What makes tulips droop?

Of all the flowers at your local florist, tulips are one of the most popular and easy to recognise. Like other popular flowers like carnations and roses, florists will usually keep tulips in stock throughout the year due to the consistent demand. These flowers are often thought of as delicate but they are also too beautiful for people to pass up. When buying or receiving fresh tulips, there are a few things you should remember if you want to make them last as long as possible.

The first thing to keep in mind is why these flowers tend to droop and what you can do to prevent this from happening. When you look at the structure of a tulip, you will notice that the stem is fairly lightweight while the flower itself is heavy. Roses also have fairly heavy flower heads but the stems are a lot stronger and more rigid which can give some insight into the major differences between these two blooms. The sheer weight of the tulip flower eventually takes its toll on the stem and premature wilting will occur if no steps are taken.

Since there is no way of making the flower heads lighter, it’s necessary to consider other ways of preventing the drooping. Some people believe that by adding copper coins to the vase water, it will help strengthen the stems. There is, however, no concrete evidence that proves this to be effective. Professionals in the industry recomment piercing the base of the flower, where the flower and stem meet. It’s also recommended that you add flower food to the vase water. A regular supply of water and nutrients is important for any flower arrangement. If you want to reinforce the stems without piercing them, you could use floral wire and green floral tape.

Finally, don’t forget that it’s also important to make sure that you order your fresh tulips while they are still in partial bud form. They should not be in tight buds and they should also not be fully opened. This ensures that they will open up completely and you will get the most value for money. When trimming the flower stems, make sure that you use a sharp pair of scissors so that you do not crush the stems. Tulips enjoy fresh cold water unlike many other flowers that prefer room temperature water. As soon as you notice any of your tulips start to wilt, you should remove them so that they don’t cause the other flowers to perish prematurely.