Help, How Do I Make My Arranged Roses Last?

Selection and Sanitation

• Kitty Belendez, a master consulting rosarian to the Santa Clarita Rose Society, suggests planting roses specifically bred to last longer as cut flowers. St Patrick, Veteran’s Honor, Black Magic, Moonstone and Elizabeth Taylor are some recommendations. Cleaning and disinfecting vases before arranging freshly cut stems is an often-overlooked step for extending the life of flowers. Washing vases in hot, soapy water and then disinfecting them by letting them soak in a 5 percent bleach solution ensures that bacteria does not attack roses.

Cutting Stems

• Before cutting roses, water plants thoroughly the day before and wipe secateurs with bleach or alcohol. Don’t cut or purchase stems with tight buds or fully opened flowers; cut or purchase beyond the bud stage just as petals begin to unfurl. Cut flowers after the morning dew has dried but before the full heat of the sun is on them. Cut stems at a 45-degree angle so that they won’t sit flat on the bottom of your container, which will restrict their water uptake. Immediately immerse cut stems in a clean bucket of water.

Water

• Chlorine gas and fluoride are fed into municipal water supplies. They contain chemicals and salts that can injure plant tissues. Dr. W.E. Waters of the Bridge Ornamental Horticultural Laboratory at the University of Florida published studies proving that cut Tropicana roses suffered fluoride toxicity from tap water. Vase life was shortened up to 18 percent when roses were placed in tap water containing fluoride. Using filtered water that removes fluoride or rainwater makes cut roses last longer.

Acidifying Agents

• As cut roses take up water, pH-incompatible water can stress the severed stems. Acidifying agents are added to water to more closely match the pH of plant sap. As an option to using packaged floral preservative, Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences recommends dissolving 1 tablespoon of citric acid in 4 gallons of water. Water should be very warm so that cut stems can draw it up more readily, and it should be changed every other day.