What is the perfect solution for preserving a rose using - H2O, Sodium Hypochlorite, and Acetic Acid?

[Sabrinably]

I am trying to create a solution to preserve a rose in a globe for around 30 days. I am trying to mix water, with Sodium Hypochlorite, and Acetic Acid. I can not get the mixture correct. Any idea on the ideal amount of those three ingredients? I know that can be a dangerous mix and do not want to make chlorine gas. Any help would be great!

[ChrisPohl]

It's not clear why you wish to use this approach to preserve a rose but assuming you have reason to believe this will work and simply want to know how to arrive in an optimal condition for producing a small amount of hypochlorous acid, Then I suggest you use pH as a basis for determining the optimum ratio of ingredients. I suggest you adjust the pH to 8.5 of the hypochlorite solution with acetic as this will put the pH into a range where roughly 10% of the hypochlorite will be in the form of hypochlorous acid. This should provide a significant reservoir of acid without causing catastrophic outgassing.  Once the pH as been adjusted, then dilute this mixture as required with water to achieve the necessary properties.

[karenwiz]

You are not clear in what it is you are trying to do.  You are trying to preserve a rose in a globe - do you mean just the flower, or the flower with a stem?  The approach you are mentioning here is similar to what flower distributors do with the water they put cut flowers in, but it is intended to discourage bacteria, mold and fungus from growing in the stem and blocking the xylem from passing the water up the stem thus making the flower wither.  Greenhouse & Floriculture: Harvesting and Handling Cut Flowers | UMass Center for Agriculture, Food ... If you are trying to preserve a rose flower immersed in a globe of water I am not sure this would work given that the hypochlorite might actually degrade the petals themselves if the concentration is too high.  This discussion thread I found mentions dipping the flower in wax first before putting it in the globe.  That would make more sense to me - to coat the sensitive petal material in some coating before putting it in the bleach solution.  As Christopher detailed above you could make the bleach solution (which would be a good disinfectant to help keep the water clean for a while) but I would try to coat the petals before I exposed them to the bleach if you are trying to immerse it.

rose preservation in water globe

Karen