Commercial flower preservatives usually contain enough acid to acidify most hard water. As such, they lose moisture much more readily than many other perishable commodities. This micro-climate could be maintained by applying a fine mist with a squirt bottle and keeping flowers away from heated surfaces or open lights. Cut flowers readily wilt but can be rehydrated without difficulty if there is no obstruction to water flow. Water moves through whole plants by a negative pressure generated by evaporation of water from the leaves.
Water is transmitted in the stem via very fine tubes and is always under tension.
These bubbles lodge near the cut and will restrict water flow to the flower when it is placed in a vase of water. However, sugar enhances growth of fungi and bacteria, but these organisms could be controlled by inclusion of a couple drops of bleach into the solution. Fungi and bacteria, as well as substances they produce, can rapidly clog the fine tubes of the water conduction system. Regular recutting of stem ends prevents the suberization effect. Flowers are alive even when excised from the mother plant.