Happy Valentine's Day! A bouquet of red Roses is the most traditional Valentine's Day present going. They are available from virtually anywhere but still manage to be incredibly romantic. Many people will recieve a bunch today but most of those same people will be unusure of how to care for their red roses. If you follow our tips your roses won't last forever, but they will live for a lot longer.
As soon as you are given your flowers, use a pair of garden shears or a sharp knife to slice one inch off each stem at a 45 degree angle. Do not use scissors as the pressure they exert will ruin your stems.
Fill a vase two thirds of the way with luke warm water. Place the stems into the water, removing any leaves and foliage on the stems first. This is because they will eventually fall off and decomposing material will contaminate the water.
To keep the water bacteria free, thus preserving your roses, you can try one of two methods:
- Adding bleach to the water sounds dangerous but, if use in moderation, it can be quite effective.1/4 tablespoon of bleach per quart of water is enough to purify the water and kill bacteria.
- Adding aspirin and a penny to the water is also effective. The aspirin lowers the water's pH level, warding off the bacteria, and the penny serves as a fungicide.
Putting a few tablespoons of sugar into the lukewarm water will give the flowers the nutrients they need to survive for a while, even though the roots have been cut off.
You should change the water everyday and keep putting the sugar in. This process is easy, takes up little time and will make sure your flowers look much nicer for much longer. After all this, enjoy your Valentine's Day.
Alfresia is an online retailer of garden furniture and barbecues.
