How to Keep Roses Fresh

Co-authored by Pilar Zuniga

Roses are beautiful, fragrant flowers that come in a variety of colors and sizes. Given the right care, roses can stay fresh for a week and a half or more after being cut. To keep your roses from wilting, be sure to change their water every few days, use a very clean vase and keep them in a cool spot. See Step 1 to learn more about how to keep roses fresh.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Selecting the Freshest Roses

1
Cut your own roses early in the morning. If you're cutting roses from your own rosebush to display indoors, cut them as early as possible in the morning, before it gets hot outside. Cutting them while it's still cool will keep them from wilting just after cutting. Immediately after cutting the roses, put the stems in a clean bucket of fresh water.
- The night before cutting your roses, water the rosebush. Well-hydrated roses will stay fresher longer than roses cut from a bush that hasn't been recently watered.^{[1]
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- Cut the stems at a 45 degree angle using a clean pair of hand pruners.
2
Buy cut roses from a florist you trust. If you're not cutting your own roses, try to buy them from a well-reputed florist, preferably one with whom you have a relationship. That way you'll be able to get your hands on roses that were very recently cut, rather than roses that may have been sitting there for a week.
- Ask the florist which flowers arrived that very morning, and try to select the very freshest roses possible.^{[2]
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  Expert Source
  
  Pilar Zuniga
  Floral Designer & Owner, Gorgeous and Green
  Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.}
- Choose roses from the refrigeration unit, since roses that are kept cool last longer than those that have been sitting out at room temperature.
- A reputable florist will buy their flowers multiple times a week so they always have fresh flowers to deliver.^{[3]
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  Expert Source
  
  Jeanne Walker
  Florist
  Expert Interview. 15 April 2020.}
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3
Squeeze the roses where the petals meet the stem. This is a sure way to tell whether roses are still fresh. When you're examining roses before making your purchase, gently squeeze them at their base, where the petals come together at the stem. If it feels loose and squishy, the roses are old, and you should avoid them. If it feels firm and taut, the roses are fresh.
4
Inspect the roses for bruised or broken petals. Look for roses with well-formed, colorful petals. Examine the tips of the petals to make sure they aren't bruised or brown. When you bring the roses home, you can remove a few outer petals that have been damaged, but there's not much you can do to improve the appearance of damaged tips on the inner petals. Intact petals are more attractive and will stay fresh longer than bruised ones.
5
Keep them in water on the way home. If the roses are out of water even for a few minutes, they'll suffer for it, and they won't stay fresh as long.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Pilar Zuniga
Floral Designer & Owner, Gorgeous and Green
Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.} When you go to the flower shop, you might want to bring along a bucket filled with a few inches of water so you'll have a place to keep the roses watered when you take them home. If you don't have a bucket, ask the florist to package them with water.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Preparing the Stems

1
Trim the stems underwater. Trimming the stems underwater helps to keep them fresh by preventing air from entering the bottom of the stems.^{[5]
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Expert Source

Pilar Zuniga
Floral Designer & Owner, Gorgeous and Green
Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.} When air gets in, it immediately starts to cause flowers to deteriorate, the same way it turns apples and avocados brown and mushy. You can trim the stems under running water or submerge them in water to do the trimming.^{[6]
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Research source}
2
Use a knife or hand pruners. A sharp knife or a pair of sharp hand pruners are the best tools to use to cut rose stems. Using a standard pair of scissors squeezes the stems, which can prevent them from taking in water as effectively and cause them to die more quickly. Cut off ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) to 1 inch (2.5 cm) of length from the bottom of the stems, or more if you're arranging them in a short vase.
- Cut the stems at a 45 degree angle, which enables them to take in water more easily.
- Make sure the cutting tool you use is extremely clean. Hand pruners should be cleaned with hot, soapy water or a mild bleach solution after every use, since bacteria can remain on the pruners and affect the next flowers you cut.
3
Remove leaves from the stems. The portion of the stems that will be submerged in water should be completely free of leaves. This is because leaves left underwater will start to rot, causing bacteria to accumulate in the vase and making the flowers die a lot more quickly. You can leave a few leaves attached toward the top of the stems, but remove anything that would be underwater in the vase.
4
Keep trimming them every few days. Trimming the stems every couple of days will help the roses take in water more effectively, since after a while the tips of the stems will become a little mushy and damaged. Use the same technique you used to trim them in the first place, making sure your tools are clean and cutting underwater at a 45 degree angle.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Displaying the Roses

