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Daffodils are a cheerful addition to the garden and your spring flower bouquets.
Extend your enjoyment to a week or more by conditioning your daffodils before adding them to your spring arrangements.
This also protects the other cut flowers in your bouquet from the stem clogging sap the daffodils release into the water. Professional florists do this for you; if in doubt, do it yourself.
In the garden you’ll need to start with proper harvesting. Pick daffodils early in the morning. Harvest single flowered varieties when the stem below the flower bud is at a 90 degree angle. Wait for one bud to be fully opened before harvesting varieties with several flowers on each stem.
Recut the stem to the desired length and place in 3 inches of water. Move to a cool dark location for 12 hours. Rinse, do not recut the stems, and add to your arrangement with other flowers.
A bit more information: Follow the same steps to condition all the flowers you harvest from your garden. But be sure to always condition daffodils in a separate vase to prevent its sap from damaging the other flowers. Investing a bit of extra time will result in many more days you’ll be enjoying your flowers.
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