This Handy Trick Will Keep Your Tulips from Drooping—And It Only Costs a Penny
Nothing says springtime quite like tulips! 🌷
"We used to have them pop up all over our yard," Ree Drummond says, "The wife of a cowboy on the ranch planted bulbs many years ago." And though they've thinned out over time, The Pioneer Woman still gets "tulip fever" every year.
Their bright colors and long stems make them some of the prettiest seasonal flowers we've ever seen. But anyone who's had fresh cut tulips at home knows that drooping tulips are almost entirely inevitable. Whether you planted tulips in your backyard and cut a few for your kitchen table or picked up a bouquet from the local flower shop as a gift for a friend, there's no stopping a tulip from flopping over once it's placed in a vase with water.
So, is there actually a way to stop your tulips from drooping?
According to the internet, the answer is yes! It's called the "penny trick" and it seems to be taking TikTok by storm. But before we get into the nitty gritty, here are a few tulip tips that everyone should know:
Pick blooms that aren't fully opened yet.
Trim the stems! Fun fact: tulips will actually continue to grow, so go ahead and cut them about a 1/2 inch before adding to your vase.
Choose a tall vase: this will help support the stems.
Avoid direct sunlight. Fun fact: tulips are phototropic, which means they'll lean towards the light. Even if they are not in direct sunlight, you can rotate your vase to avoid over-reaching or drooping.
What is the penny trick?
You know how the saying goes: Find a penny pick it up, add to your tulip vase, and you'll have good luck! 😂 Okay, that's not exactly right, but there certainly is something to it. At least according to TikTok. This viral hack simply uses a copper penny to make your tulips stand upright. Just drop a penny into the vase and watch the magic.
So, how does it work? Copper is considered a fungicide, which can actually kill off bacteria (the culprit that makes your flowers droop). Note: many people suggest using an older penny made with more copper compared to recent pennies. According to the US Mint, "pennies made before 1982 have a higher copper content."
Believe it or not, this tulip trick is just one of many old wives' tales that will help to keep your flowers looking tall. Other hacks include adding a small amount of vodka to your vase of water, which according to Scientific American, "works as a flower preservative by interfering with the plant's ripening process." Or, adding an ice cube to the vase to keep the water fresh and cool. Any one of these hacks are worth trying as an easy (and affordable) way to extend the beauty of your blooms.
Do you have any fun flower-arranging tricks for us try? Let us know in the comments!
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