Improving the Longevity of Cut Roses by Cool and Wet Transport

Abstract

Cut 'Bridal Pink' roses, pre-cooled for 2 hr, were subjected to simulated transport for 0, 24, 48 and 72 hr at 20°C or 5°C ; their vase life was then evaluated by placing them in deionized (DI) water at 20°C under a 12-hr photoperiod. The vase life of control (no transport) cut flowers was rated to be 9.2 days. When cut flowers were transported dry in carton boxes for more than 24 hr at 20°C and for more than 48 hr at 5°C, they displayed bent necks during the transport and some buds failed to open, shortening their vase life. Contrarily, when flowers were transported wet with their stem bases in DI water, they maintained their fresh weight, especially at 5°C, thus prolonging vase life, although flower buds opened during the transport at 20°C. Substituting 0.3 mM 8-hydroxyquinoline sulfate and 0.1 M fructose for DI water during the 72-hr transport period at 5°C, the vase life of cut roses was extended more than 2 times that of dry transported ones. A flexible vial (a water-proof plastic wrapper containing hydro-wool and a tie, Flower Mate, CI Kasei Co. Ltd., Tokyo) was used to pack cut flowers wet in carton boxes as substitutes for buckets.