Daffodils are spring flowers that can make any home or garden more beautiful with their eye-catching presence. Cut daffodils are a great way to bring the vibrant look these flowers show off in nature into your own home, adding a splash of color to your interiors. However, you may be wondering how long it will take these cut daffodils to open and show off their full beauty.
Cut daffodils take only one to two days to open. This quick process will occur as long as you take proper care of the cut daffodils. Using a clean vase and water at the right temperature will help your flowers open within this short time frame.
Want to know more about cut daffodils, including how to care for them, how to get them to bloom, and how to show off the full extent of their natural beauty? Keep reading. I’ll give you all the information you need about this popular flower below.
How To Get Cut Daffodils To Open
Having the opportunity to enjoy the vibrant colors of cut flowers right in the comfort of their own home is the dream of many homeowners.
Are you also wondering how to have cut daffodils in your home and how to get them to bloom to their fullest potential? Thankfully, you can use the following tips to get the most out of your flowers.
Cut the Flowers Correctly
The successful opening of your cut daffodils begins before you even have them in your home. Start by choosing daffodils from your garden that haven’t bloomed yet. Look for flower buds that are still closed or mostly closed and that show just a hint of the color that will burst through once the flowers are fully open.
Once you’ve selected the right flowers, use a sharp knife to cut the stems. Ensuring that the blade is sharp will help to cut the stem without crushing it so that water can still move throughout the plant. For best results, cut the stem at a slight angle rather than in a straight line.
Find a Vase To Use
To store your cut daffodils, you’ll want a vase with enough height to fully submerge the flower stems. When cutting your flowers, always go for longer than needed. You’ll always be able to cut the stems shorter after the fact if needed to size them to fit your vase.
Clean the vase thoroughly before adding your cut daffodils to remove any bacteria, as this bacteria can impede the flower’s ability to take in water.
Where you place your flower vase is also important to the growth of your cut daffodils. Avoid placing the vase in direct sunlight as this will impact the temperature of the water inside, making it too warm for the ideal conditions you’re looking for.
Keep the Flowers Properly Watered
Even after cutting your flowers from the parent plant, they will still need water to thrive to their fullest potential. Fill the vase you’re using to store your cut daffodils with water. This will allow the plant to gather the resources it needs to survive.
Prior to the cut daffodils opening, you should use warm water in the vase they rest in. This will stimulate growth more effectively than cold water will. Water that is around 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21.11 degrees Celsius) is a good temperature to use for this purpose. Change the water daily to keep it clean so that no bacteria gets in the way of your daffodils flourishing.
Re-Cut the Stems Periodically
Once your flowers are in the vase, they still need to continue gathering nutrients and growing in order for the blooms to open up in full. This involves the plant taking in more water so that it can continue the natural processes that were underway before it was cut. A little maintenance on your part is required to help the plant in this process.
You should take the daffodils out of the water and cut the bottom of the stem daily. Only a small piece of stem, no more than an inch, needs to be removed. Doing this will help the daffodil absorb water without any impediment, stimulating the growth needed for the blooms to open fully and remain healthy.
Switch to Cold Water After Daffodils Bloom
After a day or two, you’ll be able to enjoy the sight of your daffodils showing off their beautiful blooms. There’s just one more step to take at this point to ensure that you get the most out of your flowers.
Empty the water out of the vase and replace it with ice-cold water. This colder water will slow down the daffodils’ growth. This will slow down the plant processes and keep it in its flowering state longer, letting you enjoy the fully-opened blooms for as long as possible.
Other Factors To Keep in Mind
With the information above, you’re well on your way to having thriving flowers that will liven up any room in your home.
Here are some additional things to keep in mind when adding cut daffodils to your home.
Don’t Keep Daffodils Near Other Flowers
You may wish to create an arrangement of multiple different flowers in order to create a multicolored display that will brighten up your home. While this is certainly a way to add more appeal to any room in your house, you should be cautious when using daffodils in a multiple-flower arrangement.
Daffodils exude a sap that can be toxic to other plants. In nature, this sap is used to protect the plant from potential threats. The sap should be all but gone after a 24-hour waiting period. Alternatively, you can soak the blooming daffodils in cool water to rinse off any excess sap. Research suggests that daffodils are safe to place with other flowers after 24 hours.
Use Floral Preservatives As Needed
Floral preservatives. can help your flowers last longer than they would without any assistance. A few shakes of the mixture every other day will be enough to promote longevity in your flowers so you can enjoy their appearance for longer. Flower food will nourish and hydrate your cut blooms, promote water uptake and overall food consumption.
Alternatively, you can also make a homemade mixture that will help promote longevity in your flowers. Create this formula using two tablespoons of lemon juice, one tablespoon of sugar, and a half-teaspoon of bleach and add it to a quart of water. A few drops of this mixture can help preserve your flowers for longer than they would on their own.
Keep Daffodils Away From Pets or Children
While they are beautiful to look at, daffodils can be toxic to humans and animals if any part of the plant is ingested. That’s why it’s important to be mindful of where you keep your vase of cut daffodils. Avoid any unintended accidents by keeping your flowers in a place that no youngsters can reach and one your pets won’t manage to climb onto.
Even the water that your cut daffodils have been soaking in can be contaminated with toxins that are harmful to ingest. So, be extra careful about how you dispose of any water in the vase whenever you’re replacing it daily. Make sure to drain the water completely so it isn’t anywhere that a pet or child might inadvertently ingest it.
Final Thoughts
Cut daffodils let you bring the beauty of your garden indoors. Knowledge about the best practices for keeping these flowers will help you make the most of them, adding to your home’s appeal.
Start by cutting the flowers correctly and keep them properly watered as you wait for the blooms to open. Switch to ice water once they’ve bloomed, and consider using a floral preservative to increase their longevity.
Be careful about placing daffodils with other flowers, and always keep them away from pets or children. Now you have everything you need to bring this beautiful flower into your home.
If you’re interested in growing your daffodils in a vase indoors, you could read my other article here: How Long Do Daffodils Take To Bloom in a Vase?
