Tulips

[KATHINOWA]

Does anyone know how to slow the blooming period down? I remember hearing that if you wash the buds with egg whites it will slow them down in opening. I'm putting potted tulips in my window box but I don't want them to bloom and loose their petals so quickly. Any suggestions?

 

[VickiV]

I called one of our local commercial tulip growers to ask your questions. The colder the weather, the longer the flowers will last. If it warms up though, there is nothing you can do to stop or slow the blooming. Also, the egg whites will not help slow the opening of the tulips.

If you have a choice, perhaps you can plant a variety of tulips-early, intermediate, and late blooming varieties. It would extend the time that you see flowers bloom, but it wouldn't extend each flowers blooming time.