NEED HELP from Florists - lemons in the water

I can't offer any help, but it looks beautiful! Maybe you can spray them with shelac(sp?)?

Actually, i think that's the best DIY centerpiece I've seen!

@ not-a-mrs

Oh.. thanks

I love it actually too - just need to figure out why Lemons make water Cloudy...

My guess is that it's the acid. Have you looked it up? I'm sure you can find it online somewhere.

I've tried searching. All I found is that - yes - it's Acid and it gets cloudy and maybe changing water (not a great solution in the middle of the wedding) or putting vase with flowers inside the vase of Lemons (way to complicated).

Maybe it needs Sugar or some other Florist trick. That's what I am trying to figure out...

Damn, this is gonna bug me! I couldn't find anything. But if you have time to play, I'd suggest spraying them with a clear coat. Or maybe freezing them would make them take longer to make the water cloudy.

Glad you posted this because Im doing my mocks this weekend, using lemons and oranges, Id like to know before I start.

I would try spraying them with a sealant like shallac like was mentioned earlier... I don't think you can get rid of the cloudiness....it is basically lemonade after a little while.

You can try soaking your lemon slices overnight and rinsing them several times to get out all the initial lemon juice and maybe they will stay clearer for longer in the centerpeice

Water is a very powerful force. Most of the time we forget that since we use it in our every day lives. I don't think there is anything you can do about it unless you either leave the lemon unsliced OR you dip it in something like jlam said

Have you tried artificial instead.

I'm doing the same thing and also need to avoid this problem. I had thought of using gel water from Micheal's. It's a bit expensive, but does anyone know if it works?

I will be experimenting this weekend now

The gel is good-- but it's hard to avoid getting bubbles in it. I've used it in small vases in the past and had trouble.

Some tips in this blog, for example use florists foam.

http://www.do-it-yourself-weddings.com/fruit-wedding-centerpiece.html

If it is the acid then maybe add a base to it? Just a wild idea but add baking soda to the water to neutralize it... again just an idea no idea if it would work at all...

but they look great!

Cut your fruit ahead of time and allow them to dry out a little before you use them. I suggest cutting them and putting them in a container in the fridge for 24 hrs. I made this centerpiece for an event and they lasted about a week after the event. Be careful as to the chemicals or other items you put in the water, some things will cause the flowers to die quicker.

Actually its not the acid that clouds up the water , its the tissue and cells from the lemons which have been sliced open and "damaged" thats why i suggested soaking and rinsing. the juice of the lemon is also cloudy