Best English Roses for Cutting from the Garden

Tips for cutting roses and keeping them fresh in the vase

 According to Michael Marriott, there are several ways to lengthen the vase life of cut flowers, especially roses, beginning with how you cut them. Using good-quality garden scissors or hand pruners with sharp blades is important to cut the stems neatly without compressing their water uptake channels. Their ability to take up plenty of water is the key to keeping them fresh.

• Cut flowers in the early morning when they’re fully hydrated.
• For the longest vase life, choose flowers in the late bud stage, with outer petals already open and flowers not fully open.
• Avoid cutting from the back of the bush, thinking it will be less obtrusive. You want lovely blooms with strong stems, which are more likely to grow where the sun is best.
• Carry a clean container filled with cool water to fully immerse stems immediately after cutting.
• Once taken inside, re-cut the stems another inch or so while holding them underwater: This step ensures that no air bubbles block the water uptake channels. Once re-cut this way, keep the stems fully immersed in water until ready to arrange.
• Strip off lower leaves, as foliage in water can lead to bacterial growth.
• For the longest vase life, focus on keeping tools and containers clean. Be scrupulous in cleaning containers and vases: after use, wash well; before the next use, rinse again.
• Fill vases nearly full with cool fresh water so that all the stems, including the shorter ones, are immersed as much as possible.
• Add flower food to the water to keep bacteria growth at bay, improve water flow, and help flowers open and last longer.
• Refresh the vase water every day or so.
• Lift flowers from the vase to recut stems every 2 to 3 days to refresh water uptake.
• Once flowers are arranged, place the vase out of direct sunlight, as cut flowers last longer when kept cool.