This Viagra Hack Can Help Your Spring Flowers Last Much Longer

Keeping a vase of cut flowers on your kitchen countertop or living room table is a simple way to refresh your home for spring, but all too often your beautiful plants will wilt quickly. Surprisingly, Viagra, an erectile dysfunction medication, could give your fresh florals the boost they need to stand up straighter for longer. This occurs because the medication affects the plants' vascular tissue in a similar way to how it opens human blood vessels to increase blood flow.

While this medication is (apparently) helpful for plants and people alike, your flowers will need a much lower dose than a person would. A study published in the British Medical Journal in 1999 showed that a single milligram of the erectile dysfunction drug was enough to keep two vases of flowers standing tall for a week longer than they would have otherwise. In contrast, humans are typically prescribed 50 milligrams. Because Viagra is a prescription medication, not everyone will have it lying around the house. But if you do, it could increase your cut flower's lifespan. For those that don't have access to the little blue pill, homemade plant food could help your flowers instead.

It may seem counterintuitive to give your plants a medication made for humans, but Viagra does wonders for keeping your cut flowers fresh for longer. This works because the drug prevents a certain chemical, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), from breaking down into guanosine triphosphate. In humans, an abundance of cGMP allows the arteries to widen, which is why it can help people get and sustain erections. A similar process happens in the flowers, but with their vascular tissue, allowing the plants to hold more water, stand upright, and stay fresh for longer.

cGMP is made by the plant when nitric oxide is present, which is also true for humans. When plants are stressed, they rely on nitric oxide to produce cGMP to respond to their environment. By allowing your plants to retain more cGMP with Viagra, you can keep them from drooping or becoming as stressed as quickly. The previously mentioned study also notes that nitric oxide itself can make cut flowers stay healthier for longer as well, which could be due to the plant producing more cGMP because of the increase in nitric oxide.

If you have some of this medication on hand, try giving a very small amount to your flowers. Since most pills are 50 milligrams, you'll want to cut a sliver from it, or about a quarter of the pill, and place it in the water in your vase. Just like that, you can revive your home's beautiful flower displays. For those without access to Viagra, a mixture of sugar, vinegar, and water can help your spring flowers stay fresh.

To make your own plant food, combine two tablespoons of granulated sugar with either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. Fill your vase with about four cups of water and add your solution. The sugar will provide some food for your flowers, while the vinegar will help to prevent bacteria growth. The acidity from the vinegar will also allow the plant to take in a little more water. Even if you don't have any Viagra, you can easily prolong the life of your fresh-cut flowers.