Tulips are undoubtedly gorgeous in the landscape, but did you know they make an excellent cut flower too? Bring the beauty of your tulips indoors! When harvested correctly, fresh, garden-grown tulips can last for 10+ days in a vase (take THAT, store-bought bouquets!):
Harvesting Tulips
- Harvest tulips when the buds have plumped up and developed color, but are still tightly closed.
- Grasp the stem as close to the ground as possible and pull straight up. Remember — you can always trim for a shorter stem later!
- If you want to treat your tulips like an annual, you can pull up the entire plant, bulb and all! Then start daydreaming about what to plant in its place...
- To encourage tulips to come back next year, be sure to leave the bulb in place and several leaves on the stem — leaves will help feed energy back into the bulb so it can be ready to fuel next season's growth. Be prepared for smaller flowers the following year; and some overly cross-bred varieties simply won't return. If you are intent on large, florist-quality buds again the following year, you may want to plant a fresh batch of new tulip bulbs in the fall.
Post-Harvest Tulip Care
- Remove all the lower foliage that will extend below the water line of your container.
- Snip the ends of the stem and add to your container of fresh, cold water. Be sure to change your water daily.
- Keep tulips out of direct sunlight to prolong their buds. If you need your blooms to mature and "blow open" a little for an event, simply move them into warm sun — tulips respond quickly to temperatures changes!
- Tulips are one of the few cut flowers that will continue to GROW in water, even after they've been harvested — you may prefer to snip the stems every few days to maintain an arrangement.
