Can You Put Roses in the Refrigerator? Here’s How

Whether you’re growing roses at home or someone gifted you a bouquet, it’s important to maintain them. A lot of people have considered tossing them in the fridge, but you might be worried about causing harm. After all, most flowers need plenty of sunlight to flourish.

You can put roses in the refrigerator for up to six hours. Keep them trimmed and make sure that the vase is clean. Too much debris can lead to bacterial growth. Fill the vase 3/4 full of water, add plant food, and set the fridge at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 Celsius).

Throughout this article, you’ll also learn the following info about putting roses in the refrigerator:

• The step-by-step process to store roses (and other flowers) in the fridge
• Tips to keep your roses looking as good as new
• Common issues and mistakes to avoid along the way

Pro Tip: If you’re trying to grow roses, then I highly recommend Miracle-Gro Water Soluble Rose Plant Food. It’s loaded with everything your roses need to grow, thrive, and bloom vibrant petals.

How To Keep Roses Fresh in the Fridge

The key to storing your roses in the fridge is to slow down the flower’s development and water loss. Placing your roses in the fridge ensures that they stay cool and fresh. They will also last longer. The following are simple, straightforward steps to store your roses in the fridge.

Clean Your Flower Vase

According to Pro Flowers, dirty vases may contain bacteria that will contaminate the water and facilitate your roses’ deterioration and wilting. Visually inspect your flower vase to ensure that there are no flower debris remains or dirt.

To clean your flower vase, rinse it with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar in warm water. This combination ensures a bacteria-free vase without any dirt or built-up residue. Alternatively, you can also wash the vase in warm soapy water and thoroughly rinse it with clean water.

Fill the Vase with Lukewarm Water

Lukewarm water is the most preferred option as opposed to cold or hot water. This is because the water molecules in lukewarm water are more easily absorbed by flower stems than cold water, ensuring that you don’t shock the delicate blooms.

When placing your cut roses in the vase, make sure that there are no submerged leaves in the vase water. This is because leaves underwater tend to decay and harbor bacteria that cause the rose petals to wilt. Doing this will ensure that your roses stay healthy longer.

Remember to regularly change the vase water, which helps prolong the roses’ freshness and keep the vase clean. Water that has stayed long in the vase creates ideal conditions for bacteria to flourish.

The rose’s stem needs to be trimmed by about an inch every time the vase water is changed. The trimming should be done underwater at a slight angle to ensure that the xylem capillaries don’t get blocked by microscopic air bubbles, which can hinder nutrient and water uptake. The stems can be trimmed in a bucket with cool water or under a running tap.

Set Your Fridge to 40 Degrees

This is because low temperatures reduce the rate at which the flowers age and remain fresh for longer. The flowers last due to the ambient temperature in the fridge that’s ideal for their longevity.

Make Space for the Vase

Make sure to remove any old fruit because it’ll release ethylene gas that’s toxic to the fresh roses and cause them to wilt and die faster than their regular lifespan.

Put the Flowers in the Refrigerator 

Hunker states that you can store roses for at least 6 hours every night. This will allow enough time to facilitate the absorption of water and nutrients through the stems and help the roses stay fresh longer.

How Long Do Refrigerated Roses Last?

Low, cold temperatures are ideal for making sure your roses last longer. Roses stored in a vase stay fresh for a week at best. Flowers depreciate relatively fast, and if not stored in the water, they will wilt in a few hours. Freshly picked out petals retain freshness for up to 3 days.

When stored in a vase with water in the fridge, the roses last longer than a week. This is because heat triggers premature aging and encourages the roses to rot. The refrigerator’s cold temperatures limit the rate at which plant respiration occurs, increasing the period in which the roses stay fresh.

The flower’s freshness is also dependent on the type of rose flower and the state of freshness it was in when it was first obtained. Refrigerate your roses overnight in a vase with water while maintaining a temperature of 40 degrees or below, then remove them during the day. This ensures that the petals retain a vibrant and fresh texture for a long time.

The following are alternative solutions to keeping your roses cool and fresh longer:

1. Try putting aspirin in the vase. Crushing aspirin into the vase water helps keep your flowers fresh for longer. The salicylic acid in the aspirin will keep the water clean and free from bacteria.
2. Drop a penny in the flower vase. A penny is an excellent way of preventing bacteria build up in the vase since copper is an antibacterial agent. If you pair this method with the refrigerator method, it ensures the longevity of your petals.
3. Don’t use the entire flower food packet. Sprinkle a little flower food every time you change the vase water. Flower food contains sugar, acidic substances, and bleach. You could make your own flower food using sugar, bleach, and citrus juice if it didn’t come with the bouquet.
4. Use vodka. The alcohol properties present in vodka are ideal for preserving the roses’ shelf life for longer. Vodka acts as an antibacterial agent, which prevents the growth of bacteria in the vase water.

Which Other Flowers Can Be Stored In The Fridge?

Freshly cut flowers stay preserved when stored in a cold climate away from sunlight or heat. Not all blooms can be stored in a refrigerator, though. Blooms such as cacti and succulents can’t be refrigerated. A lot of people use lawn food. If you’re interested, check out my review of an excellent brand. The following flowers can be stored in the fridge:

• Carnations
• Daisies
• Gerbera daisies
• Lilies
• Tulips
• Orchids
• Peonies
• Dahlias

Storing flowers in the refrigerator helps them stay strong and healthy. Store your bouquet overnight in a fridge as this helps slow down water loss leaving your blooms looking perky and fresh for longer.

To get a beautiful set of flowers waiting for you in the morning, fill a vase with about ¾ full of water. Then, use a florist knife to slice an inch from the bottom of the flower’s stems, put the flowers in a vase.

Next, set the refrigerator’s temperature to 40 degrees and remove any fruits from the fridge section. Leave the flowers for about six hours overnight and tightly close the refrigerator door. (Basically, the same requirements as the previous steps listed for the roses).

Are you growing your roses at an apartment? Read my suggestions to grow grass on a balcony as well!

Final Thoughts

Keeping your roses in the refrigerator can prevent water loss, excess drying, and a lack of nutrients. As long as you don’t leave them in there for too long, they get all sorts of long-lasting benefits.

Here’s a quick recap of the post:

• Store the roses in the fridge for up to six hours at a time.
• Don’t forget to keep them clean and leave the fridge below 40 degrees.
• Many other flowers can be stored in the refrigerator.