How to save roses - 10 ways to keep cut flowers longer

The splendor of cut flowers, alas, lasts several days. Knowing how to save roses, you can extend the life of a bouquet or a single bud in a vase up to 2-3 weeks. You need to take care of the beauty and freshness of flowers at the time of purchase or create a floral composition with your own hands, taking a little time to prepare the water and prune the stems.

Choose fresh roses in the store

We buy bouquets of flowers or receive as a gift. Roses have long symbolized love, passion, appreciation. When cut, they are considered “long-livers”, they endure transportation. But if you buy roses not of the first freshness, the surprise may be ruined.

You should pay attention to the leaves and petals of the corolla. It is better to purchase semi-open roses, firmly "sitting" at the ends of the stems. Completely closed buds will not have enough strength to show the flower in all its glory, and the blossoming ones will fade faster. The leaves of a fresh, healthy rose are shiny, dark green. There may be red and bronze shades characteristic of the variety.

Spraying, elastic bands, “skirts” around the buds often mask stale or other signs of poor quality flowers, although such bouquets of roses are more expensive.

Brown and black dots, brown or gray spots on the leaves and petals indicate disease. With the permission of the seller, the lower part of the flower is easily squeezed with the thumb and forefinger. If the shape of the rose does not change, then it is fresh.

It is useful to look at the stems and the water in which the flowers are kept. Darkened sections, cloudy liquid in a flowerpot indicate long and improper storage of roses in the store. If they stand in the sun or close to heat sources in the room, they open faster and fade.Another mistake - placing the flower department next to the vegetable.

Several ways to save cut roses

To significantly extend the life of flowers, you need to ensure the flow of water through the conductive tissue of the stem and cool at night. Many people are familiar with the situation when cut roses are already purchased at the store, and donation is scheduled for the next day. In this case, the bath is filled with cool water and the stems with leaves and flowers are completely immersed in it.

Ways to keep roses in a vase longer:

1. Choose a container for the bouquet, smooth from the inside, quite spacious so that there are no conditions for decay of densely standing stems, crushed leaves.
2. Break off the spikes that can injure the delicate skin on the stem and open the "gate" for germs.
3. The lower leaves are cut off, taking away food from the flowers, rotting in the water.
4. The kitchen knife is updated with a slice at the bottom of the stem, making it oblique, longer than 3 cm to increase the absorption area. It is better to do it in water or under a stream of water tap to remove germs, to prevent air from entering.
5. The best conditions for preserving a bouquet of roses: 18–20 ° С indoors, the absence of direct sunlight and dry heat coming from the battery.
6. At night, the flowers are taken out to a cooler room (if possible).
7. Water is changed daily or once every two days.
8. The stems of roses are immersed in the liquid at ½ length.
9. Refresh the cut with every change of water.

Scissors are not used, as they squeeze the tissue, which leads to blockage of the conductive cells. Splitting stems is an obsolete method.

Sugar, aspirin tablets or industrial preservatives for cut flowers will help prolong the life of a bouquet of roses. The latter slow down the development of rotting bacteria, which contribute to premature wilting. The name of the imported preservatives is Floralife and Chrysal.

There are folk remedies for preserving the freshness of flowers. Half of an aspirin tablet (cheap acetylsalicylic acid, not a heart drug) is dissolved in warm water. Add 1-2 tsp. sugar per 1 liter of liquid. At each water change, the ingredients are reintroduced. Using acetylsalicylic acid and sugar, you can save a bouquet for up to 25 days.

Resuscitation for faded flowers

Turgor in the cells of rose petals is quickly restored in hot water. It disinfects the cut, “punches” the channels filled with air. This will allow the stem to absorb water unhindered again. A rose with a short “leg” and several leaves comes to life before our eyes.

First you need to refresh the cut, then put the flowers in water heated to 60–70 ° C, but not boiled. Add 1-2 tsp. sugar per 1 liter Florists recommend placing flowers in hot water for 1 minute. However, practical experience suggests that roses tolerate the procedure painlessly, stand until the liquid cools.

Florists used to claim that "resuscitation" briefly refreshes the bouquet. Modern rose hybrids respond well to hot water, are able to please their appearance for a long time. In the days following the first “revival”, you can repeat the procedure.

Important recommendations from florists

You can judge the freshness of a rose by its aroma: the stronger it is, the less time has passed from cutting a bud to selling it. This rule does not apply to some modern hybrids that are initially odorless. Ancient varieties of fragrant roses delight in the flowerbed, in a cut form they will fade faster. You have to make a choice: a magical fragrance or a longer bouquet life.

Cut flowers will live longer with proper transportation until the moment of giving.

Helpful hints:

• If it is not possible to keep roses in a vase, then they are sprayed with clean, cool water.
• It is recommended to wrap the ends of the stems with a damp cloth or paper towel (do not cover the top of the bouquet).
• In winter, flowers are packaged in several layers of paper to protect against frost.
• The bouquet is carried with the stems up.

Roses are “individualists” who do not tolerate the aromas of other colors.

Very popular, ancient and forever young flowers symbolize beauty, sincere love. A bouquet of white roses is presented as a symbol of purity and fidelity. Red roses represent passionate love, pink roses - romantic love, burgundy - worship of beauty, yellow - the joy of communication, friendly feelings.

A red rose in a glass of water and a delightful wedding bouquet are kept using the same techniques. It is important not to leave the stems tightly tied up, to renew the slices daily and change the water in the vase. You can provide flower nutrition by adding sugar and aspirin to the water. Hot water “resuscitates” already drooping roses, they will again look like fresh.