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7 Easy Ways to Make Your Roses Last Longer

By Deborah S. Tukua www.hollycreekbooks.com

By following these suggestions, you can keep your roses longer than the fruitcake you got for Christmas and the box of chocolates you got for Valentine's Day.

Keys to Cut Flower Care:

• When placing a bouquet of flowers in your own vase or container, make sure you start out with a clean vase. Clean vases with diluted bleach water and rinse thoroughly before using.

• Remove all leaves and foliage from the portion of the stems that will rest beneath the water. Re-cut the stems at an angle with a sharp knife, being careful not to crush the stems. This will ensure better water absorption.

• Put a floral preservative in the vase of very, warm water, around 100 degrees. (If you did not receive a preservative packet with your bouquet, add 1 T. vinegar and a ½ tsp. of sugar to warm water and let it dissolve.) Place flowers in warm water. Flowers draw up warm water more readily than cold.

• Cut flowers are best placed in cooler conditions, less than 75 degrees preferably. Don’t set a vase of cut flowers near a heat source such as a radiator, fireplace, stove, or directly under an air vent.

• Check the water level daily. Change the water every few days and re-cut the stems at the same time. Always add warm water, not cold to the vase.

• When you are away from home or at night, you may store your roses or other cut flowers in the refrigerator to keep them fresh longer. But, do not store flowers near fruit. Apples release ethylene gas that will cause your flowers to wilt quickly.
  

• Remove dying flowers and foliage as it appears. A little tender loving care will prolong the life and beauty of your cut flower bouquet.

©Deborah S. Tukua, coauthor of Pearls of Garden Wisdom: Time-Saving Tips and Techniques from a Country Home.