5 Popular Ways to Keep Roses Fresh and Beautiful

Roses are the favorite flowers of many; they are perfect in their grace and are a symbol of love and passion. Their delicate buds delight us with the beauty and sophistication of their lines, and their delicate aroma captivates us. But for some reason, some bouquets last for weeks, while others wither within a few hours. How to preserve roses so you can enjoy and admire them longer?

• 1 Tips for choosing the freshest roses
• 2 Stages of caring for cut roses 2.1 Treatment of stems
• 2.2 Choosing a vase
• 2.3 Proper water

Tips for choosing the freshest roses

Flowers have firmly entered our lives. We cannot imagine any celebration without bright colorful bouquets. But sometimes enterprising sellers can sell stale goods, and you become the owner of flowers that are still outwardly attractive, but already fading. Literally a few hours after the bouquet was placed in the water, you can observe drooping leaves, bowed buds and petals that have begun to fall.

How to avoid getting into trouble and buy fresh roses? Listen to the advice of experienced flower growers.

1. Touch the bud near the stem; it should feel firm.
2. Give preference to unopened buds; they should be loose and ready to open. A dense bud may droop without opening. A fully ripe rose, lush and fully open, will not stand for long.
3. The petals are elastic, without flaws or stains. Around the bud, the first petal should be greenish. First, the outer petals wither, and sellers tear them off like cabbage leaves, causing the flower to “lose weight.”
4. If decor in the form of sparkles or white snow crumbs is applied to the petals, then defects were clearly covered up.
5. Do not buy ready-made bouquets; they will definitely contain stale flowers. Mesh, foil or paper support wilted buds and prevent them from bending. Choose roses one at a time, make a bouquet yourself, and only then pack them in lush “clothes”.
6. The leaves are bright, dense, rich in color, directed upward.
7. The stem should not become thinner towards the flower, but should be of the same thickness.
8. The cut of the stem is light green; if brown tones are present, it means rotting has begun.
9. If possible, purchase flowers from the refrigerator, and not those that were in a warm room.

Buying flowers

Any flowers, including roses, should be carefully selected when purchasing. If there are any flaws on their petals or leaves or there are doubts about the integrity of the seller of live goods, then it is better not to buy flowers. If the plant is fresh, it will stay in the vase for a long time.

Features of fresh roses

1. The bud is moderately elastic and confidently holds in the sepals.
2. The stem is the same along its entire length.
3. There are no spots or other defects on the petals.
4. The leaves are bright, without signs of initial rotting along the edges.

Important! Choose roses that are at least half closed. In this case, you should evaluate the degree of elasticity of their buds. Increased elasticity indicates that the flower is immature - it may simply not open.

Stages of caring for cut roses

Flowers must be properly prepared in order to keep the roses in the bouquet longer. First of all, remove the festive decorative packaging; it has already served its purpose. Fill the bath with cold water and soak the roses for several hours, so they will be saturated with moisture. Try not to let the buds “bathe”, as this can lead to rotting. Then we will start processing the stem.

Stem processing

You can keep cut roses in a vase for a long time if they are trimmed correctly. The procedure should be carried out in water so that the air does not block the further passage of moisture.

The stems should not be deformed, otherwise the capillaries that “drink” the water will be damaged, so it is better to use a sharp knife. No scissors! They squeeze the stem.

Cut at an angle and split the tip crosswise, thus increasing the area of ​​open capillaries. A straight cut will simply bury itself in the bottom of the vase, and the access to liquid will be minimal.

The stem must be cleared of excess leaves and twigs so that they do not touch water and rot.

Choosing a vase

When choosing a vessel, it is necessary to take into account the length of the stems and the number of flowers. To ensure comfort, make sure that the roses are not crowded and that the stems have full opportunity to absorb water.

Roses have different heights and are divided into 3 groups: miniature, medium-length and royal, reaching 1 meter. Accordingly, the height of the vase should match the size of the bouquet and be sufficiently stable. For compositions consisting of one to five flowers, a vase with a narrow neck is best; it will allow the roses to be arranged neatly.

Roses will benefit from a simple vase, without any frills. After all, they themselves serve as decoration and do not require additional decor from lush curls and bright colors.

Do not use plastic or metal containers, only glass and ceramics. Clay and ceramic vases keep water cool for a long time.

The right water

It is best to use distilled or filtered water, or, in extreme cases, settled water. It should be cool in summer and at room temperature in winter.

Change the water regularly, at least once every 3-5 days. Add fresh water to the vase every day. The volume should be such that the stems are immersed in liquid by a third.

in winter

Purchased rose seedlings are stored in the basement until planting, both in spring and in winter. Before placing planting material in a bucket, it must be inspected, removing damaged areas. Disinfect the sections and treat them with fungicides. At temperatures up to +2 degrees, seedlings can be stored until spring. If the temperature rises, the seedlings must be transplanted into pots.

Snow

A very simple option for storing roses is to leave them in the snow at your summer cottage until planting. Roses are placed in cardboard boxes and sprinkled with sawdust. The seedlings are stored in an area where the snow will not melt for a long time and water will not accumulate. The top of the box is covered with waterproof material and covered with snow and spruce branches.

In all cases, it is recommended to check seedlings every 5–7 days.

Note! If the seedlings have sprouted, they need to be placed vertically. The growth of slightly swollen buds can be stopped by lowering the temperature to 0 degrees.

