Warning: I tried a new flower food from a vendor and it killed a whole batch of lisianthus

I had this new sales rep come in about three weeks ago pushing their 'premium' flower food, saying it would double vase life. I usually stick with the powder I've used for years, but they gave me a free sample pack. So I tried it on a shipment of 50 lisianthus stems I got in for a wedding. Big mistake. Within two days, the stems were slimy and the buds just drooped and turned brown. The batch I kept in my regular food is still perfect. The new stuff had this weird chemical smell and turned the water cloudy fast. I'm out about $75 on those flowers, not to mention the panic of replacing them. Has anyone else had a bad batch of preservative ruin good stock? What brand do you actually trust?

3 comments

3 Comments

james_ramirez1mo ago

That "weird chemical smell" is a dead giveaway the mix was way too strong.

hernandez.troy24d ago

Nah, that smell just means it's fresh.

kais671mo ago

Honestly that chemical smell just means it's working hard. Tbh a lot of the good preservatives have a strong smell when they're fresh. The cloudiness could just be the stuff mixing with your tap water.