Tulips are among the most popular seasonal flowers in the spring months and bring a beautiful burst of colour to homes. However, you may notice your freshly cut tulips drooping and even losing petals within a few days.
Did you know that just one simple change to their water could be the solution to keeping them looking fresh and healthy for longer?
According to experts from Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, who have their own farm filled with these beautiful blooms, opting for a specific temperature of water in the vase is the one trick that “works best” to keep flowers looking perfect.
“Avoid adding gin, vodka or pennies to the tulip water, brushing the blooms with egg whites or piercing the stems just under the bloom,” said the experts. “None of these ‘home remedies’ has ever proved to have any real benefits. Cold fresh water works best.”
Cold water is recommended for flowers such as tulips, narcissus, anemone, and ranunculus as it helps to increase their hydration intake. Cold water is suggested because it keeps the stems fresh and crisp, along with eliminating air bubbles which helps water and flower food travel up the stems quicker.
“To keep cut tulips fresh and vigorous, be sure to keep the water in the vase “topped off” with fresh cold water every day or two,” said the experts. It’s also important to make sure you give your bouquet fresh water every couple of days.
Tulips are rather sensitive to bacteria, and leaving the same water in your vase for extended periods can leave your flowers susceptible to harmful levels of bacteria in the water.
The positioning of your tulips may also play a role in how long the blooms last. Any room which is hot or stuffy, or any position in front of a sunny window that may heat up rapidly, could see your cut flowers fade at a faster rate.
If you notice that any of your Tulips are starting to wilt, you should remove them from the vase as soon as possible. Decaying plant material which falls into the water will increase the rate of bacteria growth, so the sooner you remove any wilting tulips the better it is for the rest of the bunch.
