How to Make Flower Food—the Secret to Long-Lasting Bouquets

Whether you're unwrapping a beautiful bunch of flowers purchased at the market or a bouquet shipped to your door, most flower arrangements come with a small packet of flower food. This powder contains ingredients that help your blooms thrive for longer. But if you're making your own bouquet with flowers from your garden, you may be wondering how to make flower food at home. Believe it or not, the substance is easy to DIY. Ahead, floral experts break down the ingredients in flower food—and share a few ways to make your own.

What Is Flower Food?

Flower food typically includes just three ingredients: sugar, citric acid, and vinegar. The combination, which works for almost all varieties of cut flowers, is designed to nourish and hydrate the flowers while preventing bacteria from taking hold. Some food mixtures also contain chemicals known as "stem un-pluggers," which drain bacteria buildup to allow stems to soak up water.

Sugar acts as a nutrient for the stems; citric acid lowers water pH to improve the flowers' intake, and vinegar wards off bacteria. Since sugar often invites the growth of unfriendly microorganisms, you need an anti-bacterial, like vinegar to counteract this.

Benefits of Flower Food

While the end goal of flower food is to extend the life of your flowers, it has a myriad of other benefits. "Using flower food for cut flowers is highly beneficial, providing essential nutrients, regulating pH levels, inhibiting bacterial growth, and enhancing their lifespan and quality," says Tina Merola of Blooms by the Box. Flower food also stimulates the opening of closed buds for flowers that can bloom after being cut.

Materials Needed

Make sure you have these materials on hand when making your own flower food.

• Clean container
• Warm water
• Sugar
• Vinegar
• Citric acid (lemon juice)
  

How to Make Flower Food With Lemon Juice

While you can buy powdered food for cut flowers without also buying a bouquet, making an at-home substitute is quick and easy. Here's the most common way to make flower food.

1. Choose a clean container for mixing and storing.
2. Combine 4 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon vinegar, and 1 tablespoon citric acid or lemon juice.
3. Mix well until all ingredients are dissolved.

How to Make Flower Food With Vinegar

If you don't have lemon juice handy, you can just use vinegar, which serves as the acid and helps prevent bacterial growth.

1. Choose a clean container for mixing and storing.
2. In the container, combine 4 cups warm water, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 tablespoons white vinegar.
3. Mix well until all ingredients are dissolved.

DIY Flower Food Alternatives

If you don't have the products required for flower food, try using pantry items to extend the life of your blooms, says Valerie Ghitelman, vice president of product development, design, and sourcing at 1-800-Flowers.

• Alum powder: Before placing a fresh-cut stem into water, dip the edge of the stem into alum powder first, which helps the flower draw water up the stem, says Ghitelman.
• Baking soda: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of baking soda into a vase of fresh water.
• Sugar: Dissolve 2 tablespoons of sugar in a vase of lukewarm water. While sugar is found in many DIY flower food recipes along with other ingredients, sugar alone can also extend the life of a bouquet, says Ghitelman.
  

How to Get the Best Results From Flower Food

While flower food is a key component to achieving a long-lasting floral arrangement, there are other steps you can take to make the food work more effectively.

1. Start by cutting stems at an angle, 1 to 2 inches from the bottom, to ensure proper water intake.
2. Remove any leaves touching the water; these will promote bacterial growth.
3. Always use a clean vase to help prevent bacteria from attacking your bouquet.
4. Change the water every two to three days, adding additional flower food in the process.
5. Remove old leaves and dead stems to prevent bacteria from growing in the water.
6. Prevent arrangements from drying out by keeping them away from direct sunlight or heating and cooling vents.