The inside of the flower package creates an artificial microclimate, which is why it is so important not to open it for as long as possible to let the roses "recover" after transportation. This is the main secret to keeping a bouquet of roses at home: if you remove the packaging too soon, the flowers will quickly wilt.
- Do not immediately immerse the stems in a vase of water: first lower the flowers into a tub of water at room temperature, so that the roses are saturated with moisture. Of course, the bath water should be clean, no bath bombs or foam.
- Wrap the rose heads in paper or place them on a small platform.
- During the preparatory phase in the bathtub, cut the stems by 2-4 centimeters at an oblique angle and flatten the ends with your hands: this will help the flowers to absorb water more intensively by releasing air plugs from the capillaries in the stems.
- Remove any leaves that will be under water to prevent the stems from rotting.
- Clean the lower part of the flower stems (4-5 centimeters) from the bark.
- Choose a vase so high that two-thirds of the flower stems are in the water.
The water temperature can be cool in the warm season, but in winter it is best to use warm water. You can safely purify the water of bacteria with an aspirin tablet, charcoal, a shot of vodka, a pinch of citric acid, or some silver (you can put a necklace at the bottom of the vase, but don't accidentally pour it out with the water).
Pour sugar into the water to replenish carbohydrate reserves in flowers: about 20 grams of sugar per liter of water.
Change the water in the vase regularly, at least every two days. Re-add sugar and protective agents, rinse the stems of roses with running water and renew the cut by a couple of centimeters. Wash the vase with laundry soap and vinegar.
Place the vase with the rose bouquet away from direct sunlight and drafts. To keep the bouquet in a vase at home longer, put it in a cool place. Don't place flowers near fruit: fruit releases ethylene, which destroys the flowers.
Wash your roses every day with a sprayer, but don't touch the buds themselves: they should stay dry. In hot weather, irrigate the bouquet twice a day.