Tulip care: why they lean, droop and keep growing

When your tulips arrive

Our flowers are packed in bud and shipped dry, so the stems can look a little tired when you open the box. Tulip stems are soft and bruise easily, so handle them gently as you unpack. Once they’re in water they perk up within 24 to 48 hours.

• Recut each stem at a 45 degree angle with sharp scissors or a knife, so the stem isn’t crushed.
• Trim off the leaves below the waterline.
• Stand them in a clean vase of fresh water with your flower food.

How tulips open

Tulips arrive as closed buds and react to their surroundings. They open wider in a warm, bright room and close up again when it’s cool or dark, and a cooler spot keeps them from opening fully for longer.

Some of our buds open as late as 72 hours after going into water, and our bouquets reach their full beauty around day 3 or 4.

Because they keep growing, the stems can grow noticeably longer over a few days and curve toward the nearest window. Turn the vase a quarter turn each day to keep them upright, or let them lean: a loose, curving bunch of tulips looks natural too.

Keeping tulips fresh

Tulips drink a lot, so check the water level every day and top it up.

• Keep the vase away from direct sunlight, heating vents and ripening fruit. A cooler room also keeps tulips from opening too fast.
• Change the water every couple of days and rinse the vase while it’s empty.
• At day 3 or 4, recut the stems, change the water and add the second pack of flower food.

How long tulips last

Cut tulips usually last around five to seven days. Taken as a whole, a Bear’s Blooms bouquet lasts a full week and often up to two weeks with proper care and placement.

Tulips tend to open fully and drop their petals before sturdier stems such as chrysanthemums. Some flowers last longer than others, so freshen up the arrangement by pruning the spent stems.

Common tulip problems

Most tulip problems come from their growing, leaning habit or a room that’s too warm.

• Drooping or bent stems. Tulips keep growing toward the light and their stems are soft. Recut the stems, then wrap the bunch snugly in paper and stand it in deep, cool water for an hour or two so the stems firm up.
• Petals opening flat and dropping early. This usually means the room is too warm. Move the vase somewhere cooler.
• Leaning toward the window. Turn the vase every day.
• Cloudy water or slimy stem ends. Bacteria are building up. Rinse the vase, recut the stems and refill with fresh water and flower food.

If your stems still aren’t responding as expected, email support@bearsblooms.com with a photo of your full bouquet as well as any individual stems.