A vase full of gorgeous tulips is just the thing to brighten up any space and when looked after well, these flowers can last a surprisingly long time.
In this article, we’ll be looking at 8 effective ways to keep your cut tulips looking fresher for longer.
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How To Make Your Cut Tulips Last Longer
The two most important factors when trying to make your tulips last longer are keeping them cool and making sure the water is always clean and fresh.
1. Buy locally
Tulips are perishable so buying them fresh and local whenever possible usually means there’s less transportation involved and they’ll last longer in your home.
2. Purchase Tulips That Are Tightly Closed
For the freshest, long-lasting tulips, look for ones that have their blooms tightly closed, lower down, and tucked in amongst their leaves.
This is a sign that the tulips are very fresh.
Avoid buying tulips with blooms that are quite high up on the stem.
These are not as fresh and won’t last as long.
Related Article: Can A Flower Bloom In A Dark Room? (Explained)
3. Cut The Stems With A Sharp Knife And Not A Scissors
Before you pop your tulips into the water, cut off the bottom few centimeters of their stems with a sharp knife.
When you make the cut be sure the bottoms of the stems are open and not closed.
Sometimes cutting with scissors can leave them closed.
If the tulip stems are closed when you put them into the vase, they will not be able to suck up water and won’t survive for long.
It can also help if you make the cuts at a slight angle.
Cut a few centimeters of the stems once every two or three days.
4. Remove The Elastic Band
Bunches of tulips often come with an elastic band stretched tight around the bottom of their stems.
If you don’t remove the elastic, it can squeeze the stems shut and stop them from drinking up the water.
5. Put Them In Cold Water As Soon As Possible
Your tulips have spent the last number of hours laying around in the flower shop without water so it’s important to get them into a vase with a few inches of cold water, as soon as possible.
Make sure the water is ice cold and the level is not too high.
You can even throw in a few ice cubes to bring the temperature down.
If the water level comes up high enough to reach your tulip’s leaves, they may begin to rot.
You can pull off any foliage that’s quite low down on the stem.
6. Leave Them In The Plastic You Bought Them In For An Hour Or Two
When you get your tulips home, cut the ends off their stems and get them into cold water as soon as possible but don’t remove their plastic covering for at least an hour minutes.
The plastic covering will help to guard them against the heat of your home and stop them from opening until they’ve had a good drink first.
It will also help your tulips to remain upright once you take the plastic off.
Your tulips will last longer if you let them take up some water and get a little used to their environment before they open.
After an hour or two, take your tulips out, remove the plastic, pop them back into the vase and change the water.
Don’t leave the plastic on for more than three or four hours.
It will begin to trap in moisture and mold may set in.
7. Change The Water Daily
You will get some extra life from your cut tulips if you keep a close eye on them and change their water every day (or when needed).
You won’t be putting too much water into the vase each time because you won’t want your tulips too deeply submerged.
Cut tulips can be thirsty and might even drink up the water in the vase in less than one day.
They will last longer by ensuring they always have some cold water to drink.
Keeping the water fresh will also help to extend your tulip’s life span by keeping harmful bacteria at bay.
8. Keep The Temperature Cool
Cut tulips will last longer in colder temperatures – as long as it’s not freezing.
If you have a balcony or an area of your home that gets a bit colder during the night (not freezing), you could keep your tulips there during the night and it will breathe some extra life into them.
Final Thoughts
Tulips are one of the few flowers that continue to grow once cut and placed in a vase.
The key to making them last as long as possible is keeping them cool and keeping them topped up with fresh water.
