Daffodil flowers - harvesting, marketing and storage
The best time of picking Daffodil flowers is when they reach 'goose-neck' stage i.e. when the flower has been bent over slightly. The spath has split, showing colour but before the perianth parts separate. Daffodil flowers intended for export market are picked earlier i.e. at the pencil stage. This may result in smaller flower which do not last as long. Cut flowers can be stored before dispatch to market without affecting their vase life either by keeping upright in water or wrapping in plastic films or flat in trays.
Click here to browse Daffodil flower bulbs at BloomingBulb.com
Recommended storage duration depends on temperature, 10 days at 0-1 O c, 8 days at 3-4 o c, or 1-2 days at 10 o c. For transporting, the dry flowers should be packed in moisture retentive boxes and temperature be kept at 1 o c. During transport and storage, some cultivars develop curved stems, if not kept upright.
Flower yields depends upon a number of factors like cultivars, season, bulb grade and the dates of forcing. Vase life of Daffodil flowers varies slightly with cultivars. It varies from 6-8 days under standard conditions at 15.5 o c. Daffodil flowers are sensitive to ethylene, which shortens their vase life.
In the hills Daffodil bulbs are harvested in mid June to July, when at least 95 % of the foliage has dried down. During harvesting, care should be taken to avoid the bruising and cutting damage to the bulbs, which can become a point of pest and disease infection.
After harvesting, bulbs are cleaned, dried in shade and graded before kept for forcing. Daffodil Bulbs are graded according to their size (in circumference).Such as 8-10, 10-12, 12-14, 14-16 and 16 cm and above. On shifting to stores bulbs are regularly given a fungicidal spray.
Daffodil bulbs can be stored at about 18 o c. This avoids the risk of flower damage caused by hot water treatment of bulbs stored below this temperature and minimizes the risk of basal rot spread, which is greatest at 21- 30 o c.