Entering Daffodil Horticulture
American Daffodil Society Scale of Points
| Standard and Miniature | Species | Historic | |
| Condition | 20.0 | 50 | 40 |
| Form | 20.0 | 15 | 15 |
| Substance | 7.5 | 10 | 5 |
| Texture | 7.5 | 5 | 5 |
| Color | 15.0 | 10 | 15 |
| Pose | 10.0 | 5 | 5 |
| Stem | 10.0 | 5 | 5 |
| Size | 10.0 | 10 | |
| Total | 100.0 | 100 | 100 |
Condition: A specimen should be fresh, clean, and in its perfect stage of development. Faults are cuts, mechanical injury, bruises, dirt, rain spots, pollen on cup, too old or too young, anthers brown, ovary swollen, sheath badly injured, mutilated or absent (never remove).
Form: (and Grace, when judging miniatures) Form is the shape of the flower. Petals should be flat and overlapping; may be shovel-shaped, pointed or oval. Balance of all parts to each other, includes axis balance (when an imaginary vertical line bisects mid-rib or petal, sepal and stem. Cup should be round; if ruffled or serrated, cup should be even; if notched, cup should be regular. Faults are nicks, notches (sometimes called “mitten thumbs”), twisted or too much cupping of petals, and misshapen or uneven cup.
Substance: Substance is the thickness of the perianth tissue. Specimen should have thick, crisp tissues. Excessive age shows up in translucence at petal edge and tip, thinning of tissues.
Texture: Texture refers to the surface of the perianth segments. It is the smoothness or roughness of tissue structure. Specimen should have smoothness of tissue, sheen, luster and no crinkles or “ribbings.”
Color: Color should be clear and clean, true to variety. Green at base of cup or eye is of merit in white varieties. Specimen should have no streaking, muddiness, fading. Staining on petals radiating from base of cup is not undesirable, if normal for variety and the effectis pleasing.
Pose: Pose refers to how the bloom is held in relation to the stem. For Divisions 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, and 11, the ideal pose for the bloom should be at right angle to the stem or slightly above. The flower should “look you in the eye.” In Division 4: some varieties normally droop; e.g., “Cheerfulness,” and “White Marvel.” Division 5, 6, and 7: heads may droop, and Division 8: head should be dome-shape.
Stem: Should be straight; free from blemish, and ridges down sides; in good proportion to size of bloom. Some twisting of stem is normal in most daffodils; therefore, caution should be used in penalizing severely a flower which is otherwise excellent.
Size: Full credit for normal size. Knowledge of normal size is, of course, essential when judging any variety. Above-average size suggests good culture and is desirable if resulting bloom is still refined and not coarse.
Foliage: No points are given for foliage, which is not judged when exhibited with blooms. foliage is used with blooms, it should be of the same general type but never cut from exhibition bulbs. The American Daffodil Society does not have a rule prohibiting the use of foliage with specimen blooms, but it is hoped that those planning shows will omit foliage in the interest of bulb conservation.
Seedlings: Properly identified seedlings may be shown by number.Official classification is according to The Royal Horticultural Society Classified list and International Register of Daffodil Names.
Entering Your Daffodil Collection
The Garden Club of Virginia requires each club to enter a club collection of 12 blooms in the Daffodil Show. These blooms are to come from the club collections of bulbs purchased each year through your club daffodil chairman and delivered to your club presidents at the GCV Board of Governors meeting.
The Daffodil Show Schedule will list the 10 years of collections the collection is to be exhibited from each year. Those collections can also be found on the GCV website under daffodil collections. We do not include the collection that was last planted, but do include the ten years prior to that. The Daffodil Chairman’s Cup- For daffodil chairman of the GCV, exhibited in the name of their respective clubs. Twelve varieties, one stem each and must represent four years of (the stated 10 years in the schedule). Each variety is to be named, dated, and color-coded. Exhibited in the clubs name.
The club chairman, or her alternate, will bring the collection to the show. Hopefully the blooms have been conditioned and groomed prior to arriving at the show to prevent stress. After checking the schedule and getting the proper Section and Class number to put on the entry card, as well as the club Exhibit number, the collection is entered in the name of your club. The person entering the collection can also have her name and address written below. Be sure to fill-out both the top and bottom portions of the entry card. Mailing labels are encouraged.
According to the schedule your collection will be exhibited in four three-hole planks. You will find these wooden planks and tests tubes in the workroom. Choose your best stems for the show, but always provide for a back-up as things can happen overnight. The planks will be placed on the risers in a row from top to bottom so consider the placement of your blooms to not have all the same color together, or all the same division together. It is often good to alternate white and yellow, or pink and white, and yellow-reds to produce a pleasing arrangement. The stems should be pulled high in the tubes and held secure with bits of boxwood. Make sure the stem is reaching adequate water. The blooms should look you in the eye, -90* angle with the stem. Each bloom will have its own white label attached to the tube with its name, the year of the collection it came from, and the color code. Be sure to check the Show and Grow book or your schedule for the proper color code. Colors may change according to where they are grown and judging goes according to the code that is listed. If you should have to change a bloom prior to the show, be sure to change the label of bloom identification as well. Often a collection is disqualified because of mislabeled specimens. Also double check that you have four years represented for the collection.
