Prolong the life of your roses with these tips from Jeff Cox, host of HGTV's Grow It! show. With these preserving tips, your roses will last twice as long - seven to 10 days rather than three to five.
Start by choosing blossoms that are still fairly tight--you want them to open indoors.
Count back on the stem to the first five-leaflet leaf, and cut the stem just above it. Cut on a severe slant to give the stem maximum surface area.
Fill a tall conditioning can such as florists use (or any tall container) with water, and plunge the cut roses into the can so that the water reaches the top of the stem.
Let the roses soak for 24 hours, then arrange them in a vase of water.
Drop a couple of pennies into the vase. The copper inhibits the growth of bacteria. Without an inhibitor, bacteria growth at the base of the stems can prevent adequate water intake and make the roses wilt.
