As soon as the tulip bouquet is placed in the vase, it starts. The spring flowers stretch and stretch as much as they can. Within a short time they hang their heads because they can no longer find support. We'll tell you here why this is and how you can effectively delay this process.
Why do tulips keep growing in the vase?
Tulips continue their growth in the vase because they absorb large amounts of water, which promotes cell elongation. To slow this growth, top up the water regularly, trim the stems every few days, and keep the flowers cooler.
That's why the growth continues in the vase
They are masters of cell stretching. While other cut flowers only grow a little in size in the vase, tulips stretch powerfully upwards. Since the flowers absorb large amounts of water, their tissue cells expand accordingly. The separation from the onion is hardly important, as the water contains enough nutrients for further growth.
Delaying cell elongation means extending shelf life – this is how it works
To completely stop the cell elongation of tulips in the vase is not possible according to the laws of Mother Nature. To do this, the water supply would have to be stopped, whereupon the cut flowers would die. At least you have the opportunity to have a reducing effect on this growth process. These methods have proven themselves:
- Never completely replace the water in the vase, but refill it regularly
- Prune the flower stems by 1 to 5 cm every few days
- Keep the cut flowers cooler overnight to reduce the growth rate
Repeated trimming not only keeps length growth in check. At the same time, fresh pathways are exposed so that water and nutrients can be transported to the flower. Please only use a clean, sharp knife for this. Scissors run the risk of the stem being crushed.
Pins hold flower heads upright
Parallel to height growth, tulip flowers gain weight. So that gravity doesn't get the upper hand and the flower heads sadly bow to the ground, use the following trick in good time:
- Push a thin pin through the stem just below a still upright tulip blossom
- Thick darning needles are unsuitable as they injure the fabric too much
Tip
Would you like to experience a superlative tulip garden in nature? Then travel to Keukenhof in Holland between mid-March and mid-May. Enjoy a floral spectacle with more than 7,000,000 flower bulbs on an extensive 32 hectare park area.