We extend the “service life”

Roses are very capricious and delicate flowers that are very sensitive to changes in temperature, air humidity and other external factors. To keep roses in a vase longer, there are several tricks.

Many florists advise adding various additives to the water, while others categorically do not accept the use of chemicals. In any case, the choice is yours. If you decide to add ingredients to “feed” the bouquet, then use only one of the components.

In flower shops you can buy special substances for additives, for example, chrysal or ammonium. Folk remedies are also very popular.

Common methods are as follows.

1. Aspirin. Disinfects water, “preserves” the flower and prolongs its life. Grind one tablet of acetylsalicylic acid and dissolve it in a liter of water.
2. Sugar and vinegar. A universal nutritional shake. One tablespoon per 1 liter.
3. Bleach. Roses for sale are grown using chemicals to promote rapid growth. Therefore, a few drops of bleach in the water affect the flowers like a dose on a drug addict.
4. Vodka. Prevents rotting, destroys microbes. A few spoons in a vase are enough.
5. Alum or borax. Also used as water disinfection. Throw in a couple of crystals.

Change the water with the addition of “nutritional” ingredients every three days. At the same time, wash the vase well, preferably with soda. Place the roses in a bath of cold water for several hours, renew the cut, and wash the leaves.

How to choose a vase and how much water to pour

The container in which the compositions are stored plays an important role in the process of their preservation, so special attention should be paid to its selection. Glass or ceramic products are considered the best option. But at the same time, they should not allow sunlight to pass through, which has a detrimental effect on plants. In addition, sunlight creates a favorable environment in water for the growth of bacteria.

Water should cover two-thirds of the length of the stem. The height of the dishes should correspond to the length of the stems.

Resuscitation for withered roses

If a beautiful pink arrangement has begun to fade, then you can try to extend the life of the roses in the vase. There are several ways.

1. Refresh the cut on the stem. Wrap the roses in plastic and dip the stem tip in very hot, but not boiling, water for 10 seconds. Place the bouquet in a cold bath for 20 minutes. After such shock therapy, the flowers will invigorate and delight you for some time.
2. Place the roses on newspaper and spray them thoroughly with a spray bottle, wrap them and place them in cold water for three hours.
3. Dissolve one teaspoon of saltpeter in a three-liter jar of water. Leave the bouquet for a few hours and it will come to life right before your eyes.
4. The skin above the cut should be scraped off with a sharp knife to a height of 5-7 cm. The cut should be scorched over the fire.
5. Add a spoonful of ammonia to the vase.

These methods will help save fading flowers, but not for long. If you want to preserve roses as a memory of a special event, you can dry them. Wait until resuscitation does not help, but the petals have not yet fallen. To keep the leaves color and shape, iron them through the fabric with an iron. Tie the bouquet at the base and hang the buds down for several days until completely dry.

A dry bouquet can last a very long time and fit perfectly into the interior.

How to preserve fading flowers

It happens that seemingly fresh flowers begin to fade. The cause of premature aging may be hidden in some unnoticeable cut on the stem through which air has entered it. Find the damage and cut the stem above that area. Then place the plant in a shallow bowl of warm water (37-38°C).

People have come up with a lot of things when thinking about how to preserve cut roses longer. For example, boiling the stems . Yes, you read that right. Immersing a wilting bouquet in hot water will remove air from it and kill bacteria. The flower must be placed so that only a couple of centimeters of the stem are in the boiling water. After 3 minutes, remove the flower and cut off the darkened part. Immediately after this, place it in cold water. This is a radical, but proven option to preserve the bouquet longer.

The shelf life of all varieties is different. Varieties with delicate white and pink petals are the most sensitive, so they quickly lose their fresh appearance. While flowers with dense, durable buds retain their attractiveness for a long time. With proper care, they can last up to two weeks.

Useful tips from florists

Listen to the recommendations of experienced flower growers.

1. Flowers on long stems are difficult to grow, so the longer the stem, the more expensive the rose. But if there is no suitable vase in the house, then you will have to cut off the “leg” of the flower.
2. Roses grown in Russia often have a thin stem, but are not inferior to Dutch ones. They often last longer and retain aroma and color better.
3. When spraying flowers with a spray bottle, try not to get into the middle of the bud. Water that gets inside will stagnate and cause rotting.
4. Do not place the vase in direct sunlight or near heating appliances. Protect from drafts. The best room temperature is 20-22 degrees.
5. At night, you can place roses in cool water drawn into the bath. Make sure that the buds do not touch the water; lift them above the surface. This will refresh the roses and saturate them with moisture.
6. Update the slice frequently.
7. Use opaque vases; microorganisms multiply more slowly in the dark.
8. These flowers are “selfish” and do not like to share the vase with others.
9. Wash the vase with soda solution.
10. Roses are stored in a cool room, the ideal temperature is +5 degrees. If you bought them in advance, place them in the refrigerator. This is very important before the holidays, when flowers increase in price sharply. Can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Preserving roses before planting

Often, rose garden lovers buy seedlings long before planting. Then they should be saved until warmer days arrive. Purchased seedlings must be carefully examined after removing them from the packaging. If the rose is damaged you need to:

• Rid the bush of affected areas by treating these sections with charcoal.
• Place the roots of the bushes in growth stimulating preparations.
• Treat spots on the plant with brilliant green.
• Place the bare roots in a damp paper towel and then seal them in a bag.
• Wax and mesh are not removed from the plant. They will collapse on their own during planting.