Now, a spray that keeps your bouquet fresh!

A team in the US has come up with the simple spray which contains a solution of thidiazuron, or TDZ, that keeps leaves and petals looking fresh and healthy for days longer than usual.

The chemical could have wide ranging implications for the florist industry, and provide better value for money for millions of consumers; it may also be available for customers to use at home, say the scientists.
The research, commissioned by America's Department of Agriculture Research, Education and Economics, would also help keep potted plants in peak condition for longer, the 'Daily Mail' reported.

However, the scientists have yet to establish why TDZ is able to work on plants in the way that it does.

Preliminary studies with cut flowers were the first to demonstrate the value of the synthetic compound, and the latest research is the first to show its blossom-boosting effects on potted plants.

Plant physiologist Cai-Zhong Jiang of the University of California, who led the study, described the "spectacular" way the compound kept flowers and plants looking fresh.
He said: "Spraying low concentrations of a compound known as thidiazuron has significant, sometimes spectacular, effects in extending the life of potted plants' leaves and flowers.

"For example, in tests with greenhouse-grown cyclamen plants, TDZ-treated plants had a significantly longer life than did unsprayed plants. Leaves of TDZ-treated cyclamen plants took longer to yellow and fall off than those of untreated plants."
Dr Jiang said TDZ was a synthetic version of naturally occur-plant hormone known as a cytokinin.

He said: "Commercial use of TDZ on cut flowers and potted plants seems promising. Our deeper interest lies in determining precisely how TDZ affects genes and proteins inside the plants."