Comparing the Effects of Various Solutions on the Lifespan of Cut Flowers

Abstract

The objective of this study was to test sugar, a sugar-vinegar solution, and a sugar-bleach solution (sugar, sugar + white vinegar, and sugar + bleach) in their effectiveness of preventing carnation flower petals from wilting. The larger implications for this report will allow us to be able to give individuals the ability to keep their flowers alive for longer after being cut. We performed an one-way ANOVA test on the four groups which gave us a p-value of 0.0082. A Tukey-Kramer test revealed that the base group (bleach + sugar solution) was statistically significant from the water group (p-value= 0.0174), sugar group (p-value=0.0193), and the acid group (p-value= 0.0124). We predicted that the acid solution would be the most effective at preventing wilting; however we found that the base group was more effective. Therefore, we suggest that perhaps the pH effects were overpowered by the characteristics of bleach itself. The bleach could be acting as a strong antimicrobial solution such that when added to the solution, it decreases the amount of bacteria in the xylem allowing for a greater absorption of water by the carnations, preventing wilting.