Tulips are among the most easily recognizable and beautiful flowers for your garden and springtime floral arrangements. Their waxy leaves and pigmented, aromatic flowers look stunning on their own in a vase, as well as mixed in with other flowers. However, tulips can be sensitive when cut and added to a vase.
When you cut any flower for a floral arrangement, it’ll eventually droop since it has been separated from its root system. Some, though, droop and wilt faster than others. Flowers can be very pricey when purchased from a florist, and even if you grew them yourself, no one wants to see them look so lackluster so soon after cutting and arranging them. There are a number of reasons tulips may wilt in a floral arrangement, such as a lack of nutrients and water, inadequate spacing, and more. When taken care of properly, though, your tulips could last as long as 12 days before drooping.
Give them enough water
One of the main reasons your tulips droop prematurely is that they’re not getting enough water. Thankfully, this can be fixed in a few ways. Of course, giving them plenty to drink is the most obvious and necessary step to take. Not only should they be put in a vase with plenty of water when you take them home, but you should replenish the vase with fresh, clean water at least once every couple of days, Bloom & Wild’s lead florist told House Beautiful.
You also need to ensure the tulips can absorb the water they’re given. Tulips accomplish this via their stems, and the best way to encourage that is to snip off the ends. This should be done when you first get them, as well as every time you provide them with fresh water. The initial cut should be the biggest — at least 3 centimeters — but subsequent cuts can be small trims that cut off just enough to expose the end of the stem.
Other tulip care tips
Water is one of the most essential elements of keeping your cut tulips from drooping, but it isn’t the only factor. Sometimes, drooping is more of an illusion than a sign that your flowers are dying. Tulips reach toward wherever the sun is, meaning they can start to stretch and potentially bend in its direction. This can make it look like they’re drooping from the weight of the flowerhead. The solution: Regularly rotate your vase so the tulips don’t have enough time to stretch that far.
Another way to encourage your tulips to take in water is by keeping them away from things that could dehydrate them. For example, daffodil sap can make it difficult for tulips to absorb as much water as they need. Radiators, heaters, and fans can do the same. Finally, if you really want to keep your tulips from drooping for as long as possible, add flower food to the water every time you change it.
