How to Prolong the Vase Life of White Roses

Cut floral arrangements typically live for at least a week, and with proper care, you can extend the life of a bouquet by several more days. White roses are difficult to preserve in a vase, but they can successfully last for around five days or more with the right techniques. Although there is a little extra work involved, these techniques will help you get more vase life out of white roses and you'll be able to enjoy their beauty for days.

Kitchen or garden shears
Flower food

Instructions

- 1
  Trim any thorns or leaves that will sit below the water line in your vase, using kitchen or gardening shears.
- 2
  Submerge the stems in a bucket of water.
- 3
  Cut the rose stems an inch from the bottom while they are submerged, using your shears. Cut the stems at a 45-degree angle. Cutting rose stems under water reduces the risk of air bubbles or bacteria entering the stems, which causes them to wilt. Cutting at an angle also helps reduce the risk of air bubbles.
- 4
  Add warm water and flower food to the vase. Fill the vase with water to about 3 inches from the top line of the vase. Add your flower food packet if one was included in the bouquet. This food contains nutrients and anti-bacterial agents to prohibit the growth of bacteria in the vase. If you did not get a packet of flower food with your white roses, make your own with 3 tsp. of lemon lime soda and 1 tsp. of bleach. If you don't have these ingredients, use 3 tsp. of sugar and one non-buffered aspirin tablet.
- 5
  Repeat Steps 2 to 4 every three days. Typically, this will help prolong the vase life of white roses to more than 7 days.

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