When
winter gets me down, I attempt to energize my home with a bouquet of dazzling
tulips, one of my favorite flowers! A vase of fresh tulips is both elegant and
colorful, so I purchase them often while they are in season. However, I have
learned over the seasons that cut tulips tend to have a mind of their own and to
my dismay, I find they die quickly or do not hold the beauty that was seen in
the pretty package at Trader Joes.
So,
in an attempt to extend the life of these happy flowers, I have been experimenting
with several techniques to get the most out of my tulips. I am by no means a
florist, but here is what I’ve learned about caring for fresh cut tulips:
Arranging
Cut Tulips
1. Pour cold water into the vase
until it is half full.
2. Using a sharp knife or
pruners, diagonally cut one-quarter
of an inch off the bottom of the tulip stems while under water so that no air enters the stem. This opens the
stem to receive water. Do not allow the stem to dry before plunging the cut
tulips into a vase or decorative container.
3. Adjust the tulips so they
fall symmetrically in the vase. Arrange the tulips to give them room to grow
and twist. Remove any leaves from the
stem that would be under the water once the tulip is placed into the vase.
4. Place the vase in the coolest possible spot where you can
still enjoy the tulip arrangement. If you are going to be away from the tulips
for several hours move them to a dark, cool location.
5.
Tulips
are big drinkers. Check the water level
often and empty and refill the vase with cold water every day. Rearrange the
growing tulips so they form a pleasing display. Snip the ends off the stems
every other day for maximum water intake.
{Note: Fresh cut tulips can last up to 10 days in your home if properly cared for}
Tips
& Warnings
·
For
the longest vase life, buy tulips while the buds are tight.
·
Do
not feed tulips those little packets of cut-flower food. Pure water is all they
need. Adding aspirin, lemon juice, pennies, soda and other mixtures to the
water is only a myth for extending the life of cut tulips. Also, refresh water
if cloudy.
· Do
not place the tulip vase in direct sunlight, near heaters or under lamps. Heat
shortens the life of the blooming flowers.
·
Do
not add daffodils to a vase of tulips. Combining tulips with daffodils {or any
species of Narcissus} is not recommended as tulips exude a sticky sap that
shortens the life span of other flowers by clogging their water uptake
channels.
Remove
the flowers from the vase, re-trim the stem tips and roll the tulips snuggly
into a newspaper cone. The paper should extend above the flower tops but not
cover the lower third of the stems. Place the wrapped bunch upright in a
container holding cool water deep enough to submerge the exposed stems. Leave
in a cool place for an hour or two to soak up the cool water in an upright
position. Presto—stems will be straight again.
