Q&A for How to Care for Fresh Cut Tulips

A slanted angle is preferred but, depending on what you're working with, it is not necessary. The idea behind the slanted cut is that you'll give the stem more surface area to be able to soak up more water.

Well, they are all beautiful. The choice usually boils down to personal preference or the kind of arrangement you want to make. If you're doing a low lush arrangement, then I would stay with the shorter tulips, whereas if you want something more wild and free, then go for something like a french tulip.

Yes, this works for most flowers, tulips included. If you don't have enough room in your fridge, you can just take the vase to the coolest part of your house. For example, place tulips in the hall, right in front of the front door, if it's the coolest there. If it's not below freezing point outside, you can also just keep the tulips on the balcony or porch overnight.

Use very cold water in the vase to keep them from opening, as they are a cold climate flower.

Placing tulips in bright sun and/or hot environments usually makes them bloom faster.

I only prick mine at the base of the bloom (completely through) when they droop. Believe me this really works. The next morning your tulips will stand tall.

No. You only need to cut the stems once before you place the tulips in the water. If you cut the stems every day, eventually you will cut too much, and the stems will be very short. Just cut 1/4 inch off at an angle right before you arrange them.

You cannot. The part of the tulip that roots is the bulb and, without it, a tulip will not re-grow, be able to be planted or take root.

Usually they do, at least if you've bought them when they're still budding and keep them in vase for more than a couple of days. It's good to keep an eye on the growth, because it can happen unnoticed with the growth being so gradual. If tulips overgrow, they start bending from the weight of the flower and become droopy. So it's good to cut them again with a sharp knife every couple of days to keep them the right height. Flowers grow from the top, not from the stem, so you will may have to remove more leaves so their stems won't be underwater.

The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to orange colors become visible, giving the leaves part of their fall splendor. At the same time other chemical changes may occur, which form additional colors through the development of red anthocyanin pigments.

Only if the bulb is attached. Fresh cut tulips won't grow if planted because they have been cut from the bulb.

Yes, remove any leaves that will be submerged in the vase water, as leaves left attached can rot while sitting in the water. Also, if the vase is too crowded with stems and leaves, some of the material can break and become damaged. Damaged plant material releases hormones that will age the flowers faster, shortening their lifespan in the vase.

Yes, you can plant tulip bulbs in dirt.

Insert a pin through the stem just below the head; then pull it out. The holes let air escape to expedite the water flow.

Tulips and other flowers from the Narcissus family keep growing even in the vase. As tulips will grow roughly about 50% of their initial height, choosing a long vase will allow your tulips to stand straight as they grow longer. But keep in mind to trim the white ends every 3 days to keep your tulips fresh.

A good home-made flower food is a simple mixture of sugar and lemon juice added into the water. You can also add a drop of bleach to prevent the bacteria from reproducing.