How to Keep Cut Flowers Fresh
Real Simple tested common strategies―a drop of bleach, a penny, and so on―for lengthening the life of the tulip to find out what really works.
An Aspirin
The theory: Increases the acidity of the water, helping it move up the stem.
Day 1: One 325-milligram Bayer coated tablet is dropped into the water.
Day 4: Drooping and sad, these tulips don't look as if they'll last much longer. Another tablet goes in the water.
Day 7: Yikes! More than half the petals have fallen off. (See photo, left.)
The verdict: Painful. An aspirin a day may keep the doctor away, but not the florist.
Next: Listerine Antiseptic
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