🌹How to Make Roses Last Longer
- Glenda Kelly
- Jan 14
- 3 min read
7 Pro Tips from Your Local Oceanside & East Rockaway Florist — Flowers by Mike NY
There is nothing quite like walking into your home and seeing a fresh bouquet of roses on the table. But if you’ve ever had a beautiful arrangement look tired after just a few days, you’re not alone.
At Flowers by Mike NY, we deliver roses every single day across Oceanside, East Rockaway, Rockville Centre, Lynbrook, and all of Nassau County — especially during busy weeks like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas Eve. We’ve seen which roses last 3 days… and which ones last 10–12.
The difference isn’t the rose. It’s what happens after it arrives in your home.
Here are the same professional care tips our designers give customers when their roses leave our shop.
Start with a Squeaky-Clean Vase
(This one matters more than you think)
The #1 killer of roses isn’t time — it’s bacteria.
Before your Flowers by Mike delivery even touches water, wash your vase with hot, soapy water.If yesterday’s arrangement was sitting there, bacteria are still inside waiting to attack your fresh roses.
💡 Florist truth: A dirty vase can cut your rose's life in half.
2. Cut the Stems at a 45° Angle
Roses drink through tiny tubes inside the stem. When they sit flat on the bottom of a vase, those tubes get blocked.
Cut about 1 inch off the bottom of each stem at a 45-degree angle before placing them in water. This gives your roses more surface area to drink — and they stay hydrated longer.
Remove Any Leaves Below the Water
Leaves in the water rot. Rot creates bacteria. Bacteria kill roses.
Remove all foliage that would sit below the waterline. Your bouquet will look cleaner, and your water will stay fresh.
This is one of the reasons professional florist arrangements last longer than grocery-store bouquets.
Change the Water Every Two Days
Don’t just top it off — dump it and replace it.
Rinse the stems, refill with fresh room-temperature water, and your roses will keep drinking happily.
🌹 Pro tip from our Oceanside designers: If your roses came with flower food, use half on Day 1 and the other half when you change the water on Day 3.
Keep Roses Away from Fruit
Apples, bananas, and avocados release a gas called ethylene, which speeds up the aging of flowers.
We see this all the time in kitchens around Nassau County — beautiful roses next to a fruit bowl = wilted roses. Keep your arrangement on a coffee table, dining table, or nightstand instead.
Avoid Heat, Sun & Drafts
Your roses love:
Cool rooms
Steady temperature
No direct sunlight
They do not love:
Window sills
Radiators
Heating vents
Cold winter drafts
This is especially important in New York homes during winter.
The Florist’s Secret: The Overnight Fridge Trick
Want your roses to last even longer?
At night, place the entire arrangement in the refrigerator (away from fruit). The cool temperature slows the roses’ aging process — it’s like pressing pause while you sleep.
We use this same principle in professional floral storage rooms.
🌸 From Our Shop to Your Home
When you order from Flowers by Mike NY, your roses are:
Hand-designed by real florists
Delivered by our own local drivers
Handed directly to your home or the recipient
Following these simple steps can help your bouquet stay beautiful for 7 to 12 days — sometimes even longer.
And if your roses ever look tired? Call us. We’re your local florist, not a warehouse.
📍 Oceanside & East Rockaway, NY📞 (516) 517-2500🌐 FlowersByMikeNY.com
Comments