How to Make Cut Roses Last Longer

Last Updated on May 4, 2023 by Ellen Christian

Are you wondering how to make cut roses last longer? After wondering how to make my cut roses last longer, I’ve discovered the secret.

I love roses, and I’m very lucky that my husband buys them for me regularly. They smell heavenly and are one of my favorite flowers.

Make Cut Roses Last Longer

The only thing that I don’t like about roses is that they don’t last as long as I’d like them to. Since roses are one of the most popular flowers to send for a number of different holidays, I wanted to share a few tips for fresh flowers with you.

Of course, each bouquet of roses comes with a packet of flower food tucked inside of the bouquet. I always make sure to use this in my vase when I first bring the flowers home.

But, once you change the water in our roses, the flower food is gone. You can buy extra flower food packages from the floral department.

But, here are a few other things that you can do to make cut roses last longer.

What can I do to make roses last longer?

Add Soda

If you drink soda, save about 1/4 cup of your favorite clear soda and add it to the water in your flower vase. The sugar in the soda will make the blossoms last longer. While you can use a cola type soda, the water will look murky after that.

Remove the Leaves

Before you put your roses in the vase, be sure to remove any leaves or vegetation that will fall below the water line. The leaves will begin to decay if they are underwater. This step will help your roses last longer.

Hair Spray

You can hold your flowers upside down before you put them in your vase and spray the undersides of the petals. This will help give the bottom petals a little bit of lift which may help your cut roses look good longer.

Vinegar and Sugar

Mix 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of vinegar with the water in your flower vase. This mixture will feed your flowers after you’ve changed the water that contains the flower food. Just be sure to change the water and repeat every few days.

Aspirin

This is a trick that my mother taught me. Put one crushed, low-dose aspirin in with the water when you add your flowers. The aspirin will help keep the flower water clean by killing bacteria.

Bleach

If you don’t happen to have aspirin laying around, a 1/4 teaspoon of bleach will do the same thing. Just add it to your fresh water and let the bleach kill any bad bacteria that may exist.

Do certain color roses last longer?

No, the color doesn’t really matter. Whether you have green roses or dark pink roses, it’s more about the qualities bread into the rose than its color. 

There are a lot of different ways to make cut roses last longer. So, the next time you bring home flowers like these hot pink roses, try a few and see which works best for you. I can find a great selection of fresh-cut flowers along with gorgeous flower vases and decor items at my local Shaw’s Supermarket.

I buy debi lily design™ products that are available in my area exclusively at Shaw’s Supermarket and you can also find them at all of the Albertsons Companies family of stores, including ACME Markets, Albertsons, Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Pavilions, Randalls, Tom Thumb, Star Market, United Express, United and Carrs/Safeway. Visit Shaws.com to find a store near you.

debi lilly design collection

I love the high quality and great value I find there. There are all sorts of vases and decor items at very affordable prices. I get loads of compliments on the ones I bring home for the holidays. I always look for cut flowers at my local Shaw’s Supermarket because the flowers are always fresh and colorful. For Valentine’s Day and every day, the debi lilly design collection provides a wide variety of inspired entertaining and high-quality décor solutions at a great value.

The debi lilly design collection offers colorful bouquets that are ready to “chop & drop” – these bouquets are prearranged, so just simply cut the stems to length, and drop them right into a beautiful debi lilly design vase, and you’re set. And, debi lilly design alphabet candles are a nice touch and make a great Valentine’s Day gift.

More flower articles

• Can you grow Baby’s breath? 
• Make cut flowers last longer
• How to grow roses for cutting gardens
• Creating Valentine floral displays
• Cut roses care