Daffodils used as cut flowers with other types of flowers have to be treated in a special way. The alkaloid juice of Daffodils can shorten the life of other flowers so they must be conditioned separately in tepid water for several hours to harden them off. Then they can be mixed with other flowers in an arrangement. I learned about this from Brent and Becky Heath's book, Daffodils for American Gardens, published by Elliot and Clark.
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Here's how it works:
1.Select Daffodils that are just opening. Pick the flowers by running your finger down the stem to where it comes out of the ground. |
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2. Gently but firmly pull up and snap off all in one motion. You will hear a `POP' like string beans. |
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3. You now have a solid stem with a white bottom. |
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4. Immediately plunge the picked stems into tepid water. |
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5. Leave them for a couple of hours then arrange as desired |