Vase Life of New Cut Flower Cultivars

Abstract

<jats:p>Each year a wide variety of new cultivars and species are evaluated in the National Cut Flower Trial Programs administered by North Carolina State University and the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. Stems of promising and productive cultivars from the National Trial Program were pretreated with either a commercial hydrating solution or deionized (DI) water and placed in either a commercial holding solution or DI water. Over 8 years, the vase life of 121 cultivars representing 47 cut flower genera was determined. Although there was cultivar variation within each genus, patterns of postharvest responses have emerged. The largest category, with 53 cultivars, was one in which a holding preservative increased vase life of the following genera and species: acidanthera (<jats:italic>Gladiolus murielae</jats:italic>), basil (<jats:italic>Ocimum basilicum</jats:italic>), bee balm (<jats:italic>Monarda</jats:italic> hybrid), black-eyed susan (<jats:italic>Rudbeckia</jats:italic> hybrids), campanula (<jats:italic>Campanula</jats:italic> species), celosia (<jats:italic>Celosia argentea</jats:italic>), common ninebark (<jats:italic>Physocarpus opulifolius</jats:italic>), coneflower (<jats:italic>Echinacea purpurea</jats:italic>), coral bells (<jats:italic>Heuchera</jats:italic> hybrids), feverfew (<jats:italic>Tanacetum parthenium</jats:italic>), foxglove (<jats:italic>Digitalis purpurea</jats:italic>), ladybells (<jats:italic>Adenophora</jats:italic> hybrid), lisianthus (<jats:italic>Eustoma grandiflorum</jats:italic>), lobelia (<jats:italic>Lobelia</jats:italic> hybrids), obedient plant (<jats:italic>Physostegia virginiana</jats:italic>), ornamental pepper (<jats:italic>Capsicum annuum</jats:italic>), pincushion flower (<jats:italic>Scabiosa atropurpurea</jats:italic>), pinkflower (<jats:italic>Indigofera amblyantha</jats:italic>), seven-sons flower (<jats:italic>Heptacodium miconioides</jats:italic>), shasta daisy (<jats:italic>Leucanthemum superbum</jats:italic>), sunflower (<jats:italic>Helianthus annuus</jats:italic>), snapdragon (<jats:italic>Antirrhinum majus</jats:italic>), sweet william (<jats:italic>Dianthus</jats:italic> hybrids), trachelium (<jats:italic>Trachelium caeruleum</jats:italic>), and zinnia (<jats:italic>Zinnia elegans</jats:italic>). Hydrating preservatives increased the vase life of four basils, coral bells, and sunflower cultivars. The combined use of hydrator and holding preservatives increased the vase life of three black-eyed susan, seven-sons flower, and sunflower cultivars. Holding preservatives reduced the vase life of 14 cultivars of the following genera and species: ageratum (<jats:italic>Ageratum houstonianum</jats:italic>), false queen anne's lace (<jats:italic>Ammi</jats:italic> species), knotweed (<jats:italic>Persicaria</jats:italic> hybrid), lisianthus, pineapple lily (<jats:italic>Eucomis comosa</jats:italic>), sneezeweed (<jats:italic>Helenium autumnale</jats:italic>), yarrow (<jats:italic>Achillea millifolium</jats:italic>), and zinnia. Hydrating preservatives reduced the vase life of 18 cultivars of the following genera and species: feverfew, lisianthus, ornamental pepper, pineapple lily, seven-sons flower, shasta daisy, sneezeweed, sweet william, sunflower, trachelium, yarrow, and zinnia. The combined use of hydrating and holding preservatives reduced the vase life of 12 cultivars in the following genera and species: false queen anne's lace, feverfew, pincushion flower, sneezeweed, sunflower, trachelium, yarrow, and zinnia. Data for the remaining 50 cultivars were not significant among the treatments; these genera and species included beautyberry (<jats:italic>Callicarpa americana</jats:italic>), black-eyed susan, blue mist (<jats:italic>Caryopteris clandonensis</jats:italic>), calendula (<jats:italic>Calendula officinalis</jats:italic>), campanula, cleome (<jats:italic>Cleome hasserliana</jats:italic>), common ninebark, dahlia (<jats:italic>Dahlia</jats:italic> hybrids), delphinium (<jats:italic>Delphinium</jats:italic> hybrids), flowering peach (<jats:italic>Prunus persica</jats:italic> forma <jats:italic>versicolor</jats:italic>), heliopsis (<jats:italic>Heliopsis helianthoides</jats:italic>), hemp agrimony (<jats:italic>Eupatorium cannabinum</jats:italic>), himalayan honeysuckle (<jats:italic>Leycesteria formosa</jats:italic>), hydrangea (<jats:italic>Hydrangea paniculata</jats:italic>), larkspur (<jats:italic>Consolida</jats:italic> hybrids), lily of the nile (<jats:italic>Agapanthus</jats:italic> hybrid), lisianthus, lobelia, ornamental pepper, pineapple lily, scented geranium (<jats:italic>Pelargonium</jats:italic> hybrid), sunflower, sweet william, and zinnia.</jats:p>

Effect of postharvest handling procedures on cut Capsicum stems

“…Lack of effect of hydrator and holding solutions on vase life of 'Cappa Round Red', 'On Top Round Black', 'Rio Yellow' and 'Rio Light Orange' is in agreement with the results found for ornamental pepper 'Hot Purple' (Clark et al, 2010), 'Chantilly Yellow' snapdragon (Ahmad and Dole, 2014) and 'Renaissance Red' Poinsettias (Dole et al, 2004). However, for all these cultivars in our work, holding solution had a positive effect on days of acceptable foliage ( Table 6).…”

“…This conclusion supports that of Clark et al (2010), who made the same recommendation for the ornamental peppers 'Cappa Topfruit White/Red', 'On Top Round Red' and 'Hot Purple'.…”

“…Granitz et al (2014) found that '1-159252′, '13-441552′, '16-441575′ and '22-441530-2′ ornamental peppers lasted a day or two longer with a holding solution, while hydrator solution was generally deleterious to vase life. Clark et al (2010) found longest vase life for the ornamental pepper 'Cappa Topfruit White/Red' when a holding preservative was used without a hydrator and positive effect of holding solution on vase life of 53 cultivars of cut flowers. 'Fire Chief' cut celosia stems had their vase life reduced by use of hydrator and holding solutions (Ahmad and Dole, 2014).…”

“…Floral preservatives such as hydrating and holding solutions are commonly used to help extend the vase life of cut flowers and foliage. For some species, however, using unamended water can provide the longest vase life (Clark et al, 2010) making floral preservatives unnecessary. Some pepper cultivars from Cornell University lasted a day or two longer with a holding solution, while a hydrator solution was generally deleterious to vase life of four cultivars (Granitz et al, 2014).…”

La refrigeración en húmedo y seco afecta la vida poscosecha de flores de corte de Lisianthus (Eustoma grandiflorum) ‘ABC Blue Rim’

“…Harbaugh et al (2000) evaluaron la vida poscosecha de 47 cultivares de lisianthus en solución de Chrysal Professional 2 ® , determinando una vida en florero entre 13 y 31 días. Sin embargo, recientemente Clark et al (2010) reportan una vida poscosecha mínima entre dos y once días en 16 cultivares nuevos, y al evaluar soluciones preservantes en f lorero encontraron que las soluciones no afectaron la vida en f lorero de once, tres fueron afectadas en forma positiva y dos negativamente; en los cultivares donde se mejoró la vida poscosecha fue entre 1.5 y 6.5 d. Armitage y Laushman (2003), indican que la vida poscosecha de lisianthus es entre 10 y 15 días.…”