plant guru swears by a simple trick to keep your flowers looking fresher for ‘up to two weeks’ longer – and now many others are now keen to experiment with it
Nothing brightens the home quite like a bunch of flowers – but keeping them alive can be tricky.
If you’re watering them in a good spot of sun, they’ll typically look fresh for seven days. Any longer than this, requires a miracle.
Though now, it seems plant guru Nicole Jacques (@itsnicolejaques) has come to the rescue, claiming her simple hack will help keep your flowers alive for ‘up to two weeks longer’. Surprisingly, it doesn’t require any pricey plant foods or magic ingredients either – just a pair of scissors.
Taking to Instagram, she explained: “If you cut your store-bought flowers underwater versus air, they’ll last up to two weeks longer.
“But why? Well, when you cut a flower stem in the open air, the exposed cut can draw air up instead of water. And the air can form a blockage within the stem’s xylem, thus they wilt because they can’t siphon water properly.”
Demonstrating her beliefs, Nicole zoomed into a bunch of tulips. Those cut out of water had seemingly begun to droop, while those snipped in air continued to look remarkably bright.
She added: “Cutting underwater reduces the risk of air pockets and allows the flowers to absorb water right away.” Believe it or not, Nicole’s hack has previously been the subject of scientific research.
The University of Florida snipped various different flowers underwater and within air to see whether this very traditional remedy had any merit. Its results claimed that cutting underwater had no impact on the longevity of alstroemeria, chrysanthemums, gerbera daisy, roses, or snapdragons.
But in a few instances, the water hack did improve longevity just slightly. This was especially the case for carnations which reportedly lasted for two to four days longer.
Despite this, it’s clear that various flower buffs are eager to experiment with it themselves. Commenting on Nicole’s video, one person wrote: “My mother-in-law taught me this. It really works,” as another added: “Didn’t know this. Thanks for sharing.”
One also flagged: “This has been up to much debate in the floral world. Some say yes , some say no . But did you know that tulips can grow up to an inch a day even after being cut and placed in water.”
And a fourth chimed in: “If you just use a sharp knife instead of scissors you have more luck. The scissors squeezes the end of the fibres together and prevent the flower to absorb water.”
What do you think? Let us know in the comment section below
