Harvesting Tulips for Cut Flowers: A Complete Guide

Tulips are a classic spring flower that can brighten up any home or event with their cheerful blooms. While most people grow tulips in gardens and landscapes, did you know you can also grow tulips specifically for cut flower production?

Harvesting tulips for bouquets and arrangements requires a different approach than typical landscape planting. In this complete guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know about successfully growing and harvesting tulips as cut flowers.

Why Grow Tulips for Cut Flowers?

Here are some of the main benefits of growing tulips for cutting:

• Endless bouquets: A small planting of cut flower tulips can provide buckets of blooms for weeks in spring. Much more productive than clipping garden tulips.

• Longer vase life: Tulips harvested as buds and stored properly can last 7-10 days in a vase, compared to only 3-5 days for open, garden-cut blooms.

• Staggered harvest: Cut tulips can be stored in cool conditions and forced to open when needed, allowing for an extended harvest period.

• Ideal stem length Growing tulips spaced closely produces taller, straighter stems perfect for cutting

• Cost savings: It’s cheaper to grow your own cut tulips than buy from the florist. Great small business or hobby farm opportunity.

If you want beautiful, bountiful tulip bouquets this spring, read on for complete growing and harvesting guidance.

Growing Tulips for Cut Flowers

Growing tulips for cutting requires a different approach than typical landscape planting. Here are some key tips:

Use the Right Tulip Varieties

Choose tulip varieties that have tall, strong stems and are good for cutting. Some top choices include

• Darwin Hybrids:Apricot Impression, Mystic van Eijke, Golden Apeldoorn

• Single Late Tulips: Menton, White Dream

• Parrot Tulips: Blue Parrot, Texas Flame

• Lily-flowered: China Pink, Ballade

• Double Late Tulips: Angelique, Abba

Avoid short varieties like Kaufmanniana and Greigii.

Plant Closely

Space bulbs 2-4 inches apart, about 2-3 times tighter than landscape spacing. This causes them to grow tall and straight.

Use Raised Beds

Plant in raised beds about 6-12 inches high for better drainage and longer stems.

Plant 6-8 Inches Deep

Get those bulbs down deep, at least 6 inches or 3 times their height. This promotes good rooting for strong stems.

Remove Early Blooms

It’s important to remove any buds that try to open early. This allows all the energy to go into stem elongation instead of flowering.

Provide Sun & Good Drainage

Site your tulip cutting beds in full sun with very well-drained soil. Tulips hate wet feet. Raised beds help improve drainage.

Fertilize Sparingly

Too much fertilizer causes short, weak stems. Go very light on nitrogen fertilizers. Focus on phosphorus to encourage good roots and stems.

Harvesting Tulips for Maximum Vase Life

Harvesting at the right stage is critical for getting the longest possible vase life from cut tulips. Follow these steps:

Harvest When Colored But Still Closed

Tulips should be harvested when the buds are fully colored but still closed. If buds have already opened, vase life is reduced.

Harvest Early in the Day

Cut stems early in the morning while still cool and turgid. Avoid harvesting in the heat of the day.

Cut Stems Long

Aim for stems 18-24 inches long if possible. The extra length allows for trimming and re-cutting.

Remove Leaves

Strip off the lower 2/3 of leaves after cutting. This leaves more energy for the blooms and reduces bacterial growth in water.

Store & Transport Carefully

Keep harvested stems cool, dry, and upright. Wrap in newspaper or place in buckets. Avoid crushing or bruising.

Re-cut & Re-hydrate Stems

Before arranging, re-cut stems and place in clean water for 1-2 hours. Recut under water to avoid air bubbles.

Use Floral Preservatives

Add commercial floral preservatives to your vase water to supply nutrients and inhibit bacteria.

Keep Tulips Cool

Display your arrangements in the coolest spot possible. Warm rooms hasten decline. Refrigerate at night if possible.

Storing Tulips for a Staggered Harvest

With proper dry storage, cut tulip stems can be held in bud for up to 2 weeks before forcing them to open. This allows you to spread out your tulip harvest over a longer window. Here’s how:

Dry Store at 33-35°F

Hold harvested tulips upright in a refrigerator, cooler, or cold frame for 1-2 weeks. Keep stems dry, never in water.

Prevent Etiolation

Keep buds in complete darkness during storage to prevent stretching towards light. Wrap stems in newspaper or place in light-proof buckets.

Allow Air Circulation

Ensure some air flow around the stems during storage. Don’t seal them in plastic bags long-term.

Check Water Needs Periodically

Depending on humidity levels, stems may need a light spritzing or dipping every 3-5 days to prevent shriveling.

Transfer to Warm Conditions When Ready

Move the stored stems to warmer room temperature conditions to force buds to open when needed for arrangements.

Recut Stems & Rehydrate

As always, be sure to trim stems and place in fresh water for 1-2 hours before arranging to maximize vase life.

With this simple dry storage method, you can easily spread out your tulip harvest over 2 weeks or more, ensuring you always have fresh blooms on hand for bouquets.

Common Problems When Harvesting Tulips

Even when you follow best practices, you may still encounter some issues with your cut tulip stems. Here are some troubleshooting tips:

Bent or Curled Stems

If stems bend and curl instead of standing up straight in the vase, the issue is usually dehydration. Let stems stand in warm water for several hours, then wrap tightly in newspaper or paper towels for 24 hours to straighten. The moisture and restraint will usually correct the issue.

Wilting Blooms

Rapid wilting and decline of opened blooms is usually caused by bacterial growth in the water due to improper sanitation. Always use clean buckets and vases, change water frequently, and use floral preservatives. Prompt refrigeration also prolongs vase life.

Botrytis Blight

This fuzzy gray fungal disease can attack blooms and stems in storage, especially if humidity is too high. Improve air circulation and store tulips in a cooler location. Remove any affected flowers or stems immediately.

Small Blooms

When blooms open but remain small, it usually indicates the bulbs lacked proper nutrients and growing conditions the previous fall. Ensure bulbs are large, healthy, and planted in fertile soil, then fed properly the following season.

With attentive growing methods and careful handling, your homegrown tulips can provide you with gorgeous fresh-cut bouquets for many weeks come spring. Just be sure to give them the care they need from bulb to vase. Happy harvesting!