Today I’m going to share with you 7 tips on how to care for your tulips and help them last longer in a vase. For many years while I love them, I just found tulips to be a little tricky to manage due to their “droopy” nature. However with a little practical care, you can help your tulips last as long as possible.
Here are my 7 tips to help tulips last longer in a vase:
- Did you know that tulips continue to grow in the vase after they have been cut? So try and choose a vase that covers at least half of the height of the tulip stems.
- Wash off any dirt or sand that might be caught in between the leaves and stems of the tulips.
- Cut the stems at a 45 degree angle with clean, sharp scissors.
- Tulips love water. So fill up your vase with cool, fresh water at least halfway. If possible change the water every other day. Each time you do, re-cut the stems about an inch (2 cm) or so.
- Find a suitable spot for your tulips. Avoid placing them in direct sunlight, near a heat source, or drafts, to prevent them from wilting faster. Also, tulips will grow and sometimes bend towards sunlight. You can turn your vase around if you do not wish for them to bend too much in one direction.
- Don’t combine tulips with flowers in the Narcissus family such as daffodils and jonquils as they may shorten the lives of the tulips.
- If you find your tulips a little droopy, it could be that they have air bubbles in their stems. Prick a tiny hole below the flower head with a needle or safety pin so that water can rise up the stem.
Tulips are such fascinating flowers. Really, they look their best when you learn to work with them, provide them with the best possible environment and allow them a little room to do their own thing! 🙂
If you wish to find out more about arranging flowers, check out my other post on Using Flowers from the Garden here.
