I Tried 3 Methods to Keep My Roses Fresh and 1 Really Worked

I know I'm in the minority here, but Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday. I love the cheerful pops of red and pink it offers after a cold and gray January.

My intense admiration of flowers is another main reason this day ranks so high in my book. So, it should come as no surprise that I am always looking for ways I can stretch the lifespan of my Valentine's bouquet.

This year, I decided to do a little experiment ahead of the holiday. I tested out three popular hacks for keeping flowers alive longer, and the results were a bit of a surprise.

For each method I tested, I used roses from the same single bouquet. I purchased a dozen red roses and divided them into four vases. I reserved one vase for the control group of just water so that I could have a good reference point.

I thoroughly cleaned each vase before adding the first round of water and test substances. Additionally, I made sure to refresh each solution and give the flowers a clean cut at an angle every two days. Each vase received eight fluid ounces of water in addition to the additives I tested.

I'm already on the flower side of TikTok, so the algorithm has been showing me bouquet health hacks for quite a while now. I decided to test out the following popular methods that have been making their rounds.

Tessa Cooper

The idea behind this flower hack is that the vodka keeps the bacteria in the water at bay and prevents ethylene production. Ethylene is a gas that flowers produce when you cut them, and it's their signal to start naturally wrapping up their lifespan by wilting. The sugar provides the flowers with the nutrients they need to thrive—it's like a little flower cocktail.

Too much vodka can harm the flowers, so I just added three drops of vodka and