Roses can be made to last longer with a few simple tips:

After picking your roses place them into deep lukewarm water, not in ice water. Ice water tends to close the capillaries (veins) and stop water from entering the stem. Lukewarm water on the other hand drives the air out of the stems enabling the water to fill the stems.

Make up the following mixture in 1 Quart of lukewarm water and arrange your flowers in the mixture:

3 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
1 teaspoon of bleach

The sugar feeds the stem and flower enabling them to grow in the vase. The vinegar changes the Ph of the water allowing the stem to take up water easily and the bleach will keep the water free of bacteria and algae, which block the capillaries.

Arrange the roses in the rose “juice”. Make sure the water level stays up by adding water to the “juice” daily. If the water in your vase becomes murky or unclear, take the roses out, cut the ends and place into a new mixture as above.

Thanks to Ludwig Tuscher