How to Keep Roses Fresh

Having a beautiful bouquet of fresh roses is one of life's simple pleasures. Roses please the senses, by smelling and looking wonderful.

But how do you keep your roses fresh the longest? You may have done everything the right way in the past, but your flowers still wilt before they are fully opened.

What is the reason behind this mysterious flower wilt? Find out why, and how you can keep this from happening to the next bouquet of roses. Read on to see how you can keep your cut roses looking fresh all week long.

Things You'll Need

• Fresh bouquet of Roses
• Water
• Lemon Juice
• Sugar
• Bleach

Instructions

1. 

   Understand the process

   Most roses come with the usual instructions on how to care for them. Following these directions can still not save your roses from the dreaded droop and wilt, that sometimes happens after putting your fresh roses in a vase. Why? The answer is bacteria.

   Bacteria grows and prevents fresh roses from getting the water it needs. It can get in your carefully cut stems and block the tubes your roses use to pull up water.Think about how a straw works when its plugged. This is why roses can wilt in a full vase of water.

2. 

   Stop Bacteria growth -

   Now you understand what is happening, how do you stop it? The first step is to prepare your water for your flowers. Make sure your vase is clean and dry to start off with. Fill it ¾ full of warm water.

   Add in the packet of food if you received it with your roses. This packet has sugars in it to feed the flowers, and has the chemicals that will fight bacteria from growing in the water. If your roses didn't come with a packet, you can make your own with bleach, lemon juice and sugar. See recipe below.

3. 

   Prepare your roses for cutting-
   Remove all extra leaves that might touch the water. Don't remove any thorns, as this can damage the flower's stem.

4. 

   Cut rose stems
   Stop bacteria from growing directly on the stem. When you cut your roses, cut them while they are submerged in water. This keeps the flower stem from getting air pockets in their "straws" and helps to keep the bacteria from forming. After cutting a diagonal cut under water, transfer directly to your vase full of water.

5. 

   After care-
   Change the water your fresh roses are in, every few days. When you change the water, add a new solution of plant food,or a solution of your own made up as follows:

   Start with 2 quarts of water
   Add - 4 TBS of Lemon Juice
   2 Tbs of sugar
   1 teaspoon of bleach

   Following these instructions will allow you to keep your roses fresh and looking amazing, for more than just a few days.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep roses out of sunlight and away from heat

Resources

• How to dry fresh flowers