We can say that most home remedies try to solve some of the post-harvest problems of cut flowers, but there isn’t one among them that optimally supports leaf and flower development. All home remedies lack clear instructions regarding accurate dosage and composition. Also, the composition of nutrients is too small to support the natural development of flowers and leaves as it would occur on the plant.
- Chlorine: an aggressive product for plant tissues, clothing and human skin. Dosage must be very precise in order not to damage both flowers and leaves. Even if applied properly, its effect is very short-lived, because household chlorine stops working after half a day, while the cut flowers require support during their entire vase life.
- Soft drinks: the amount of food supplements in soft drinks is too small to support natural leaf and flower development as it would occur on the plant. Any positive effect of this remedy is because of the sugar content and the pH level.
- Sugars: they are a good food source for micro-organisms and ensure quick contamination of the vase water. This remedy is too one-sided to be effective for normal leaf and flower development.
- Copper coins: copper only affects the vase water. The release of copper from coins, (few coins still contain any copper these days) is very slow and therefore not effective.
Of the above ‘home remedies’, only soft drinks have any positive effect at all, but this is expensive compared to commercially available cut flower food. Consumers should always ask for flower food with each bouquet bought in order to get even longer lasting enjoyment from their flowers.