How to Cut Roses

Source: wikiHow

Staff
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Stop and smell the roses, then whip out a pair of pruning shears and bring the blooms home with you. To make your beautiful bouquet last longer, cut the stems at an angle so they can get enough water, trim the lower leaves, and place the roses in a clean vase filled with water.

Feed them regularly and you’ll be able to enjoy your roses for 1 to 2 weeks.

1. 1 Choose pruners or scissors with sharp blades to cut the stem cleanly. You don’t want to crush the waterways in the stem. The sharper the blade of the pruners or garden scissors, the easier it will be to trim the stem without squeezing it too hard.^[1]
   • A pair of shears or scissors with a smaller head are best for reaching into thick bushes.
   • As opposed to flat blades, curved blades tend to make the cleanest cuts.
   • Some pairs of scissors and shears have a “cut and hold” feature that holds onto the stems when they’re cut so they don’t fall to the ground.
   • Clean the blades often with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
2. 2 Cut the roses in the early morning, before 10 a.m. Roses are most hydrated and have the highest respiration in the morning hours. Never cut the roses during the middle of the day. That’s when they’re driest and weakest.^[2]
   • If you can’t cut the flowers in the morning, late evening is the 2nd best time for cutting.

   If the roses are from your own garden, water them the night before you cut them. This refreshes the flowers and helps them last longer once they’re cut.

3. 3 Look for roses whose outer petals have just started to open.
   This means that the rose is in the late bud stage. The exterior petals should be unfurled but the entire flower shouldn’t be completely open.^[3]
   • The number of petals a rose variety has can affect which blooms you cut. For example, roses with more petals, like the Moonstone or St. Patrick types, can be cut at a more open stage. If you aren’t sure which variety you have, ask your local nursery or look at a gardening book or website.^[4]
4. 4 Trim the stems at a 45 degree angle, close to the base of the bush. Cutting the…

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