As soon as early spring hits, those first bunches of tulips start popping up at the local flower shop. There’s nothing quite like a beautiful vase of these blooms to brighten up your living room and get you in that springtime mood! If you want to keep your tulips looking fresh and perky for as long as possible, I’ve got a few pro tips to help you out.
Shopping for the Best Tulips
When you’re picking out a bouquet, freshness is everything. Look for tulips that are still tightly closed, with just a hint of color showing at the edges of the petals. The leaves should be standing tall and firm—if you rub them together gently, you should actually hear a little “squeak.”
Check the bottom of the stems, too; they should be white and firm, without any brown or mushy spots.
Prepping Your Tulips for the Vase
Before you drop them in water, give those stems a little TLC. First, trim off the white ends. Then, cut about a quarter-inch off the bottom of the stem. You can cut straight across or at an angle—cutting at an angle gives the flower a larger surface area to soak up all that water and nutrients. Finally, strip off any lower leaves that would sit below the waterline. Too many leaves in the water can lead to rot and bacteria, which is a total buzzkill for your flowers.
Setting Up Your Vase
Choosing the right vase depends on the variety of tulip you have. Short, thick stems look adorable in a round ginger jar or fishbowl vase, while long-stemmed varieties need a taller vase for support so they don’t flop over. I personally love glass vases because it’s so much easier to keep an eye on the water level. Here’s how to set them up right:
- Fill the vase with fresh tap water until it’s about an inch or so below the rim.
- Those little packets of flower food are a nice bonus, but don’t worry if you don’t have one—fresh water is the most important thing.
- Check the water level every single day.
- Instead of swapping the water out entirely, just top it off when it gets low.
- If you notice the stems starting to look brown or discolored, give them a fresh trim.
Pro Care Tips
If you want your bouquet to last as long as possible, location is key. Keep your tulips away from direct sunlight and heaters. The warmer the room, the faster they’ll wilt. A little insider secret? Move your vase to a cooler spot (like a mudroom or basement) overnight to give them a “rest.”
Also, keep your tulips away from the fruit bowl! Fruits like apples and pears release ethylene gas as they ripen, which causes tulips to fade way faster than they should.
One last thing: as tempting as it is to mix them, don’t put daffodils and tulips in the same vase. Daffodils secrete a sappy slime that clogs up tulip stems, preventing them from drinking water and causing them to wilt prematurely.
