One of the most popular spring flowers are tulips. It is they who are massively given on the eighth of March, birthdays and other significant holidays to ladies. And then many owners of bouquets begin to think about how to store cut tulips for as long as possible so that their aroma and appearance please for a long time. There are several secrets worth knowing.
Purchase Rules
Unfortunately, not every bouquet can be saved. Therefore, it is first desirable to find out what kind of flowers you need to buy. Before thinking about storing cut tulips that you plan to purchase in the store, carefully inspect them. If there are yellow withered leaves, then the flowers have been on sale for a long time. These won't last long. If the flower is completely open, and the petals do not fit snugly against the stem, then you should refuse such a bouquet. He won't last long at home either. If athe edges of the petals withered and darkened, this indicates improper or long-term storage in the store. If you buy such a bouquet, it will be safe to say that it will not stand for more than two days.
Why do flowers fade
Before you store cut tulips at home, you need to understand why they do not "die" immediately after cutting. Flowers are living plants because they feed, breathe and grow through their root system. As soon as they are deprived of it, access to the nutrients that support life in them ceases. Because of this, decay occurs. However, there are some tricks that allow plants to eat and stay fresh for some time even without a root system. Many women know about these tricks and actively use them. And this allows them to admire the flowers for a long time. Therefore, before storing cut tulips brought from the store (not those that grew in your own garden), it is worth familiarizing yourself with some tricks.
Secret 1
It consists in feeding. How to store cut tulips at home using extra flower food? It is enough to add a piece of sugar to the water. It provides nutrients that are absorbed by the plant, allowing it to keep looking fresh for a while. In flower shops you can also find a 3% sugar solution. By adding it to water, you can slow down the withering process by 3-4 days. Flowers will continue to feed, which means they will not be quickly"to die".
Secret 2
It lies in the water. And it doesn't suit everyone. How to store cut tulips in water for a long time? Need to change it more often. This type of flower loves cold and fresh water. In this case, top dressing must be added every time as soon as the liquid has been changed. It is noteworthy that if you pour settled cool water, and not from the tap (with harmful impurities), then the bouquet will last at least 1.5 times longer than usual.
Secret 3
It consists in adding some special means to prevent rotting of the stems. After all, the longer they are in the water, the faster they become thinner and deteriorate. Therefore, you can add crushed charcoal (it is sold in stores) or an aspirin tablet. It must be crushed into powder, and then poured into water. From this, the stems will stop rotting and "shaggy". Before storing cut tulips in this way, they will need to be trimmed properly with a very sharp knife.
How and how to do it
It's not enough just to buy a bouquet and feed it properly. Still need to trim the stems. It's easy enough, but requires a little trickery. First, cut the stems only in the water. This prevents air from entering, which means that no pathogenic and destructive bacteria will develop. Secondly, the stems are cut along an oblique, and not along a straight path. From this, the structure will not be greatly disturbed, and nutrientsfrom the water it will be easier to enter inside. How to store cut tulips at home for as long as possible? Trim the stems a little each day. This way, they won't clog and continue to eat, allowing them to keep fresh for a long time, as if they had just been cut from the flower bed.
Dry method
Oddly enough, there is a way to store cut tulips without water. It turns out it's not that hard. And most importantly, in some cases it is even necessary. So, for example, many sellers are wondering how to store cut tulips for as long as possible before selling, so that they can be profitably sold later. And this can be achieved in a dry way. First, moisten paper or newspaper with water, just a little bit. Then the flowers are wrapped in it so that the buds do not touch each other and do not stick together. The bouquet is put in the refrigerator for storage. Refrigerators have special requirements. Firstly, the temperature should not be higher than three degrees Celsius. Secondly, the humidity cannot be lower than 95%, otherwise the flowers will start to rot. Thirdly, it is better not to put food nearby. In this way, bouquets can be stored for two weeks without compromising their condition. By the way, Dutch tulips are transported in this way, though they are still placed in boxes rubbed with paraffin inside. This prevents moisture from evaporating, allowing plants to remain intact for up to three weeks.
How to cuttulips from the beds
This is perhaps the most pressing question, since almost every third summer resident has them growing right near the house. And how they are cut also depends on how to store cut tulips for as long as possible at home later. First of all, it is worth remembering that flowers are removed from the beds only in the early hours of the day. The stems are still flexible and juicy, not having time to give their juice to the roots. And keep them after the cut, preferably with their heads down. So the juice will not flow out during transportation from the garden to the vase. It is noteworthy that the flowers are cut only with a very sharp knife or an oblique blade, so that at least two leaves remain on the stems. There will be more juice from this, and the plants will end up standing longer. And of course, we must not forget that a vase with a bouquet is not placed on the sunny side or where there are drafts. From this, the buds fade faster, and the stems dry out. If there are other plants nearby, it is better to set them aside. First, they release ethylene, which causes tulips to wilt quickly. Secondly, cut flowers are not too fond of close proximity to other species. Tulips wither from this and fade faster. Drying leaves are pruned or removed completely so that they do not pull the juices from the stems and buds onto themselves. With proper care, tulips will stand for about 7-14 days, delighting the owners with their color and aroma.
