Caring for freshly picked tulips

Author: Tamara Smith
Date Of Creation: 22 January 2021
Update Date: 1 July 2024
Anonim
The Care and Handling of Tulips
Video: The Care and Handling of Tulips

Content

Nothing says "spring" more clearly than an arrangement of brightly colored, beautiful tulips fresh from the garden or from the florist. Tulips are sturdy flowers that can last up to 10 days in a vase, if you know how to properly care for them. Choose fresh flowers to start with, so you can enjoy their beauty for longer, provided you put them in the right place and give them enough water. Look at step 1 and on for ways to make a tulip arrangement that you will enjoy for a long time.

To step

Part 1 of 2: Preparing tulips for the vase

  1. Choose tulips in bud. If you're at the florist, you may be tempted to buy tulips that are already fully open, showing their beautiful colored petals in their full glory. This would be the way to go if they need to have a "wow" effect just for that night. If you want them to stand longer, choose tulips that are still tightly closed, with a few green buds that do not show any color yet. The flowers open within a few days, allowing you to enjoy them longer.
    • If you are picking your own tulips and you want them to stay in a vase for as long as possible, pick them before they are fully open and cut them as close to the ground as possible.
  2. Wrap the stems in a wet cloth or paper towel. If you buy tulips from the florist, immediately wrap them in paper towels or a washcloth soaked in fresh water. This will keep them from drying out along the way. Also do this when the florist is close to home. Any moment without water causes the tulips to age faster.
  3. Cut 0.7 cm from the bottom of the stems. Use small pruning shears and cut the stems diagonally. This helps the tulip to absorb water from the vase better.
  4. Remove all leaves from the bottom of the stems. If there are leaves on the stems that will submerge when you put them in the vase, remove them. The leaves can rot and cause the flowers to hang before their time.

Part 2 of 2: Arranging tulips in a vase

  1. Choose a suitable vase. Choose a vase tall enough to allow the stems to disappear at least half their length. This way they can lean against the vase without bending. If you use a shorter vase, the tulips will eventually bend over the edge. Some people like this, but it can also make the flowers die faster.
  2. Wash the vase. Make sure there is no sediment from the previous bouquet on the bottom of the vase. Use soap and warm water to wash it thoroughly, then dry it completely with a tea towel. In this way, the tulips do not become infected with bacteria that can make them rot more quickly.
  3. Fill the vase with cold water. Cold water keeps the stems fresh, while warm or even hot water causes the stems to go limp.
  4. Divide the stems over the vase. Arrange the tulips so that they all have their own space in the vase. Don't let them lean against each other or they will crush each other, causing them to drop their petals more quickly and thus shorten the life of your tulips.
  5. Keep the vase filled with fresh water. Tulips need a lot of water. Make sure they never get dry, otherwise they will wilt quickly.
  6. Add some cut flower nutrition. Adding this will extend the life of your flowers. Cut flower food is available from florist and garden center. Read the directions on the package before use and add some nutrition when you water. It will keep your tulips looking fresh and strong for as long as possible.
    • You can try putting some lemon juice, pennies, or something similar in your vase of flowers. Some say it works, but research shows that cut flower food works much better.
  7. Keep the vase out of direct sunlight. Place it in a place that does not get too hot and sunny. The tulips will wither in the warmth.
  8. Do not put tulips in the same vase as members of the daffodil family. Daffodils and other flowers of this family secrete a substance that makes the tulips bloom faster. Tulips look best as a solitary bunch in a single vase.

Tips

  • When you buy tulips, make sure they are still in bud.
  • If you leave the tulips in their packaging in water for a few hours before putting them in a vase, the chance that the stems will remain straight.
  • Place the tulips in an irregularly shaped vase to let the stems take on strange shapes.
  • You can combine tulips in a bouquet with most other flowers.
  • Prick the stem just below the flower with a needle. It is guaranteed to keep the flowers beautiful for a week.

Warnings

  • Do not put tulips together in one vase with daffodils or in water that used to have daffodils.
  • After you cut the stems under water, do not let them dry before putting them in the vase.