How To Make Roses Last Longer In A Vase

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our full Disclosure Policy.

If you’ve ever been given fresh roses, you know how delightful the moment is. You want to make sure the beautiful roses last as long as possible, and with a few simple steps, you can keep your roses alive for weeks. In this blog post, we will cover tips for making roses last long and how to care for cut roses in a vase.

I’m asked all of the time how I can justify spending money on fresh flowers all the time. I think my answer would be that I care for them well, so they tend to last for a LONG time! So, I get my money’s worth out of them. Here are a few of the simple ways to give roses a longer life.

Long Lasting Roses

Roses are one of the best flowers to cut and use in a vase or an arrangement as they are so classic and beautiful. They can also last a VERY long time depending on a few different factors. 

1. The type of rose variety
2. The quality and health of the rose bushes the rose has been cut from
3. How long the rose has gone without water after being cut

Most roses when cared for properly can last up to 7 to 10 days. Let’s dive into how to make your Valentine’s Day roses or rose bouquet last longer!

The Basics of Rose Care

To me, nothing says LOVE more than roses. I have always loved them as they are such a traditional and simple flower. They smell amazing and when cared for correctly can last for so long with a beautiful bloom to them. With proper care of your rose arrangement, you can enjoy its beauty even longer!

When caring for cut roses, it is important to remember a few key points.

Avoid Extreme Temperatures

 First and foremost, always keep roses away from direct heat or drafts. Generally speaking, this means that you should not place them near heating vents or overly warm temperatures or air conditioning vents or in direct sunlight. The perfect conditions for your bouquet of roses are in a space away from any elements or extreme temperature changes.

Keep The Water Clean 

Secondly, be sure to change the water in the vase every few days to avoid dirty vases. Fresh clean water helps prevent the wilting of roses and keep your flowers hydrated and looking their best. 

Add Cut Flower Food

Finally, consider adding flower food or sugar to the water; this helps provide essential nutrients to your flowers so they can last longer than they would without it. 

Be sure to check out these tips about making your own homemade flower food and how to care for all types of fresh-cut flowers. 

Caring For Cut Roses In A Vase

Now that you understand the importance of basic rose care, let’s dive deeper into how you can make you extend the life of your flowers. 

Using a Floral Preservative

One of the best ways to keep your roses fresh is by using a floral preservative or packet of flower food. These can be found at most florists or online and typically come in powdered form. 

Floral preservatives help provide additional nutrients to your flowers while also helping prevent the growth of bacteria in the water so that your flower arrangements stay looking and smelling great for longer periods of time. When using a floral preservative, simply follow the instructions on the package for the best results.

Homemade Cut Flower Preservative For Roses

If you are wanting to use your own homemade floral preservative, there are a few great options.

Soda or Sugar

Adding ¼ cup of soda or 1 to 2 tablespoons of sugar to your rose water will help your roses last longer. The sugar in the soda will act as food for the cut rose to provide all the nutrients the flower needs to keep looking lush. 

Mix in the soda or sugar into lukewarm water and stir well before adding the roses.

Bleach or Vodka or Apple Cider Vinegar

A teaspoon of bleach, vodka, or apple cider vinegar are all excellent options to add to your rose water as both of these will kill any bacterial growth or build-up in the vase water before it begins. 

Mix 1 tablespoon ( or if you are like me, measure out a cap full) of apple cider vinegar, a few drops of bleach, or vodka into warm water and stir well before adding the roses. Any of these can be used in combination with soda or sugar.

Cutting The Stems Of The Roses

It’s important that you unwrap and cut the stems of your rose bouquet right away when you first bring them home. After that, it is important that you recut the stems every few days. This will help ensure that your flowers are getting enough water and nutrients from the stem up into their petals and leaves so they don’t wilt prematurely. 

The best way to recut stems properly is to begin by removing any of the leaves near the bottom of the stem. Next, use sharp scissors or gardening shears and cut about one inch off each stem at a 45-degree angle, this way more surface area is exposed for better absorption of water and nutrients from the stem up into the flower itself! 

Be sure not to crush or tear stems when cutting as this could damage delicate cell walls within them which will hinder absorption capabilities significantly!

Easy Tips and Tricks for Roses In a Vase

• To make your roses look bigger and fuller in seconds, simply blow air from your mouth into the bloom or head of the rose. It sounds silly but it will have your red rose looking amazing in just a few quick breaths.
• Turn your roses upside down and spray them with hairspray or polyurethane before you place them in a vase. This will help to keep the petals in place and look fresh longer.
• Place your rose vase of roses in a cool dark place like the refrigerator or cool area at night. This simple trick will help you have long-lasting flowers.

Tools For Cut Flowers

Having the proper tools when you are working with fresh-cut flowers is so important. These are a few I would recommend, click on any to shop.

Preserving And Drying Roses

Hanging roses to dry is probably the easiest method to preserve your roses. Simply tie a string or wire around the base of your rose or roses and hang them upside down from a drying rack or rafter for a few weeks. 

This hanging method ensures that the rose won’t mold or the petals won’t fold while drying. It will also let the flower keep its overall shape, rather than having one side flattened if the rose is laid flat. 

There are so many amazing things you can make out of your rose petals once they are wilted or dried. Try any of these 5 brilliant uses for rose petals.

Steps To Make Roses Last Longer

1. Make sure you have a clean vase and add warm water. Distilled water is always best as they will be no chance of debris in it.
2. Add sugar or soda to the water. Both of these will act like food for the roses and provide nutrients.
3. Add bleach, vodka, or apple cider vinegar to the water and stir well. All of these act like a disinfectant in the water keeping it clean and killing any bacteria.
4. Remove all lower leaves from flowers so there won’t be any in the water.
5. Using a sharp knife or garden shears, cut 1 to 2 inches off the stems at an angle while they are underwater.
6. Get your stem into the water as quickly as possible! This will make sure the end of the flower stays open so it can absorb as much water as possible.

I hope you find these tips for caring for roses in a vase and making roses last longer useful! With some basic care and attention, it’s not hard to make roses last longer than they normally would in a vase! 

By following these steps — keeping them away from direct heat/drafts, changing their water regularly, adding flower food/sugar to their water source, using floral preservatives when necessary, and recutting stems often—you’ll find that your beautiful bouquet stays looking stunning for weeks on end!

More Fresh Flower Care

• How to Create Beautiful Peony Flower Arrangements
• How To Arrange A Lilac Bouquet
• How To Arrange Tulips In A Vase

Frequently Asked Questions 

Sharing is caring!