Roses are fragrant flowers with various colors and shapes. As long as they are cared for properly, cut roses can stay fresh for a week and a half or even longer. In general, to prevent roses from wilting prematurely, change the water frequently, keep the vase clean, and place it in a cool place. The following will teach you in detail how to keep roses fresh.
Pick fresh roses
Cut roses in the morning. If you want to cut a few roses for indoor decoration, you should do it early in the morning. Because they are cut when it is cooler in the morning, the roses will not wither easily. After cutting the rose, you should immediately get a basin of water and soak the stem of the rose in the water.
- Water the rose bushes the night before you cut them. Because flowers that have just been watered will have more water, they will stay fresh longer than roses that have not been watered.
- When cutting roses, use clean pruning shears to cut the stems at a 45-degree angle.
Buy roses directly from a florist you feel is reliable. If you don’t cut roses from your garden, you can also buy roses from a reputable florist. It’s best to choose a store you go to frequently. That way, the boss will be less likely to trick you, and you’ll be able to buy freshly cut roses instead of roses that have been sitting there for a week.
- You can ask the boss which flowers arrived today, and then pick out the freshest roses.
- Try to choose roses from the fresh-keeping cabinet, because roses at room temperature do not last as long as roses in the fresh-keeping cabinet.
Pinch the petals where they connect to the stem. Before buying roses, gently pinch the rose petals where they connect to the stems to test whether the roses are fresh. Roses that have been stored for a long time will become soft when pinched, while fresh roses will be firmer and tighter.
Check the flowers for bruised or torn petals. This is for the sake of the beautiful shape and color, especially to see if there are any bruises or torn marks on the petal tips. After you buy the rose home, you can also remove the damaged outer petals, but if the inner petals are damaged, there is nothing you can do. In addition, intact and undamaged roses will stay fresh longer than damaged roses.
Keep roses in the water on the way home. Even if the roses are out of water for only a few minutes, they will be damaged to a certain extent, affecting their shelf life. Therefore, before going to the flower shop, you can fill a basin with a few centimeters of water. After buying the roses, you can put them in the water and take them home. If you don’t bring a basin, you can also ask the florist to fill some water in a plastic bag for you.
Handle the flower stems
Trim flower stems in water. Trimming the flower stems in water can prevent air from entering, which is very beneficial to preservation. Once air enters the stems, the flowers will wilt quickly, which is why apples and avocados turn yellow and crispy. Therefore, pruning underwater greatly reduces the possibility of air entering the flower stems.
Trim the stems with a knife or pruning shears. These two tools are most suitable for pruning rose stems. However, using ordinary scissors to cut the stems can easily squeeze them, affecting their efficiency in absorbing water, which is fatal to roses. After preparing the tools, cut off 1.25-2.5 cm from the bottom of the flower stem. If you want to insert it in a short vase, you can also cut it shorter.
- When pruning the flower stems, you should also cut them at a 45-degree angle. This will increase the contact area between the flower stems and water, making it easier to absorb water.
- Make sure pruning tools are clean. Pruners should be cleaned with hot soapy water or mild bleach every time, otherwise, bacteria remaining on the pruners will be transferred to the next flower to be pruned.
Cut the leaves off the stems. There should be no leaves on the flower stems that are immersed in water. This is because the leaves will rot when immersed in water, and bacteria will accumulate in the vase, causing the rose to die quickly. Leaves can be placed on the above-water part, but the leaves under the water must be removed cleanly.
Re-prun every few days. Regular pruning will increase the efficiency of the rose in absorbing water. If roses don’t receive enough water, they will become soft and wilt. Pruning should also use the above methods: clean tools, work underwater, and maintain a 45-degree angle.
Flower arrangement
Find a clean vase. If you just wash the vase casually, bacteria will still grow in it and cause damage to the roses. The correct way is to use hot soapy water to clean, and use a brush to carefully scrub the bottle walls. Clean thoroughly before proceeding to the next step.
Fill the bottle with clean water. Roses still need to absorb a lot of water after being cut, so the vase should be filled to 3/4 full with tap water, and then the flowers should be inserted within 2.5 cm from the bottom of the vase to ensure that the roses can fully absorb water.
- Consider adding some flower fertilizer to your vase. Store-bought flower fertilizer can provide essential nutrients to your roses and keep them fresh longer. When you go to buy flowers, you can buy a few packets of flower fertilizer back.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of bleach per 250 ml of water. This is to control the number of bacteria in the water, but don’t add too much or the roses will be harmed.
- Placing a coin or an aspirin in the water is also said to inhibit bacteria.
The water needs to be changed every few days. Change the water every two days or so to ensure that there are not too many bacteria in the water that can cause damage to the roses. After draining the original water, in addition to replacing it with clean water, don’t forget to add flower fertilizer and an appropriate amount of bleach again. In addition, trim the flower stems and then adjust the position of the flower stems.
Place the rose in a cool place. As long as you keep the roses in a cool place indoors, they will last for a few days without any problem. Be sure to avoid placing it on a windowsill exposed to sunlight or in a well-lit, very warm room. Alternatively, you can put the roses in the refrigerator at night and take them out in the morning.
Tips
- Do not cut roses together with fruits, as fruits naturally release gases that will wilt the roses.
- When the roses begin to wilt, don’t throw them away immediately. Instead, crush them and mix them into compost, which will provide extra nutrients to the soil.
- Pesticides kill bacteria. You can buy insecticide from a florist or garden center and use it on your roses. Of course, you can also make your pesticide, such as 1 ml of bleach mixed with 1 liter of water or 0.5 g of lemon soda mixed with 1 liter of water.
- Wear gardening gloves to protect your fingers when cutting thorny roses.
- Don’t cut off the thorns on the rose, otherwise the rose will wilt prematurely.