How to make your own Powdered Flower Food
Making homemade powdered flower food is a simple and effective way to nourish and prolong the life of your fresh flowers.
Powdered Flower Food is something you can create with just a few simple household items: sugar, baking soda, and citric acid. We use this recipe for our fresh cut flowers at home and can see a noticeable difference in the longevity of our flowers.
When it comes to growing our own cut flowers, whether it’s for our floral arrangements in our Wedding Flowers, Fresh Flower Share, or just for our kitchen counter, it’s important to us that they stay vibrant and fresh for as long as possible. Set aside a couple of minutes to make this recipe and watch your flowers flourish and maintain their fresh cut look!
Looking for a liquid flower food instead? Check out our other flower food recipe here
Why You’ll Love Making Your Own Flower Food
- Powdered flower food is easy to store and has a longer shelf life than liquid flower food.
- Having homemade flower food on hand will allow you to replenish your flowers with nutrients rather than the one flower food packet given at the store.
- Since only a teaspoon of this powder is needed when you change the water, you can make your own packets of flower food and portion it out into small bags to share!
How does each ingredient benefit your flowers?
Besides prolonging the lifespan of your flowers, what do these ingredients do?
Sugar
In a flower’s regular nutrient cycle, glucose is needed for energy. Using sugar in flower food gives it the nutrients it needs to keep growing
Baking Soda
Like bleach, baking soda wards off bacteria and fungi growth
Citric Acid
Citric Acid helps lower the pH of the water which makes it more suitable for your cut flowers
Steps to Make Your Own Powdered Flower Food
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons powdered citric acid (can be found in the baking or canning section of grocery stores)
- Small airtight container for storage
Steps
1. Measure the ingredients: Gather all the ingredients, and use measuring spoons to ensure accurate proportions.
2. Combine the dry ingredients: In a small bowl, mix the sugar, baking soda, and powdered citric acid until well combined. These ingredients provide essential nutrients and help regulate the pH level of the water to keep the flowers fresh.
3. Store the powdered flower food: Transfer the mixture into a small airtight container. Make sure it’s sealed tightly to keep the flower food dry and effective.
How to use the Powdered Flower Food:
1. Prepare your vase: Clean the vase thoroughly with warm, soapy water, and rinse it well to remove any previous residues. This ensures a clean environment for your flowers.
2. Fill the vase: Fill your clean vase with water about halfway full.
3. Add the powdered flower food: Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the homemade powdered flower food into the vase of fresh flowers. Stir the water gently to help the powder dissolve.
4. Trim the stems: Before arranging the flowers in the vase, trim about an inch off the bottom of each stem at a 45-degree angle. This fresh cut enhances water absorption and nutrient uptake.
5. Arrange the flowers: Place your freshly trimmed flowers into the vase with the prepared flower food solution. The powdered flower food will nourish the blooms and help them last longer.
6. Monitor and refresh: Keep an eye on the water level and the condition of the flowers. Every 2-3 days, change the water, and add a new teaspoon of the powdered flower food to the vase to keep the flowers nourished.
With this homemade powdered flower food, you can enjoy your fresh flower arrangements for an extended period, delighting in their beauty and vibrancy!
Questions People are asking about Homemade Flower Food
When do I add flower food?
Replenish the flower food when you change the water in your vase. A good rule of thumb is every 2 to 3 days.
Is flower food necessary?
Flower food isn’t necessary for flowers to grow but it works to combat bacterial growth that helps make your flowers live longer and it helps allow for full flower development without bacteria getting in the way.
Does Flower Food Expire?
When making my flower food, I make it mostly on an as needed basis. This powdered recipe can be stored, but my liquid recipe is made to use right away. Because of the nature of the ingredients, unless you are planning to store this mixture for years on end, don’t worry about it expiring on you.
What is the difference between Liquid Flower Food and Powdered Flower Food?
The deciding factor in whether to make Liquid or Powdered Flower Food lies in the hands of whoever is making it! The ingredients in both of these recipes are equally beneficial to the flowers – as stated in the question above, the main difference is the storage. Check out my recipe for Liquid Flower Food Here.
Can I add Bleach to keep the water clean?
Adding a couple drops of bleach to your vase water before the flower food goes in, is optional. Adding just a touch of bleach will help kill off bacteria, fungi, and microorganisms that block the flower stem and prohibit growth. Please do not add bleach directly to the dry ingredients. This will cause an unpleasant chemical reaction.
Printable Card
Homemade Powdered Flower Food
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp baking soda
- 2 tbsp citric acid
Instructions
Steps to make Powdered Flower Food
- Measure the ingredients: Gather all the ingredients, and use measuring spoons to ensure accurate proportions.
- Combine the dry ingredients: In a small bowl, mix the sugar, baking soda, and powdered citric acid until well combined. These ingredients provide essential nutrients and help regulate the pH level of the water to keep the flowers fresh.
- Store the powdered flower food: Transfer the mixture into a small airtight container. Make sure it's sealed tightly to keep the flower food dry and effective.
How to Use the Powder Flower Food
- Prepare your vase: Clean the vase thoroughly with warm, soapy water, and rinse it well to remove any previous residues. This ensures a clean environment for your flowers.
- Fill the vase: Fill your clean vase with water about halfway full and add the powdered flower food. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the homemade powdered flower food into the water in the vase. Stir the water gently to help the powder dissolve.
- Trim the stems: Before arranging the flowers in the vase, trim about an inch off the bottom of each stem at a 45-degree angle. This fresh cut enhances water absorption and nutrient uptake.
- Arrange the flowers: Place your freshly trimmed flowers into the vase with the prepared flower food solution. The powdered flower food will nourish the blooms and help them last longer.
- Monitor and refresh: Keep an eye on the water level and the condition of the flowers. Every 2-3 days, change the water, and add a new teaspoon of the powdered flower food to the vase to keep the flowers nourished.
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This post may contain affiliate links from a paid sponsor, Amazon or other program. When you use these links to make a purchase I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This allows me to continue creating the content that you love. The content in this article is created for information only and based on my research and/or opinion.
Emily T.
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Thanks for this recipe. Could you be more specific on how much water per teaspoon? Thanks.
I simply add 1 tsp of powdered flower food to a vase or jar of water. I don’t specifically measure the water in a vessel.
I’m going to try this powdered recipe and see if it helps. Do you know what could be cause the petals of my Zinnias to start losing their color a day or 2 after they are picked. I thought it was because they were near ripening fruit. But moved the fruit and they are still ‘bleaching’ out. I love your blog. Thanks
So happy I found this powdered flower food recipe. For some reason my Zinnia petals were losing their color and only lasting a few days with the mixture of sugar and vinegar. It was the weirdest thing. Thanks for the recipe