The question of how to keep roses in a vase as long as possible arises before many gardeners. These are special flowers that, with proper care, can stand in a vase at home for up to 3, and sometimes 4 weeks. It all depends only on how they are looked after. Below are a variety of tips to help your roses last longer.

When to cut roses

In different regions, due to the different climates, it is impossible to precisely name the moment which will be the most suitable in order to cut a flower. Buds with 30-40 petals have the most balanced shape. These are the plants that are sold in stores, because the shape of these roses can prolong their existence.

This is a general rule for roses, however some varieties are more sensitive to cutting conditions:

  • Non-double roses can be cut as soon as the sepals open.
  • Popular double roses need to be given time to bloom on the bush and gain strength.
  • Hybrid tea roses are cut when the buds have opened a third.

Roses in a vase

Important! If flowers from the created flower bed are planned to be grown for a bouquet in the future, it is necessary to take care of the safety of the shrub in advance: do not remove the protective foliage from the bush and do not cause other mechanical damage, for example, when weeding the earth.

How to properly cut roses in the garden

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You can cut roses shortly after sunrise or before sunset: at this time, they contain more nutrients that will be necessary for continued existence in the vase.

Note! To preserve the life of the bush, you cannot cut more than a third of all flowers at a time.

You need to cut a flower from a bush with a sharp pruner, after which the stems are cut again under water so that air bubbles do not get in, otherwise the plants will begin to rot.

You cannot deprive a flower of more than half of the foliage at a time, otherwise the bush will take a very long time to repair damage, and new buds are unlikely to appear in the current season.

After the plant is cut, a small incision should be made over the outward-facing eye. This will keep the bush in shape.

Cut roses

Hybrid tea varieties are more whimsical to cut. To grow large varieties for a bouquet, you need to remove all small lateral buds that form around the future flower. It is better to do it with your hands.

How to store cut roses in a vase

To extend the life of flowers, you will have to perform a whole range of measures, there is no one miraculous way.

What water to put roses in

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Distilled water is the best option. In its absence, you can use well or filtered water. Tap water must first be allowed to stand for several days, then boil and cool.

Important! The water vase must be rinsed with detergents.

Conditions for flowers

Roses do not like sudden changes in temperature, so you should not place the bouquet near heaters or under an air conditioner. If the bouquet was brought from the cold, it is worth letting it lie for half an hour without water at room temperature.

Best of all, roses are stored at a cold temperature: if possible, the bouquet should be taken out to a cool room at night (ideally - 18-20 degrees)

Storing roses

What to add to the water to keep the roses in the vase longer

The first option is a mixture of sugar and vinegar to nourish the flowers. One spoon of each ingredient is added to a liter of water. This solution allows the bouquet to stand for a very long time, however, harmful microorganisms quickly start in such a mixture, so it is necessary to replace the water in the vase daily.

The second option is to add alum, a natural antimicrobial agent that can often be purchased at a flower shop.

The most popular way has always been the use of aspirin or citric acid. Dosage: half a tablet per liter of water.

Citric acid to keep roses in water

Another option for ensuring long life for roses is the use of charcoal, which purifies the water from harmful microorganisms. A charcoal tablet is placed on the bottom of the vase every time the water in the vessel changes.

An old way, which was used by great-grandmothers, is to add silver to the vase, for example, a silver spoon or a special figurine. Silver removes bacteria from water and kills pathogens.

If you don't have any of the above products at hand, you need to add 1-2 teaspoons of alcohol to the water.

Note! You can use only one of the proposed methods at a time; the methods cannot be combined or alternated.

Each of the methods will be effective only if there is a daily replacement of the solution that is used to prevent the flowers from wilting. It is also necessary to prune the stems and leave the roses in the bath water for 1.5-2.5 hours daily.

How to keep roses in the refrigerator

How to prune roses after blooming in summer so they bloom again

If flowers need to be kept fresh before any event, they should be kept in a cool, dark room, the best option is to store them in the refrigerator.

The bouquet must be placed in a plastic bag. It is very important that the flowers are dry. Do not leave roses with apples, they bloom the buds faster. In this simple way, flowers can keep their freshness for up to 3 days.

Roses in the fridge

Urgent resuscitation of wilting roses

If after some time the roses still began to fade, an effective "shock" method is used. It should be used as a last resort, since after the procedure the buds will look better, but they can wilt sharply after a few days.

Algorithm of actions:

  1. Trim the stems of the roses at an angle.
  2. Remove thorns and lower foliage.
  3. Pour a few centimeters of boiling water into a vase and place the flowers in the water.
  4. Cover the neck of the vase with a towel. Otherwise, due to the steam, the buds and foliage will wither.
  5. A thin-stemmed rose should be kept in boiling water for no more than 30 seconds, a thick-stemmed rose - up to 2 minutes.
  6. Cut off the stems above the burnt part, place the flowers in plain water.

Note! If only some of the flowers in the bouquet begin to fade, it is necessary to remove them, as they can provoke rotting of the remaining fresh plants.

Tips from experienced gardeners

Different gardeners often give conflicting advice. Only a few of them can really be called time-tested:

  • Roses love loneliness. Do not combine them with other flowers in the bouquet.
  • To restore the appearance of withered flowers, you should put them on a newspaper, spray the stems, then wrap in paper and leave in cool water for 3 hours.
  • Sometimes you need to spray roses, but you can't get into the middle of the bud: the accumulation of water will provoke rotting.
  • Opaque vases keep the water clear for longer.
  • When trimming the ends of the stem, it is worth moving the skin away from the edge a few centimeters: this way the plant will be provided with the maximum amount of moisture.
  • The shorter the stem, the easier it is for the flower to nourish the bud.

Thus, among the many proposed ways to preserve roses in a vase, each grower chooses something of his own. Fortunately, all the methods described above can extend the life of flowers; it is enough to have the simplest household substances at home: aspirin, vinegar or coal.