Caring For Red Roses

Red roses are a classic favorite and the most popular of all flower varieties. Growing a red roses bush at home or receiving a dozen red roses as a gift will require a specific care routine so you can get the most from these delightful fragrant flowers.

Use these tips for caring for red roses so you will be able to enjoy them for as long as possible. If instead, you want to understand how to grow red roses, you can read our how-to guide here: Roses: how to grow them

How to cut Red Roses

So many gift-giving occasions are fulfilled with a bouquet of red roses. Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, birthday, anniversary, or any other day that you want to tell someone that you love them is an ideal day for a gift of red roses.

But you will want the fragrant blooms to last more than just that one day, so here is what you will need to do.

* Get the roses in a container with water ASAP.

* Prepare a vase for displaying the roses by washing and rinsing it thoroughly. Fill the vase to within 2-inches of the top with tepid water. Add cut-flower enhancer (a small packet often comes with a bouquet of cut flowers) and stir until dissolved.

* Clip off any broken leaves from the stems.

* Trim off 1-inch from the bottom of each stem. Cut each stem at a 45-degree angle, one stem at a time, and immediately place the stem into the vase of water.

This will allow the stems to uptake water and keep the bloom well hydrated.

* Change the water and repeat the stem trimming process every other day to prolong the life of the cut roses. When the red rose is cut from the parent bush, the cut end of the stem begins to form scar tissue to seal up the cut. If the cut end of the stem becomes completely covered with scar tissue the stem is unable to uptake water and the bloom will dehydrate and die quickly.

Red Rose Bush

A red rose bush takes up minimal space in the garden and it will provide years of colorful, fragrant pleasure when properly cared for.

* Select a sunny location for growing the rose bush.

* Prepare the soil by digging a hole 2-feet deep and 2-feet wide. Add 6-inches of compost to the bottom of the hole to promote drainage and feed the rose bush. Back-fill hole with soil, making it level with the surrounding soil.

* Mulch around rose bush with 2-inches of organic material, like straw.

* Keep soil consistently moist around the rose bush. Water the rose bush any time the top of the soil is dry. Apply water at the base of the bush and avoid getting the leaves wet.

* Trim off the dead blooms to encourage the rose bush to produce new blooms.

* Feed bush once in the spring and again in mid-summer with water-soluble plant food that is formulated for roses.

* Apply a fresh layer of mulch in late fall to protect plant roots during the winter.

Creating a Red Rose Display

One red rose can stand alone as an attractive display but will be breathtaking when used in a grouping with other flowers or greenery.

* When harvesting red roses for display, cut them off the bush early in the morning before the sun shines on them. Select rosebuds that are not fully open for the longest display time.

* Pair red roses with other flowers you may have in the garden, but be mindful of the fragrance. If you want the rose fragrance to be prominent, select other flowers that are fragrance-free.

* White blooms or greenery are ideal colors to pair with red roses. The stark contrast will make the red rose blooms stand out.

If you are interested in understanding the meaning of roses by colors, why don’t you read this article: Rose Color Meanings ?