Caring for Cut Roses

Valentine's Day is upon us and the hot flower of the season is the rose. Here are some simple suggestions from URI floriculturist Peggy Siligato for caring for your roses at home.

What should you look for when buying roses? Start by going to a florist you know and trust. How the florist stores and handles the roses before they reach your home can have a big impact on their vase life. When picking out roses look for firm heads and buds that aren’t too tight but that aren’t too far open either. Different varieties of roses have different vase lives. Ask your florist how long you can expect your roses to last.

The key to extending the vase life of roses is to insure that the flowers get plenty of water. Water moves from the vase to the rose flower through the stem of the rose. Air bubbles or bacteria can clog the stem and prevent water from reaching the flower. This causes the flower head to droop or “neck.”  You can prevent or eliminate stem blockages by cutting the rose stems under water. Fill your sink or a bucket with water then submerge your clippers or knife in the water and cut at least one inch off the bottom of the stem.  Immediately place the roses in a vase, making sure to remove any foliage below the water line. Foliage in the water will decay and provide a breeding ground for bacteria that can clog the stem. 

Make sure to get floral preservative when you buy your roses. Ask for extra packets so that you can add more preservative as needed. The preservative does three things: prevents bacteria from growing, lowers the pH of the water making it flow into the flowers more readily, and provides food (sugar) for the flowers to keep them from fading. Check the directions on the preservative package. Often one packet makes one pint of preservative so you may need several packets for a large vase. 

Check your flowers daily and add more floral preservative solution as needed. If the water turns cloudy, replace it with clean water, again with floral preservative added.

Sometimes you can revive roses that have drooped or necked by recutting the stems under water. Cutting the bottom 1 ½ inches can remove the blocked portion of the stem and allow water to reach the roses. Additionally, some experts recommend soaking the entire rose (stem plus flower) in a tub of water for an hour.