10 Tips to Keep Roses Fresh & Looking Their Best

If you’ve got a fresh bouquet of roses, you probably want the beautiful blooms to last for as long as possible. Luckily, there are a few steps you can take to keep your roses alive and thriving, and we’ll cover them all. We’ve also consulted florists Jeanne Walker and Pilar Zuniga for expert insight on how to care for cut roses and how to pick the freshest blooms. Keep reading for everything you need to know to keep your roses as fresh as a daisy!

How to Make Roses Last Longer

Clean your vase with soapy water and let dry.
Cut off the leaves toward the bottom of the stem.
Pick off any wilted guard petals but leave the thorns.
Trim 1 inch (2.5 cm) of the stems at a 45-degree angle.
Fill your vase with lukewarm water and change it daily.
Add flower food to the water once a day.
Keep your roses away from drafts or direct sunlight.

Section 1 of 3:

How to Keep Roses Alive

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Clean your vase and let it dry before putting the roses in it. Zuniga recommends washing your vase with soap and hot water, then allowing it to dry out completely before putting your roses inside.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Pilar Zuniga
Floral Designer & Owner, Gorgeous and Green

Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.} “Using a fresh vase is imperative,” explains Zuniga.^{[2]
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Pilar Zuniga
Floral Designer & Owner, Gorgeous and Green

Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.} If you don’t clean your vase between uses, bacteria can accumulate inside it, which can damage your fresh roses and shorten their shelf life.^{[3]
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- If your vase is extra dirty, try scrubbing the interior with a bottle brush to get rid of any built-up residue.^{[4]
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The portion of the stems that will be submerged in water should be completely free of leaves.^{[5]
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Research source} If there are leaves underwater, they'll start to rot and cause bacteria to accumulate, which makes the flowers die 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.

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When you get your roses, you may see some thicker-looking outer petals. These are called “guard petals,” and they protect the rosebud as it’s growing. If the guard petals on your roses look fresh and healthy, leave them on. However, if they’ve become bruised or wilted, go ahead and remove them. Roses expend a lot of energy to keep themselves alive, and getting rid of the wilting petals will conserve their energy for the fresher petals.^{[6]
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Leave the thorns on. You may be tempted to remove the prickly thorns from the stems of your roses, but resist this impulse. Cutting the thorns can actually damage the stems of your roses and keep them from hydrating properly, which ends up shortening their life. For the freshest, longest-lasting roses, leave the thorns where they are.
- If you’re worried about getting pricked by the thorns while handling your roses, try wearing a pair of protective gardening gloves.
5
Trim 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the stems at a 45-degree angle. Using a pair of clean floral shears or a sharp non-serrated knife, cut the rose stems at 45-degree angle about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the bottom.^{[7]
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Research source} The slanted cut exposes more surface area to the water, which helps your roses absorb more water and stay more hydrated.^{[8]
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- 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.
As soon as you cut the stems on your roses, place them in a vase filled with lukewarm (not cold!) tap water. It’s important to do this as quickly as possible so that your roses don’t dry out.^{[9]
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Add flower food to the water. Commercial flower foods provide nutrients the roses need to stay fresh for a longer period of time. They also include chemicals that kill bacteria and fungi, which can cause your roses to wilt more quickly.^{[10]
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Research source} Simply pour the flower food into the water, then mix it up until it dissolves.
- Florists will often include a little packet of flower food with your bouquet, but if you don’t see one, feel free to ask your florist for it.^{[11]
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- If you don’t want to use commercial flower food, you can try to make your own DIY flower food by combining 2 tablespoons (30 mL) white vinegar or lemon juice with 1 tbsp (12.5 g) sugar. Pour the mixture into the water and mix until it dissolves.^{[12]
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The longer your roses sit in the same water, the more bacteria will grow, which can cause them to wilt faster. To prolong the shelf life of your roses, change the water in your vase daily, if possible, or at least every 2-3 days. Pour out the old water and replace it with fresh, lukewarm tap water. Each time you change the water out, add more flower food, as well.^{[13]
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Once roses are cut, they’ll last longer in cooler temperatures, while hotter temperatures will cause them to wilt and deteriorate faster.^{[14]
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Research source} To help your roses last as long as possible, put the vase in a cool area of your home, away from any radiators or heaters. Don’t place the vase under strong, direct sunlight—this will be too hot and may cause wilting. Instead, find a place that gets gentler, indirect sunlight.^{[15]
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Monitor your roses and take quick action if you see drooping flowers. “If you notice that one or two roses are starting to weep a little bit, you can try to re-cut them,” Zuniga says.^{[16]
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Pilar Zuniga
Floral Designer & Owner, Gorgeous and Green

Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.} Cutting about 1 inch (2.5 cm) from the bottom of the stem may give the roses the extra boost they need to rehydrate and perk back up. Zuniga recommends cutting the stems under running water “so that no air gets pulled up into the stem itself.”^{[17]
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Pilar Zuniga
Floral Designer & Owner, Gorgeous and Green

Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.}
- If the roses revive and start to look healthier again, great! Unfortunately, if they continue to look limp and wilted, they may be too far gone, so it’s best to remove and discard them.
- If any dead leaves or petals fall into the water in your vase, make sure to remove these ASAP as well.

