How to get the best vase life from tulips
There’s something wonderfully cheerful about tulips. Whether they’re a treat from the flower shop, a gift from a friend, or snipped from your own garden, tulips bring colour and a sense that spring is finally here. But they do have a mind of their own – they grow taller in the vase, lean towards the light, and sometimes just flop. With a little care, though, you can help them last longer and stay looking beautiful.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your tulips.
1. Start with fresh flowers
If you’re picking them from the garden, do it early in the morning or late evening when they’re well hydrated. Look for buds that are still closed but showing colour—they’ll open slowly in the vase and last longer.
If you’re buying tulips, choose bunches with firm, upright stems and tight buds. Avoid any that are already fully open or look soft and droopy.
2. Trim and tidy
Before you pop them in a vase, remove any leaves that would sit below the waterline - they’ll only rot and encourage bacteria. Cut the stems at a diagonal with sharp scissors or a knife. This gives the flowers a larger surface area to drink from and helps prevent the ends from sealing up.
3. Choose the right vase
Tulips grow and move even after they’ve been cut, so a taller vase with good support helps keep them upright. Make sure the vase is clean - bacteria in water is one of the quickest ways to shorten vase life.
4. Keep the water clean
Tulips like fresh water. Change it every couple of days, and rinse the vase out each time. Re-cutting the stems slightly each time you change the water can also help.
Opinions vary on the use of flower food. You can make some yourself and see what you think:
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar or lemon juice
A few drops of bleach
1 litre of water
This mixture helps feed the flowers while keeping bacteria at bay.
5. Keep them cool
Tulips prefer a cooler room and will last longer if you keep them out of direct sunlight, away from radiators, and away from fruit (which gives off ethylene gas that speeds up ageing). If you have space in your fridge, you can even store them dry and wrapped in paper for a few days to extend their life before arranging them.
With a bit of care, tulips will bring beauty and colour into your home for a week or more. They’ll may be a little bit wayward, but that’s part of their magic and they’re all the more lovely for it.
Grounded | A space for slowing down and embracing life’s simple pleasures | www.bulbtobunch.com/blog