Sugar solution: The secret to keeping tulips fresh longer
Do tulips wilt quickly? We have a time-tested solution! Simply add this one ingredient to the water, and your tulips will stay fresh for up to two weeks. It's an easy trick that costs pennies, and research confirms its effectiveness.
Tulips are among the most beautiful heralds of spring – delicate, full of charm and colour, and capable of brightening up any interior. However, anyone who has ever placed them in a vase knows how quickly they lose their freshness. After just a few days, they droop sadly, become misshapen, and cease to delight the eye. Fortunately, there is a tried and tested method to extend the life of these charming flowers for up to two weeks. Interestingly, you don't need any special nutrients or expensive solutions – just a product you probably have in your kitchen.
Sugar – a sweet way to extend the life of your tulips
It turns out that the simplest home trick, already known by our grandmothers, still works and has scientific backing. We're talking about... plain sugar. Yes, just half a teaspoon of sugar per litre of water in the vase is enough for your tulips to look beautiful for a much longer time.
Why does it work? Once cut, tulips lose access to their natural energy source, which comes from the nutrients in the bulb. Sugar added to the water acts like a quick energy boost – it supports metabolic processes, improves stem firmness, and slows down wilting. Thanks to this, tulips not only retain their fresh appearance longer but also hold better in the vase – without sagging petals or crooked stems.
However, it's worth remembering a few rules. The vase must be thoroughly washed – preferably with hot water and a bit of washing-up liquid and then well rinsed with cold water. Fill it with boiled, cool water to a height of about 8–10 centimetres. Add the sugar and stir well. Before placing the flowers, trim their stems with a sharp knife, preferably under water, to avoid air bubbles. Remove the lower leaves that could be submerged in the water – these are the ones that rot the quickest and promote bacterial growth.
Grandmother's tricks for tulips – not just sugar
Although the trick with sugar really works, our grandmothers knew other ways to extend the freshness of tulips in a vase. One of them is to toss a copper coin into the water. Sounds strange? Yet it makes sense. Copper has antibacterial properties – it inhibits the growth of microorganisms that can clog the conductive tissues in the stems and accelerate the decay process. Thanks to this, tulips take in water better and look fresh longer.
Another trick is aspirin. Acetylsalicylic acid, which is contained in this popular tablet, acidifies the water, which also hampers bacterial growth. Additionally, it facilitates water transport within the plant. But beware – both with copper and aspirin, it's not worth overdoing it. Too large a dose can harm the flowers instead of helping them. In the case of aspirin, a quarter of a tablet per litre of water is enough.