Getting Your Blooms Ready for the Daffodil Show
Winning ribbons at daffodil shows requires not only good culture and an understanding of what constitutes good form, but careful planning in advance. Contrary to popular opinion, it is not always the newest or most expensive cultivars that win ribbons. Some cultivars are regional performers and flourish in some climates but not others. It is often helpful too seek advice from an experienced exhibitor in the local area who has a large collection. For our local shows, consider the cultivar’s season of bloom. If the shows are at the beginning of the daffodil season, then you would want to consider growing the early or mid-season blooming cultivars. Late-blooming cultivars would probably not bloom in time for a show but would certainly extend your season of enjoyment.
Water, Water, Water
Beginning in March, or whenever you see the green tips appearing above ground, start your watering program. Unless you receive about an inch of rain per week, additional watering is very beneficial. Water improves the substance of the bloom, much smoother petals, stronger stem and generally much larger bloom of the variety. Water throughout the blooming season and for a week or two following, then DO NOT WATER during the summer months.
Cutting the Blooms
Starting about two weeks prior to the show, check your beds for promising blooms. Often the red-, orange-, or pink-cupped blooms may need to be protected from the sun to prevent burning of the cup. If a bloom has reached its peak of development and the show is still a week away, you may want to cut and place in a very cool, dark basement area to save for your collections.
When cutting your bloom, be sure to use a ball point pen and write the name, division and color code on the stem immediately and then place in a container of warm water. There is nothing worse that cutting a bloom, not properly labeling, and to forget the name and mis-identify when entering a show. Judges do not penalize for writing on the stems.
Grooming and Conditioning
As soon as all blooms are cut, take them inside and inspect for dirt and other defects. Now is the time to groom your flowers, not the day of the show when everything is hectic. The warm (80*) water causes the stem to take up more water, thus increasing the life of the flower. Dirt spots should be removed either with a brush or water. Check the cup and clean out dirt, pollen or insects. If the petals or cup has a detectable tear or injury, this would allow for points being taken off during the judging. Try to take your blooms at their peak of maturity and in the “best” shape you can to the show. DO NOT REMOVE THE SPATHE from the bloom. This is the little brown, dried sheath that had covered the bud before the bloom opened. Removal is considered mutilation and will be penalized much more heavily than a torn spathe that is still in place.
Ideal position of the bloom for show is a 90* angle with the stem. If the flower faces down too much, one remedy is to place it on a table, bloom hanging over the edge with a bright light directly above. Since daffodil blooms always face toward light the bloom will slowly rise toward the light. If the bloom faces up to much, place a bright light directly below the flower. The key words are patience and gentleness!
Axis balance refers to the alignment of the perianth ( petal) segments with the stem and this can be very important in the judging results. In axis balance, a straight line drawn through the tip of the topmost perianth segment and the bottom perianth segment, will align with the stem. In most cases the axis balance can be achieved by holding the stem in one hand and grasping the ovary of the flower with the other hand, then gently twisting until the top of the perianth segment is turned a little beyond the aligned point. Hold for a few seconds, release and usually the axis line will run form 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock. The process may have to be repeated a few times….be patient and gentle! Practice with non show quality flowers first.
Once your blooms have been groomed, they should be conditioned. Place them in cold water at this point and can be placed in a non-frost-free refrigerator which has high humidity, but those refrigerators are hard to find. Otherwise they should be placed in a very cool area and misted to maintain humidity if holding for a few days. Conditioning allows them to ‘harden off’ with the petals, cup, and stem maintaining their position. Freshness is the optimum so the later you are able to cut, groom and condition your blooms before the show the better. If you have the problem of a bloom in loose bud form, placing in ‘warm” water, in a lighted room will often make it open.
Transporting Daffodils to the Show
For short distances daffodils may be transported in water by car. Placing up to three blooms in a soft drink bottle- so they offer support without bruising- and then alternate the bottles in a drink crate to prevent crowding and rubbing is a great way to travel. Many people obtain test tubes, place the blooms in the tubes, then place the tubes in a stiff Styrofoam or thick foam base and pack carefully in the car so they will not tip over. Others use jars, buckets, etc. Just try to prevent overcrowding as this produces bruising. On a hot day, newspapers can be placed over the side windows of the car to prevent burning of the cups….make sure you can see to drive safely. The A/C should be turned up and misting is often recommended to prevent drying out. Do not park in the sun.
