What Liquids Make Roses Live Longer

I predict the rose in the water will live the longest and look the healthiest compared to the roses in the bleach, sugar, sprite, and pennies. I think this because most flowers and plants are successfully grown with water.

Keeping roses looking healthy and fresh longer is what we all want to do! Keeping roses cool, removing loose leaves, cutting the stems at an angle, and changing the water are ways we can do that. We generally think that keeping roses in lukewarm water with flower food, is the best way to keep them long lasting and beautiful. I always wondered if other forms of liquid will help make roses live longer. Is there any other liquid that can perform even better than water? Let’s find out!

Independent: The independent variables for my experiment will be the different liquids and substances I will be using for my roses. These include water, sprite, bleach, sugar and pennies.

Dependent: The dependent variable will be how healthy the roses look by the end of day 5 with the various liquids. We can ask ourselves when observing the roses, does the rose’s color look vibrant? Does the roses have brown or wilted petals? We can also compare how healthy the roses look with the others.

Controlled: The controlled variables for my experiment will be using the same type of roses, the same cups, the same amount of liquid used in mls for each rose, and the location of the roses for the full 5 days.

The following is the procedure for my experiment:

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I went to the store and picked out the nicest roses.

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I came back home and cut 5 red roses at an angle and removed all the leaves.

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I picked 5 glass cups and placed the roses in.

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I labelled each cup with the liquid.

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I arranged all my ingredients needed.

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I used a measuring cup and/or teaspoon for each cup.

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175 mls. water, 175 mls. sprite, 175 mls. water & 1 tsp. sugar, 175 mls. water & 1 tsp. bleach, 175 mls. water and 2 pennies.

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Lastly, I put all the cups on a table in our dining room.

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Now, it’s time to take observations for the next five days to see which liquid will make a rose live the longest.

Day 1: Dec. 31, 2024

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All 5 roses look the same.

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No brown petals.

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Color of petals still vibrant.

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No wilted petals

.Day 2: Jan. 1, 2025

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Sprite and sugar/water liquids both have 1 rose petal that has fallen.

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No changes for water/bleach rose.

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The roses in the water, sugar/water, and pennies have bloomed and look the healthiest.

Day 3: Jan. 2, 2025

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The rose in the sprite liquid is slightly changing color .

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The rose in the water/bleach has still not bloomed and is no longer vibrant in color, the petals are starting to wilt.

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The rose in the water and sugar/water have lost one rose petal.

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The roses in the water, sugar/water, and pennies look the healthiest and have bloomed the most. They are vibrant in color and look the best so far.

Day 4: Jan. 3, 2025

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The rose in the water/bleach looks like it’s dying.

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The rose in the sprite is now mostly purple.

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The rose in the pennies is slightly changing purple and petals are about to fall.

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The rose in the water and sugar/water is still vibrant and looks the best.

Day 5: Jan. 4, 2025

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The rose in the water/bleach is dead. The petals are no longer vibrant and changing into a dark purple. It has wilted petals.

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The rose in the sprite is starting to develop wilted petals.

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The rose in the pennies is starting to lose its petals and the edges are turning purple.

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The rose in the water and sugar/water are still vibrant in color and have no wilted petals.

Sprite is not ideal for roses due to its high sugar content. The sugar can encourage the growth of harmful bacteria, which weakens the rose and shortens its lifespan. It can also prevent the rose from getting the water it needs.

Adding bleach in a vase of roses is not the best idea since it’s strong chemicals can harm the stem, leaves and petals. Ultimately, this will not prolong the life of the rose.

Placing pennies near roses is not great for their health. The copper in the coins can actually poison the roses and cause harm. Therefore, it is recommended to keep pennies away from these flowers.

In this experiment, my hypothesis was correct as I predicted that the rose in the water would live the longest and look the healthiest. The rose in the sugar/water also survived the longest compared to the other roses. The rose in the water/bleach started to change in color and develop wilted petals after the 5 days the fastest. The roses in the water and sugar/water stayed vibrant in color, bloomed beautifully and has no wilted petals. In conclusion, you should never place your roses in sprite, bleach, or with pennies. We all know that roses can be expensive and we buy them with the intention of them staying beautiful and lasting as long as possible. If you want your vase of roses to look healthy, vibrant, beautiful, and live as long as possible, always place them in water or you could also add a spoon of sugar!

Keeping Roses Fresh- In my findings of my experiment, both sugar water and regular water can keep roses looking fresh and vibrant for a longer time. This information can be helpful to anyone including florists and event planners, who want their roses to stay beautiful and last longer.

School Projects- Both teachers and students can take advantage of these findings to enhance their understanding of plant care and science experiments.

Flower Shops- Florists can use this information to ensure their roses stay fresh and vibrant for their customers.

Minimizing Waste- Extending the freshness of roses can reduce waste and will benefit both businesses and individuals by saving money.

Different Rose Conditions- The roses might not have been identical in terms of size, freshness, or overall health. These factors could affect how the roses absorbed the liquids.

Measuring Mistakes- Tiny measurement errors in the volume of liquid or concentration of sugar in the water and cutting the roses at various angles, could have changed the results.

Contamination- If there were any glass cups that were not fully cleaned, leftover residue could have impacted how the roses absorbed the liquids. If this were the case, it could have ruined the whole experiment.

Timing of Observations- If the roses were being observed at different times throughout the day, it could have led to minor differences in the results.

https://www.sugar.org/blog/sugar-keeps-flowers-fresh/#:~:text=Adding%20white%20granulated%20sugar%20to,interrupt%20the%20stem's%20water%20uptake.

https://www.teleflora.com/floral-facts/how-to-care-for-fresh-flowers/myth-vs-fact

https://www.flowercaretips.com/lander

This is my original work and has not been copied from any other source.