A rose is one of the most beautiful species of flowers. The gorgeous appearance and the blooming aroma that this flower emits lift your mood immediately. A bouquet of roses makes the best present on the occasions like birthdays and anniversaries. And, of course, this flower is the highest in demand during Valentine’s Week. After all, Rose Day is entirely dedicated to exchanging roses and commemorates the beginning of the week of the lovers.
Roses are beautiful, and we hate seeing them wilt, especially when gifted by your loved ones. Receiving fresh roses is a gorgeous gift. But as a perishable item, roses require a little maintenance from the recipient. In general, fresh roses are meant to last for 1-2 weeks. You can take some extra measures and keep them blooming for a long time.
How to Keep Roses Fresh for Long?
Like other flowers, preserving roses may be a little tricky. But when you work on the below-listed tips, you can add hours and even days to them. Whether it is a bouquet full of roses or one with roses and other flowers, keeping them fresh and alive with the below-listed ideas never fails.
Prune Them Timely
Whether you are keeping your rose in a vase or letting it in a bouquet, proper pruning will ensure that it remains fresh for the longest of time. All you need to do is to take a peek at your flowers. Remove any petal or leaf that appears to be browning or drying. Cut off the leaves and buds below the waterline of the vase. This step is necessary as rotting parts of the roses may breed bacteria and shorten their life.
Prepare your Vase
If you are likely to keep your roses in the vase, it is good to prepare the vase beforehand to increase their lifespan. You do not have to go out of the way in doing so. Just take some fresh water at room temperature and add a small packet of flower food.
Adding room temperature water reduces temperature shock. You will notice that the roses will rest beautifully and unwilted for days.
Ensure that the Vase is Clean
Merely preparing the vase with water and food for flowers is not enough. You need to ensure that you are using clean water for the roses to stay fresher for a long. Cleaning the vase is simple. Fill it with some warm water and pour a tablespoon of baking soda.
Pour a small amount of white vinegar. The combination will become fizzy, thus removing any residue from inside the pot. Rinse it with clean water and wipe the vase with a clean soft cotton cloth. You are good to go.
Not too Much of Flower Food
Putting flower food in the vase for roses helps to keep them fresh and long. But remember, overdoing the flower food is a big no. Fill only 1/4th part of the vase with the flower food. When it comes to refilling, know that you need to do it only when the flower food is not visible from the bottom of the vase.
When you shop for flower food for roses, check their ingredients. Buy the food containing sugar to feed the flowers, acid to maintain the pH levels of water, and bleach to reduce fungi and bacteria in the vase water.
Trim their Stems
When you receive a bouquet of roses from your friends or family members, your topmost priority should be to plunge them into a vase of water. It is because roses or any other flower demand hydration.
At the same time, it is essential to trim their stems to make them last longer. Thus, it is best to cut one or two inches from the base of the stem. Always use a 45-degree angle in cutting the stem. You can repeat this process every few days. It helps to keep the water flowing to each of the rosebuds, thus keeping it fresh and well-hydrated.
Place in Water Immediately after Cutting
As stated, placing the roses in water is a must, especially when you have cut or trimmed them. When you place your roses in the water, the air entering their pores carries water to the flower. Just like proper hydration works for your skin, hydration for flowers works for their longer life.
Avoid Extreme Weather Conditions
One of the essential things to do while taking care of your roses is to avoid exposing them to extreme weather conditions, especially sunlight. It is a well-known fact that flowers wilt faster when you keep them in a direct source of heat or harsh sunlight.
Another unknown fact that many of you do not know is to keep your roses away from fruits. Yes, you heard it right. Placing your roses near fruits gives off ethylene gas. As a result, they ripe and age faster than expected.
Change the Water Every Two Days
For your roses to last longer, you must use not only room temperature but clean water. Fresh and clean water will keep your cut roses alive. Take the roses out of the water every two or three days. Pour off all the water from the vase and refill it with fresh water.
Let Out Dying Flowers
When a few flowers from the bouquet die despite taking every measure to keep them alive, it is good to let out the dying flowers to save the remaining roses from dying.
Aspirin Treatment Comes to Rescue
Yes, aspirin can help your roses remain fresh for a long time. You can give an aspirin treatment to the roses by crushing an aspirin tablet into the water of the vase. Crushing it will form a powder. The salicylic acid present in aspirin keeps the water clean and free from germs and bacteria.
The above-listed tips to keep roses fresh for long work incredibly. It is about time you start using them and keep the beautiful roses blooming. Try them now.
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