Cutting roses not only can bring beautiful blooms indoors but can also increase the vigor of a rose bush. Improper cutting, however, can injure a plant. Use only a sharp knife or scissors to make clean cuts. Leaves of hybrid tea roses usually are composed of three
leaflets at the top of the rose stem and five leaflets just below that. Make the cut just above the top-most leaf with 5 leaflets to ensure good growth in the future. If longer stems are needed for arranging the cut flowers, allow at least two 5-leaflet leaves to remain on the stem.

If you do not cut flowers during the growing season, remove them when their petals begin to fall. Cut them just above the top-most leaf. Late in the season, it’s best to allow the last flowers to form fruits. This signals the plant to settle into protective dormancy as colder weather approaches.

After cutting, remove all thorns and leaves which would be below the waterline in the vase. Use a sharp knife or wrap your hands with several layers of paper toweling and firmly push down along the stem, stripping leaves and thorns as you go.

Immerse stems in warm water (100-110oF) and allow the water to cool. Refrigerate the roses for 2 to 3 hours before arranging. Adding a floral preservative to the water will extend the vase life of your roses. If displayed in a relatively cool environment and supplied with fresh preservative solution daily, most roses will stay fresh 3 to 7 days, depending on the cultivar. Roses keep
best if they are cut in early morning or late afternoon, when the water content in the stems is highest.