Section 2 of 3:

How to Select the Freshest Roses

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Cut roses from your garden in the early 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 too hot outside.^{[18]
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Research source} Retrieving the roses while it's still cool will help keep them from wilting. 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.^{[19]
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- Cut the stems at a 45-degree angle using a clean pair of hand pruners.
2
Buy cut roses from local florists. “Roses are going to last longer if they were grown closer to you,” says Zuniga.^{[20]
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Pilar Zuniga
Floral Designer & Owner, Gorgeous and Green

Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.} She explains that local-grown roses are usually picked within a few days of being sold. Roses from further away, on the other hand, usually undergo a longer shipping process. They may not have been stored in water the entire time, which shortens their shelf-life.^{[21]
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Pilar Zuniga
Floral Designer & Owner, Gorgeous and Green

Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.}
- It’s also important to buy from a reputable florist that you trust, 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—you can simply ask them for the freshest blooms they have.
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When picking out roses yourself at a store, examine their stems. The fresher your roses are when you purchase them, the longer they’ll last at home. To make sure you’re getting fresh, healthy roses at places like the grocery store, Walker recommends checking the stems for damage, bug bites, scrapes, and signs of decay.^{[22]
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Jeanne Walker
Florist

Expert Interview. 15 April 2020.}
- “You want the stem to be bright green,” says Walker.^{[23]
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  Jeanne Walker
  Florist
  
  Expert Interview. 15 April 2020.}And, where the stem is cut, it should be fresh green or white, “not brown or pink, because that’s a sign of molding and rotting.”^{[24]
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  Jeanne Walker
  Florist
  
  Expert Interview. 15 April 2020.}
- Walker also recommends checking the leaves: “If they’re turning brown or rotting, you don’t want to see that. If the leaves are green, that means they’ve been taking up water all the way through the stem to the leaves and the flower,” which is a good sign.^{[25]
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  Jeanne Walker
  Florist
  
  Expert Interview. 15 April 2020.}

Section 3 of 3:

FAQS about Caring for Roses

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With the proper care, cut roses can last for about 7-10 days in a vase.^{[26]
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Research source} There are also rose varieties that are known to last a bit longer than others, including Crystalline, Red Intuition, St. Patrick, and Elizabeth Taylor roses. If you want your roses to last as long as possible, consider picking one of these types.^{[27]
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Does sugar keep roses alive longer? Sugar is an important ingredient in flower food, which does, in fact, keep roses alive longer. However, you shouldn’t add sugar by itself to the water in your vase, as this can cause bacterial growth. The sugar needs to be combined with an antibacterial agent, such as white vinegar, to help keep a balanced pH level in the water.^{[28]
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- If you’re already adding commercial flower food packets to your water, sugar is likely already an ingredient in the mix you’re using. You don’t need to add any additional sugar to the water.
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How do you style and display roses? If you’re making a floral arrangement with just roses, Walker recommends mixing different-sized roses.^{[29]
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Jeanne Walker
Florist

Expert Interview. 15 April 2020.} “You get a textural look that makes it more interesting, and it’s prettier in photographs because you get more depth to it,” she explains.^{[30]
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Jeanne Walker
Florist

Expert Interview. 15 April 2020.}
- You can also make a mixed bouquet and incorporate different types of flowers. If you choose to go this route, Walker recommends paying close attention to the sizes of the extra flowers you choose.^{[31]
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  Jeanne Walker
  Florist
  
  Expert Interview. 15 April 2020.}
- “If the roses are going to be the main show, choose slightly smaller flowers, so the roses are the biggest flower in the bouquet,” she explains.^{[32]
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  Jeanne Walker
  Florist
  
  Expert Interview. 15 April 2020.} This allows your roses to really stand out!
Roses are an incredibly versatile flower with many uses, Zuniga explains.^{[33]
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Pilar Zuniga
Floral Designer & Owner, Gorgeous and Green

Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.} “They can be edible if they’re non-sprayed or organic,” she says, so you can use them to decorate cakes or charcuterie boards. If you enjoy taking baths, Zuniga recommends adding rose petals into the water with some bath salts, or even making your own homemade bath bombs with dried rose petals.^{[34]
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Pilar Zuniga
Floral Designer & Owner, Gorgeous and Green

Expert Interview. 12 March 2020.}

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

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.

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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

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.

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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

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.

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Tips

A biocide is a product that kills bacteria. For cut flowers, you can purchase suitable commercial biocides from a florist or garden center. There are also DIY versions of biocides, such as 1 milliliter (0.034 fl oz) of bleach to 1 liter (0.3 US gal) of water or 1/2 gram of citric soda to a liter of water.^{[35]
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Keep cut flowers away from fruit. Fruit releases natural gas, which causes flowers to wilt.

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Once your flowers are beginning to wilt, instead of throwing them in the trash, grind them up and add them to your compost pile. The roses will provide extra nutrients for the soil.

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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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