Keep your daffodil blooms bright with tips from Bord Bia

With daffodils now in season, Bord Bia encourages consumers to support local flower farmers

Horticulture

13 March 2024

Bord Bia is encouraging consumers to support local flower farmers this daffodil season and pick-up a bunch of the bright, yellow flowers which are now in season.

Widely available until the end of March, daffodils are one of the few fresh-cut flower crops that are grown on a large scale in Ireland. To guarantee that the flower is locally-grown and of a quality standard, Bord Bia is reminding consumers to look for the Bord Bia Quality Mark when purchasing in-store.

Synonymous with spring, daffodils are a simple and inexpensive way to add a pop of colour to living spaces. They are also a thoughtful way to spread some cheer by gifting to others.

While there is little preparation required to arrange daffodils, here is some simple ways to keep them fresher for longer at home:

Buy as ‘pencils’: When shopping, purchase daffodils when the buds are still closed, and resemble pencils. Once trimmed and placed in water, the flowers will open within 24 hours.

Keep separate: Daffodils do not mix very well with other flowers due to a mucus-like substance released by cut daffodil stems. The slimy mucilage blocks the uptake of water by the stems of cut flowers, while the sugars increase the growth of bacteria, fungi, and mould. If a mixed arrangement is preferred, it is recommended to soak the daffodils overnight in cool water to draw some of the substance out so that they will be less troublesome.

Use less water: Daffodils will last longer when placed in shallow water that is replenished more often. Make sure to use room temperature rather than cold water too.

Refresh and repeat: Every two to three days, trim the stems at a 45-degree angle and change the water to make the flowers last longer.

Keep cool: Daffodils don’t like a lot of heat so place in cooler areas of your home

Flower farmers

Ireland has five commercial daffodil growers in the country; who plant over 20 million bulbs across more than 354 acres of land. An incredible 51 million daffodil stems are harvested each year by these specialised growers. By purchasing locally-grown daffodils during the spring season, consumers in Ireland can support the horticulture industry.

The Bord Bia Quality Mark is a logo that communicates to consumers that a product being purchased is locally grown, farmed with care and of a high standard. Daffodils that meet this criteria will have this label attached in retail outlets nationwide.

For more information visit https://www.bordbia.ie/gardening/daffodils/

Read More: Bord Bia Daffodil