How to choose roses: how to determine when buying fresh flowers or not, how to maintain their original appearance in the future?

How long a bouquet of roses will stand depends on the right choice when buying. There are several external signs that will help determine how fresh the flower is.

When purchasing a rose, it is important to pay attention to the appearance of not only the bud, but the whole flower as a whole.

It must be borne in mind that roses in rich red shades remain attractive much longer than light varieties.

Why is the right choice important?

Rose is a rather viable flower, capable of pleasing the eye for a rather long time. Freshly cut flowers, with proper care, can stand in a bouquet for up to a month. If the purchase does not pay attention to the signs of aging of the rose, then the next day it may begin to wither. A stale rose very quickly begins to lose its aroma and petals.

In order not to make a mistake when choosing roses, it is advisable not to buy ready-made bouquets, as very often they put old flowers in them. It is better to ask the florist to make a bouquet of separately selected roses.

Step-by-step instruction: how to determine the freshness of flowers when buying?

We will analyze in more detail how to correctly determine when buying flowers, fresh or not roses.

By smell. One of the most important signs of a fresh rose is its delicate delicate aroma. Essential oils, which are responsible for the smell of a flower, are contained in its petals. The longer the rose is in the bouquet, the less it smells, as the essential oils gradually evaporate. Therefore, a freshly cut flower has a brighter aroma than the old one.
Roses of bright colors have a more persistent and rich smell, white and beige smell more modest. It will not be superfluous to pay attention to what smells are in the flower shop. If, in addition to the aroma of flowers, it smells of fragrances, detergents or other means, it is better not to buy flowers at this place.
As a bud. The most common misconception when choosing a rose is that buyers try to choose bouquets with tightly closed buds. In fact, such buds are a sign of an immature flower, they will never bloom and quickly lose their attractive appearance.
A quality fresh rose bud has the following symptoms:
- elasticity;
- not a big crunch when pressed;
- half or two thirds disclosure;
- no damage;
- uniform juicy color.
In addition, the bud should have a so-called “shirt”, consisting of external petals, designed to protect it from various injuries. In appearance they are quite rough and rumpled, removed by the florist upon purchase. There should not be any smudges on the whole flower, including the bud, their presence indicates that the flowers were treated with chemicals.
By the stems and leaves. The freshness of roses can also be found by the state of the stem and leaves. The stem of a good flower is bright green, dense and has no cracks, spots, creases. It should be long enough and evenly thick. Fresh rose leaves are dense, shiny, light green, without cracks. If the petals are completely absent, then they were cut specially, as the flowers are old.
By the sepals. Sepals will also help to find out how fresh the rose is. If the sepals are tightly attached to the bud and have a smooth green color, then the flower is cut off relatively recently and can stand in a bouquet for a very long time. Slightly bent sepals, but without signs of wilting and directed upwards, are also a sign of a fresh rose. If they do not adjoin the bud, but are directed downward, then this indicates that the petals will begin to fall off within a few hours after purchase.
Along the stamens. Roses that do not have pollen in their stamens will stand for much longer, as they have not yet fully matured and bloomed. Therefore, when buying this flower, you must definitely pay attention to the stamens.
By cut. A brown slice with dried edges is a sign of an old flower. This cut color means that the process of decay has begun. The loose edges of the slice are a sign of a long standing rose in water. This means that it is stale and will fade very quickly.
On the petals. Petals should fit snugly together, be resilient, and with slight bending, return to their place. You should not buy a rose if its petals are decorated with something, so sellers often try to hide their wilted edges or damage. Also, when buying, it is recommended to slightly shake the flower to check if the petals are fastened with something. If they move easily, it means that before the sale, the buds were coupled with an elastic band to prevent the flower from blooming prematurely and preserving its presentation for longer.
According to the presence of pests. A rose, like any flower, is often attacked by various insects, which can significantly shorten its life. In addition, buying infected with rose pests can cause indoor flower disease. It is important to carefully examine the roses when choosing.
A healthy flower has no spots and growths, the color of the bud, stem and leaves is even, bright.

How to keep freshness of purchased flowers?

Roses are able to maintain their original fresh appearance for a long time, if you follow the rules for caring for them:

It is not recommended to immediately remove the packaging, it is better to do this a few hours after purchase;
Before putting the bouquet in a vase, it is necessary to withstand it in water at room temperature, for this you can use the bath;
after that, excess leaves should be removed;
then make a fresh cut at an oblique angle and gently crush its tip;
clear a small area on the stem near the cut from the bark;
the vase should be ceramic, so high that most of the stem is under water;
the water should be cold, you can add an aspirin tablet and 20 g of sugar to it;
daily change water and spray a bouquet of spray;
direct sunlight should not fall on roses, otherwise they will fade very quickly.

If you follow all the above rules when buying and storing roses, then it will retain a fresh look and delicate aroma for a very long time. Buying flowers is better at trusted flower shops so as not to run into dishonest sellers.