How Long Will Cut Tulips Last in a Vase? Here's What to Know

Tulips with their wide range of colors are the perfect choice for a spring bouquet—but how long will they last after they leave the ground? Once they are cut, if handled properly, tulips will last for five to 10 days in a vase.

This classic flower is perfect in the garden and as a centerpiece. Learn more about tulips and tips to showcase them in the garden and inside your home.

How Long Do Cut Tulips Last in a Vase?

Once you get them home, cut tulips can last in a vase for five to 10 days, depending on how they were handled after cutting and how much care you give them.

One of the best ways to be sure your flowers last as long as possible is to select tulips that are in the bud stage. If the flower is still closed when you cut or purchase the tulips, they will last longer.

5 Tips for Cut Tulip Care

How you handle the tulips from the flower shop or the ones you just cut from your garden will make a significant difference in how long they last in an arrangement. Follow these five tips for longer-lasting tulips.

Prepare the Vase

Always begin with a very clean vase that has been washed and sterilized to remove bacteria from past arrangements.

Fill the vase about one-third full with room temperature water and add a packaged flower preservative.

The vase you choose helps determine the look of your tulip arrangement. A tall, straight-sided container will support the tulips if you like an upright arrangement. Choose a lower vase with a wide, outward-curving lip for elegantly draping tulips.

Tip

To sterilize a vase after washing, mix two teaspoons of chlorine bleach with one gallon of water. Submerge the vase, making sure all interior surfaces are covered. Remove and rinse with plain water.

Prepare the Tulips

Cut tulips should be kept in water. As soon as possible, use clean, sharp scissors or garden shears to trim the tulip stems at a 45-degree angle.

Carefully remove any leaves that will sit under the water. Avoid getting the blooms wet to minimize damage and potential mold.

Floral Combinations to Avoid

While tulips can certainly be combined with other flowers, avoid daffodils or any flower from the narcissus family. They secrete a slimy sap that prevents the tulip stems from absorbing the water they need to last. Tulips work well with roses, flowering branches, hyacinths, and delphiniums.

Consider Vase Placement

Your cut tulips will last longer if you keep the arrangement away from direct sunlight and sources of heat including electronic equipment. Tulips are heliotropic (naturally follow the sun) and will continue to seek the sunlight even after cutting.

You may need to turn your tulip arrangement frequently to keep the stems in the position you desire. Tulips will also last longer if they are kept away from fresh fruit. Ripening fruit emits ethylene gas that breaks down the flowers.

Give the Tulips Daily Care

To make sure your cut tulips last as long as possible, they need daily (or at least every other day) care. Remove the tulips from the vase and refill it with fresh water. Trim the stems at a 45-degree angle and remove any leaves that now sit under the water.

If the tulips still seem droopy and aren't absorbing water, insert a straight pin through the stem just under the flower head. The small hole will allow trapped air in the stem to escape and help your flowers absorb water.

How Long Do Tulips Bloom in the Garden?

When selecting tulip bulbs for planting in the garden, you'll find they are classified as early or mid-season blooms. Depending on your location and the weather conditions, most early tulips bloom from March to April with mid-season tulips lasting until May. If the weather remains cool, garden-blooming tulips typically last one to two weeks once the blossom emerges.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do tulips bloom more than once?

Each tulip bulb only blooms once a year. Tulips are perennials and can return year after year in the garden. However, in areas with high temperatures and short winters, if the bulbs are left in the ground, they may not rebloom the next year.

When do tulips bloom?

Tulips bloom in early to mid-spring. Depending on your USDA hardiness zone and the weather, early tulips bloom in March and April with mid-season varieties blooming in late April and early May.

How do you keep tulips alive?

Tulip bulbs should be planted deeply (about eight inches) in soil with good drainage. Planting in October gives the bulbs time to acclimate and chill during winter dormancy. In the spring after the blooms have wilted, clip off the flower heads, and allow the foliage to die back to build a strong bulb for the next season. If you are leaving the bulbs in the ground, fertilize them in the fall with a low-nitrogen bulb fertilizer.

Read the original article on The Spruce.