1
Use a sparkling clean vase. If you simply rinse your vases between uses, bacteria can live inside the vases and damage your fresh roses. Clean the vase you plan to use with hot, soapy water, making sure to scrub the inside with a bottle brush. Rinse it thoroughly before proceeding.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Pilar Zuniga
Floral Designer & Owner, Gorgeous and Green
Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.}
2
Fill it with fresh water.^{[8]
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Expert Source

Pilar Zuniga
Floral Designer & Owner, Gorgeous and Green
Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.} Roses take in a lot of water after they're cut. Fill the vase 3/4 full with fresh, cool water from the tap, then arrange the flowers in the vase so that the stems are within an inch of the bottom of the vase. This way they'll be able the reach the water they need to stay fresh.
- Consider adding some flower food to the water. Commercial flower food will provide nutrients the roses need to stay fresh for a longer period of time. Ask for a few packets of flower food when you buy roses at the flower shop.
- Add 1/4 teaspoon of bleach per quart of water. This keeps the bacteria level low in the water so your flowers last longer.^{[9]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Jeanne Walker
  Florist
  Expert Interview. 15 April 2020.} Just be sure not to add too much bleach to the water, or the roses will be damaged.^{[10]
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  Research source}
- Adding a penny or an aspirin tablet to the water is also said to help control the bacteria levels.
3
Change the water every day.^{[11]
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Expert Source

Jeanne Walker
Florist
Expert Interview. 15 April 2020.} Every day, change the water to ensure that bacterial growth doesn't damage your flowers. Fill the vase with fresh water, more flower food and the right amount of bleach. Trim the stems of your roses and arrange them in the vase once more.
4
Keep the roses cool. Roses will stay fresh for many days if you keep them in a cool spot in the house. Avoid placing them near sunny windows or in rooms that tend to be on the warmer side.^{[12]
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Expert Source

Jeanne Walker
Florist
Expert Interview. 15 April 2020.} You can even store your roses in the refrigerator overnight to keep them cool while you sleep, then set them back out on the table during the day.

Expert Q&A
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Question

What should I do if I'm not going to be home when the roses I ordered get delivered?

Jeanne Walker
Florist
Jeanne Walker is a Florist and the Owner of Fringe Flower Company, a floral design shop that specializes in weddings, special events, and daily deliveries. Fringe Flower Company, based in Walnut Creek, California, provides customized hand-tied and vase bouquets along with potted plants, succulent gardens, tulip french buckets, and wreaths. Jeanne also conducts floral design workshops and parties throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jeanne Walker

Florist

Expert Answer

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Ask that the roses be left somewhere shaded, like your porch. If there isn't a dark spot to leave them, ask a neighbor if they can pick up the bouquet for you and hold onto it until you get home. You just don't want the roses to be sitting out in the sun.
Question

How can I make sure I'm ordering the freshest roses for delivery?

Jeanne Walker
Florist
Jeanne Walker is a Florist and the Owner of Fringe Flower Company, a floral design shop that specializes in weddings, special events, and daily deliveries. Fringe Flower Company, based in Walnut Creek, California, provides customized hand-tied and vase bouquets along with potted plants, succulent gardens, tulip french buckets, and wreaths. Jeanne also conducts floral design workshops and parties throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jeanne Walker

Florist

Expert Answer

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Make sure the florist you go through purchases new flowers several times a week so you know they're fresh. The florist should also keep everything fresh cut every single day, and they should have a refrigerated delivery truck.
Question

What are some tips for designing a rose centerpiece?

Jeanne Walker
Florist
Jeanne Walker is a Florist and the Owner of Fringe Flower Company, a floral design shop that specializes in weddings, special events, and daily deliveries. Fringe Flower Company, based in Walnut Creek, California, provides customized hand-tied and vase bouquets along with potted plants, succulent gardens, tulip french buckets, and wreaths. Jeanne also conducts floral design workshops and parties throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jeanne Walker

Florist

Expert Answer

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If it's an all-rose centerpiece, I personally like to mix different size roses in the same color because you get a really nice textural look. I also make sure all of my roses are open to the same extent.

Warnings

Do not remove the thorns from roses. Removing the thorns from roses causes them to age faster.

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When working with roses with thorns, use garden gloves to protect your hands and fingers from sharp thorns.

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