Postharvest Handling Procedures For Emerging New Specialty Cut Flowers Final Summary
Postharvest Handling Procedures for Emerging New Specialty Cut Flowers
Final Summary
John Dole, Frankie Fanelli, William Fonteno, Beth Harden, and Sylvia Blankenship
Department of Horticultural Science, North Carolina State University
158 Kilgore Hall, Campus Box 7609, Raleigh, NC 27695
July 1, 2002 to September 30, 2004
Each year a wide variety of new cultivars and species are evaluated in the National Annual and Perennial Cut Flower Trial Programs, administered by North Carolina State University and the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG). These new cultivars are tested at approximately 35 locations in the United States and Canada, providing valuable production and marketing information. However, postharvest life, a key component of a successful cut flower cultivar, is not included in the trial program. New species have become a major component of the cut flower industry but postharvest information is required to allow these cuts to be properly handled.
In this project we have determined the vase life and basic postharvest handling information for 51 cultivars representing 27 different cut flower species that performed well in greenhouse and field production: Achillea, Adenophora, Agapanthus, Ammi, Campanula, Caryopteris, Celosia, Dahlia, Dianthus, Digitalis, Eremurus, Eupatorium, Eustoma, Gladiolus, Helenium, Helleborus, Helianthus, Heliopsis, Leucanthemum, Lobelia, Matricaria, Persicaria, Physostegia, Rudbeckia, Scabiosa, Trachelium, and Zinnia. In depth postharvest handling information has been determined on eight cultivars: Dahlia ‘Karma Thalia’, Linaria ‘Lace Violet’, Lupinus ‘Sunrise’, Papaver ‘Temptress’, Rudbeckia ‘Indian Summer’, Trachelium ‘Jemmy Royal Purple’, Zinnia ‘Giant Scarlet, and Zinnia ‘Sungold’.
Dahlia ‘Karma’
Dahlia ‘Karma’ is a series of beautiful and striking cut flowers available in several colors with a consumer vase life of 7 to 9 days. The vase life of ‘Thalia’ could be increased to 13 days if cut as a bud and placed in commercial holding solutions. Cold storage, however, reduced the vase life. Flowers harvested when fully open are best used for local sales, while buds could be used for wholesale marketing.
Linaria‘Lace Violet’
Linaria ‘Lace’ is an excellent filler flower available in several colors with a consumer vase life of 5 to 7 days that could be increased to 10 to 19 days with various treatments, including commercial holding solutions, 2 or 4% sucrose in the vase solution, and citric acid + 8-HQS. Stems should be cold stored less than a week but can be used in floral foam with only a slight decrease in vase life. With proper handling linaria is suitable for wholesale marketing.
Lupinus ‘Sunrise’
Lupine ‘Sunrise’ is an excellent flower with a consumer vase life of 9 to 11 days. The spike-like inflorescence, mild fragrance, long strong stems and unusual foliage make this a cut flower of substance. This cut flower can be marketed for bouquets or single species bunches. The stems can also be added to arrangements in floral foam with no detrimental effects. Lupine ‘Sunrise’ is suitable for local and wholesale marketing.
Papaver‘Temptress’
Poppy ‘Temptress’ is a spectacular flower available in a broad range of colors with a relatively short vase life of 5 to 6 days that could be increased to 7.6 to 7.9 days by using commercial holding solutions. The 10% sucrose pulse, commercial hydrating solutions, and 2 or 4% sucrose vase solutions increased retail vase life but had no effect on consumer vase life. Stems can be readily stored for one week at 34oF. In contrast to many cut flowers, poppies can be used in floral foam with no negative effects. Without proper treatment, poppy is best suited to retail sales; however, poppies are suitable for wholesale marketing with proper handling due to the fact that the buds tolerate cold storage very well.
Rudbeckia‘Indian Summer’
Rudbeckia ‘Indian Summer” is a long lasting cut flower that requires no special handling for a long vase life of 13 or more days. Cut stems into clean water and remove the small percentage of wilted stems before bunching and marketing. After harvest stems can either remain in water throughout the marketing period or can be stored dry for up to 2 weeks. Due to its long postharvest life and tolerance to cold storage, rudbeckia is suitable for wholesale marketing.
Trachelium‘Jemmy Royal Purple’
Trachelium ‘Jemmy Royal Purple’ is a showy filler flower with a consumer vase life averaging 15 days that can be increased to 18 days with 2% sucrose in the vase solution. Stems may be included in floral foam arrangements for a consumer vase life of 10 days that can increased to 21 days with a 2% sucrose holding solution. When cold storing, the stems should be cut at the desired stage of openness as the florets do not open well after storage. However, consumer vase life was unaffected by cold storage. Trachelium is sensitive to ethylene and anti-ethylene agents should be used. With proper handling trachelium is suitable for both local and wholesale marketing.
Zinnia ‘Giant Scarlet’ and ‘Sungold’
Zinnia ‘Benary’s Giant Scarlet’ has large red flowers while ‘Sun Gold’ has slightly smaller flowers that are brilliant yellow gold. Both cultivars have a long vase life of 19 to 20 days when held only in water with no commercial hydration or holding preservative. Both cultivars are cold storage damage at 34oF; however, 41oF storage works well. Stems can be stored wet or dry at 41oF with commercial holding preservative resulted in a vase life of 14 to 16 days. Both zinnia cultivars are suitable for the local or regional retail market, but the sensitivity to cold limits widespread wholesale marketing and shipping.
