By 80smaniac
Lancashire,
United Kingdom 
my tulips have flowered but dont want to cut them and put them in a vase yet incase i am shortening their life span too quickly ...how long are the flowers likely to last before they start to fade off??
22 Mar, 2010
Depends upon the air temperature. The cooler they are, the longer they will last. Florists always deliver their flowers in a chiller to keep them as fresh as possible for longer. The lower temperatures mean that the normal cellular processes that contribute to ageing are slowed right down.
I presume flowers are still attached to their bulb and roots in containers? Warm room, possible a week to ten days. Cold outside not getting above 5 degrees, perhaps just over a fortnight from buds opening to petal drop.
If cut, knock a few days of each.
22 Mar, 2010