Buying Tips: Ask: variety name. Different varieties have different flower qualities. Perform a simple vase life test to determine which varieties tend to last longer and are more disease resistant. Request the specific cut stage from grower. Look: for flowers just beginning to show color.

Processing: Unpack immediately. Wash soil and sand off stems. Re-cut stems. Cut off white fleshy basal portion of stem. Use clean cutting tools.

Pretreatment: Use Floralife HydraFlor^® 100 hydrating treatment for ½ hour at room temperature (see below) to promote water uptake and ensure proper hydration, so that tulips become firm and stems remain free flowing. Floralife^® PAL 100 treatment can be added to hydration solution to help with healthy foliage.

Holding Solution: Use fresh flower food at the recommended rate: Use Flower Food 300, 200, Clear 200, or Clear ULTRA 200 storage and transport treatments, or depending on water test results, Special Blend 300 for Hard Water or for Pure Water.
Hold flowers at room temperature for 1 - 2 hours (2 - 4 if flowers are limp) prior to storage in cooler or designing. Keep stems wrapped in paper or plastic sleeves to keep stems upright. Avoid excess moisture on flower heads and stems as this may contribute to the growth of Botrytis. Cutting a slit just below the flower head in the tulip stem has not been proven to keep the flower from opening.

Ethylene Sensitivity: Tulip flowers are not generally ethylene sensitive.

Vase Life: 3 to 10 days depending on the cultivar, cut stage and the use of flower food.

Storage Temperature: 34 - 36˚ F cooler / 75 - 85% humidity.

TROUBLESHOOTING

Flowers "blow" open too quickly

Likely due to being held at warm temperatures. Hold at 34 - 36˚ F. If displaying outside cooler, try to hold at a cool temperature at night. Also, there are different varieties that "blow" open more quickly than others.

Stems continue to "grow" (elongate) after harvest

Keep flowers at the cool temperature listed above. Try to insert tulips into arrangements at the latest time possible or place them deeper into the design.