Choose unbloomed tulips. When you're at the florist, you may be tempted to buy tulips with fully open, brightly coloured petals. This would be a good choice if your tulips are going to last a day or two, but if you want them to last a long time, choose tulips that are still tightly closed, with some green buds that aren't fully coloured yet The flowers will open within a few days, so you'll have more time to enjoy them If you're growing your own tulips and want them to last as long as possible in a vase, cut them as close to the ground as possible before they open fully.
Wrap the stems in a damp cloth or paper towels. When you bring your tulips home from the store, keep them wrapped in paper towels or a washcloth soaked in fresh water. This will ensure that the tulips don't dry out prematurely on the way home. Do this even if the distance from the florist to your home is not very long. Tulips age much faster without water.
Cut 0,5 cm to 1 cm from the base of the stems. Use scissors or a sharp knife to cut the stems at an angle. This will help them to absorb water easily from the vase. Remove additional leaves from the bottom of the stems. If the stems have leaves that would be submerged in water when you put them in the vase, remove them. The leaves could start to rot before it's time.
