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Wednesday 26 April 2023

Tulips, so beautiful : Some tips on how to make them last longer


"Tulips, they are synonymous with spring. The famed Dutch flower, and one of the easiest to care for, tulips come in pretty much every colour imaginable and they look fabulous in every space whether it's in the garden or in a vase.

Cut flower tulips
Have you currently got some tulips in a vase? When it comes to cut flower tulips, it's easier than you think to keep yours looking lovely and perked up. Bloom & Wild's lead florist, Caroline, outlines exactly how you can make your tulips last longer in some simple steps below, plus provides more flower care solutions for common dilemmas.

How to avoid drooping tulips
1. Trim your tulips: Trimming tulips by 3-5cm allows water inside to hydrate them. Always cut at an angle to give as much surface area to drink from.
2. Pop them in water ASAP: Tulips, like all flowers, use water to prop-up their stems. Pop them in water as soon as you can to help them rehydrate and bloom.
3. Find their dream home: Keep your tulips away from direct sunlight and radiators (they’ll dehydrate your stems) and fruit (it releases gases that’ll make them fade).
4. Change their water: Tulips don’t like drinking dirty water, so refresh your vase every few days and re-trim your stems 1cm each time.

Why are my tulips are floppy?
Don’t worry, they aren’t dead. Tulips use water to prop up their stems so they’re just thirsty after their journey to you. Help yours perk up by trimming them, popping them in water and then leaving them overnight. By morning they won’t look droopy.

Why are my tulips so much shorter than my other stems?
They’re naturally much shorter than other stems but they’ll keep growing in your vase. Data Scientist Dave carried out a tulip experiment to prove it. He measured some tulips on the day they arrived and they were 31cm on average. Then he popped them in fresh water with flower food and waited a few days. On day five, he took them out of the water and measured them all, one by one. On average they’d grown by a huge 17cm!

Why do tulips keep growing in water?
Tulips are really responsive to sunlight and that’s why they move. They’re turning themselves towards the light sources around them, hoping to be seen by pollinators. You might also spot them opening up on sunny days and closing up at night time.

Why don’t my tulips stay straight?
Because they keep growing in their vase, you’ll find they playfully move around in the water. It’s part of their charm and nothing to worry about!

But I want my tulip to be straight – what can I do?
If you want your tulips to stand-up straight for a dinner party or special occasion, we recommend taking them out their vase, tightly wrapping them with newspaper into a cone shape, popping back in water, and keeping them in a dark room overnight. When you unwrap them in the morning, they’ll be perfect! Then remember to rotate your vase throughout to prevent them growing one way towards the light."
Picture and words above taken from article here

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All the best Jan

31 comments:

Tom said...

...tulips are beautiful but they don't last as long as some flowers.

roentare said...

So good to learn the tips on tulips care

Elephant's Child said...

Thank you. I rarely bring tulips inside but simply enjoy them in the garden.

Bill said...

Those tulips are beautiful. Thanks for the tips.

William Kendall said...

Our Tulip Festival is coming.

My name is Erika. said...

It's really interesting not to put tulips near fruit. I bet that's true for other flowers too. I'll need to look into that.

kathyinozarks said...

great tips thanks

HappyK said...

Thanks for the tips!!!

Teresa said...

Muy interesante tu explicación. Me encantan los tulipanes. Besos.

Christine said...

Thanks for the information, I love tulips!

J.P. Alexander said...

Gracias por los consejos. Te mando un beso.

peppylady (Dora) said...

My tulip would do better if the deer didn't eat them.
Coffee is on and stay safe.

The Happy Whisk said...

Those are great tips! Thank you.

I miss a garden of tulips. We did them here only once and after they popped up and grew, critters took the bulbs.

What brats!

I've seen people do mesh as a hack. I'll have to try something when we move because I for sure would love tulips at the new house.

Cheers and boogie boogie!

Valerie-Jael said...

Tulips are always so beautiful! Valerie

Margaret D said...

Beautiful flower are tulips and strangely I don't any in my garden.

CJ Kennedy said...

Such good tips and tricks

eileeninmd said...

Thanks for the tips! The tulips are beautiful!
Take care, have a happy day!

Jenn Jilks said...

This is good information. My tulips are nearing blooming.

Martha said...

These are great tips! Thank you for sharing them. It's tulip season in my garden. They're in full bloom as I type this and I couldn't be more pleased.

Jeanie said...

I love tulips and since the deer ate all my bulbs, I always have to buy them. I've had a lot of the problems you describe here so I will be eager to try some of these hints. I never knew that they still grew in water -- that's intereting!

baili said...

tulips are the flowers i hardly saw in my life dear Jan
but they are so pretty and wanting to have them around is so natural
thank you for tips to keep them longer :)
hugs

Laura. M said...

Preciosos. En el huerto tenemos una planta de lirios amarillos ahora están saliend.
Buen jueves para Todos.
Un abrazo.

Beautiful. In the garden we have a plant of yellow lilies now they are coming out.
Good Thursday to all.
A hug.

Donna said...

I always add an aspirin to the water. They perk right up.
hugs
Donna

Divers and Sundry said...

Thank you! I never buy cut tulips because I've never been able to get them to last. I'll try your suggestions :)

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

My tulips have come and gone, but the photo reminds me how beautiful they were. I learned if you are having a party and want straight stems, place a pipe cleaner in the stems. Make sure it is narrow enough the tulip can still get water up its stem.

Jeff said...

My wife always adds ice cubes to the water... This wasn't a good year for us for tulips, unlike last year where we had 100s. This year we had about a dozen. We lost a lot from deer and some because I forgot and covered the tulip section of the garden inside the fence.

Beatrice P. Boyd said...

Tulips are lovely and I most enjoy them when they are planted in the ground. I have only ever had them indoors in a vase one time when they were sent by a friend. Thanks for the tips in case I ever receive another gift of tulips.

carol l mckenna said...

Beautiful tulips and great care information ~ thanks,


Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)

Mary Kirkland said...

They really are pretty flowers.

Conniecrafter said...

Oh wow I had no idea they kept growing, I was thinking of trying to cute my Iris and see how that does inside, maybe I should google first and see what they say :)

Anne (cornucopia) said...

These are beautiful flowers. I tried growing some once, but the deer ate them.