Tulips are beautiful and popular flowers that we all love to use in our spring decorations. But what do you do when the beautiful, upright flowers you arranged yesterday are already limp and drooping everywhere today? Here you will find easy ways and tips to care for tulips as cut flowers and keep them beautiful and fresh for longer to brighten up your home in spring!
Tips to make tulips last longer as cut flowers
Unlike other flowers, tulips continue to grow after being cut. The stems grow upwards while the large flowers grow towards the light. Since the daylight in the house usually comes from the sides instead of above, the cut flowers appear to bob.
There is always a large selection of cut tulips in flower shops, and the flower shelf in the supermarket also offers a good selection. Every year there are new beautiful varieties and a color for every taste. Tulips are a long-lasting cut flower, so feel free to indulge in some fun with their unpredictable behavior. The following tips should help you stick to yoursFlower arrangement in a vaselook forward to longer.
Choose the right flowers
When shopping for cut tulips, consider purchasing bouquets that have not yet opened. Choose the flowers whose petals are tightly closed. Once opened they have a very limited lifespan in the vase.
Water is important for tulips to stay fresh for longer
Tulips are thirsty flowers, so you should give them plenty to drink. Add cold water to the vase and fill it 3/4 full. Mix in some flower food until it dissolves completely.
If you want to arrange the tulips in a large container, place them first in a smaller container and then in the larger one.
The water in the vase should be changed at least every other day. Tulip water can quickly become slimy and full of bacteria.
Changing the water will help the tulips stay healthy and live longer. If the vase looks a little discolored or if something remains on the vase after draining the water, wash it before adding new water.
Cut stems
Before placing the tulips in the vase, hold the stems against the outside of the vase to determine how tall you want them to be. At this point, cut the stems at a 45 degree angle with a sharp knife.
If you change the water every other day, you can cut the stems again. Cutting at a 45 degree angle makes it easier for the flower to absorb the fresh water.
Also remove any leaves that are below the water line. Tulip leaves that are below the water level tend to decompose quickly. Remove any leaves that do not look healthy.
Light and location
When caring for cut tulips, it's important that you know where they should be so that they thrive!
Avoid placing a tulip vase in direct sun or near heat. Tulips grow towards sunlight and can bend a little as they do so. Indirect sunlight is fine for them.
Place your tulips in a draft-free place in your home, not next to heaters, radiators, air conditioners, windows or ovens. Simple and easy, right?
Which vase to choose?
When choosing a vase for your tulips, choose a tall vase that is at least half the height of the flower stems.
If you cut back the tulip stems, you can put them in a lower vase later.
Before use, wash the vase well to remove any bacteria before arranging the tulips. Make sure all soap has been rinsed out of the vase. A clean vase is very important to make your tulips last longer!
How do tulips last longer in the vase? More tips & tricks
Many people swear that a euro cent coin in tulip water ensures that the tulips stand upright. It is the copper in the coins that makes them stand upright. Unfortunately, today's coins simply don't contain enough copper.
What will help your tulips when they start to get a little limp is to stick a needle or toothpick through the neck (very top of the stem) of a tulip and make a small hole. This releases the air trapped in the stem and allows the tulip to absorb water. And often this helps to revive your beautiful tulips.
We may think we are arranging tulips, but these spring flowers have a mind of their own. They change, bend and lengthen the longer you have them. The most important thing is to enjoy their artistic beauty and enjoy how they arrange themselves in a vase over their lifetime!
The most important thing in brief: This is how your cut tulips stay beautiful for a long time
For the longest shelf life in the vase:
- Buy tulips with flower heads that are just beginning to open. The bud should be slightly closed, but the color of the flower should be clearly visible. Don't buy buds that are still green.
- Before arranging your tulips, cut back the base of the stem with a clean, sharp knife. This opens the flowers' water absorption channels so they stay fresh and don't wilt or go into shock.
- Cut flower food is not essential for tulips, but tulips are very thirsty. Check the water level in the vase daily and change the water in the vase daily to ensure theTo extend the life of the cut flower bouquet. At least add water when the water level drops. Never leave your tulips standing without the bottom of the stem covered in water.
- Keep your tulips in a cool room. You can even place an ice cube in the water to lower the temperature. (The ice cube will eventually melt. You can also do this with tulips, whichgrown in bucketsbecome. This means they stay in bloom longer indoors.)
- Keep your cut tulips away from heat sources such as direct sunlight, radiators, lamps, televisions and other electronic devices.
- With proper care, tulips should last about seven days after opening.
