Your post leaves the impression you have never grown tulips or perhaps any other bulbs before. Tulips that are purchased potted and ready to bloom need only be located in bright light to sunny and watered if dry. No cutting back is suggested and only the one bloom per bulb should be expected. Al

Hi,

Thanks for your response. I'm not sure if you misread my post, if I wrote it incorrectly, or if I'm misunderstanding you. lol I have grown tulips before, but that is not the issue here. These were fresh, cut flowers in a cellophane bag. When you mentioned "tulips that are potted", I thought maybe it wasn't clear as to exactly what I purchased. I have purchased other types of cut flowers before, but sometimes those will include a little package of some sort of plant food. The tulips didn't come with anything. I'm just really bummed that they died without even one of them opening.

The only thing I've known from tulip literature and experience - if you buy cut tulips that are green and show no color on a tight bud tip, they will not open no matter what you do. Loosely closed buds that show color should open for you as expected.

I think you got a batch from Walmart that might have been harvested too soon, stored improperly or just weren't ready to be sold as cut flowers.

Cut tulips should be in a vase of cold water since they largely bloom when the air and ground are still at low temperatures.

I apologize for making the assumption that your tulips were potted and not 'cut flowers'. As a flower grower I just seldom think of buying flowers that are not growing. Al

No worries Al! The only thing I can figure is that maybe my problem was what duluth said about the cold water. I had put the flowers in lukewarm water. I still keep thinking I should call Walmart and say something. I mean I don't want my $5 back, but I'd hate to see others go through the same thing.