- UK Information
- UK Florists
- Tips and advice
- Taking care of cut roses to promote longevity
Taking care of cut roses to promote longevity
Roses can add a special touch to the room. As well as their beauty, fragrant roses add a wonderful aroma that is hard to beat. Whether the roses have been cut from your own plants in the garden or bought for you, you want to make sure they last as long as possible. Follow our guidelines here and our guide to taking care of cut flowers to make sure that you enjoy the beauty of your cut roses for as long as possible.
Submerged leaves can decay and create bacteria. Remove these leaves. Be careful not to damage the bark of the stem. Any damages to the stem can prevent uptake of water through the stem.
Hold the stems under water and cut about 2 cm from the bottom of the stem with a sharp knife or scissors. Keep this end moist and don't let it dry before being placed in vase or container.
Immediately after the stems are cut, place roses in a deep vase of warm preservative solution (about 100 degrees Fahrenheit). Leave roses in a cool, dark room for a couple of hours before arranging. This gives the roses a little time to settle and adjust before being arranged.
Arrange fresh-cut roses in a vase with water that contains flower preservative. Bought flowers normally come with a packet and instruction on mixing it with water. Avoid water with other additives.
If you use a florist's porous foam material for arranging the roses, make sure it is thoroughly wet with preservative. Use a vase large enough to keep the entire block of foam submerged. Insert the rose stems firmly in the foam so that they can absorb the preservative solution.
Roses are thirsty flowers. Check the container regularly and make sure there is plenty of water. Remember to add more preservative solution as you add more water.
Roses don't like too much sunlight or extreme temperatures. Keep the rose arrangement in a cool area out of direct sunlight and drafts.
Roses can wilt if they can not take up water and preservative through the stem. If fresh roses begin to wilt, it could mean that there is air trapped in the stem. Cut off the bottom of the stem. Check for any damage to the bark and cut the stem above this, if it is above the water level since it can cause air to get into the stem. Submerge the rose in warm water for about an hour and it can then go back in the arrangement.