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Factors that contribute to the vase life of fresh cut flowers and foliage are not that many or hard to do to maintain high quality fresh flowers. Fresh cut flowers and foliage are living things though they have been cut from their stems or roots.
Freshness test
Have you or someone you know received fresh cut flowers that died in a matter of days? It is disappointing to see flowers quickly die. Have you ever asked why they declined rapidly or what you could have done to make them live longer? Purchasing the freshest flowers not only ensures that they last as long as possible, but that they keep their bright, vibrant color. After receiving your wholesale flowers there are things you need to look out to confirm their freshness.
You need to look for the following of your cut flowers, to ensure that they pass the freshness test and confirm they are quality fresh flowers
The petals
Do not buy cut flowers with faded colors, transparent petals, petals that are turning brown, or wilting petals.
Choose flowers with buds that are just starting to open over those that are already fully open. Flower buds will continue to open if kept in a vase with water.
Gently squeeze the rose where the petals meet the top of the stem. If it is firm, the roses are fresh. If it is soft, the roses are not fresh. Also, listen for a faint rustling when you move your fingers across the undersides of the petals. This sound is a sign of freshness in flowers.
The stem
Flower stems should be green and smooth, not slimy. They should not be broken stems neither should the buds be drooping. Choose those with clean, strong stems.
Reject flowers with soft, discolored stems. This discoloration indicates that bacteria has entered the stems, and will move upward to contaminate the leaves and flowers as the bacteria multiply.
Refuse flowers with slime on the stems or broken stems.
The leaves.
Select cut flowers with healthy-looking leaves. The leaves should appear fresh, firm, and green.
Reject flowers with leaves that are sagging, yellow, brown or speckled. Speckling indicates the presence of bacteria in the leaves.
Refuse flowers that have leaves with holes in them, because this indicates that the plant was infested with insects before cutting.
Make sure the calyx and sepals are green and healthy. These are the small leaves that cup a flower head at the bottom between the stem and petals.
FACTORS THAT AFFECT VASE LIFE
Many factors contribute to the vase life of fresh cut flowers and foliage. Vase life is the length of time cut flowers and foliage live after they have been cut. Sanitation, senescence, wilting, harvesting, ethylene, and disease or damage are some of the factors.
Sanitation
An important factor in the handling of cut flowers and greens is sanitation. Sanitation, or cleanliness, improves the vase life of flowers. Hands, tools, knives, shears, containers, and work areas need to be kept sanitary. Introduction of bacteria and organisms can be avoided by cleaning work areas, coolers, and containers regularly.
Senescence
As soon as a flower is cut from the mother plant, it begins to deteriorate. This is partly because the flower no longer has a water or food source. The flower will eventually die. The decline is referred to as senescence. Senescence is influenced by genetics, lack of water, time of harvest, ethylene, and disease or damage. The life of each flower is based on its genetics. The natural lives of flowers differ between species.
Wilting
Wilting is caused by the inability of plant tissues to absorb enough water to replace water lost by transpiration. The rate of transpiration increases in warm environments with low humidity. Transpiration can be reduced by keeping plant materials from drafts and avoiding overhandling flowers.
Blocked vascular tissue can restrict the movement of water within a plant and cause wilting. Stem blockage is the most common cause of poor absorption. The xylem becomes clogged, and movement of water through the stem is restricted.
Harvesting
The timing of flower harvest influences flower life. The time of day when flowers are cut is important. Flowers should never be cut when they are wilted. Therefore, avoid cutting in the heat of the day. During the evening is the best time, because plants have been making sugars throughout the day. Morning is the second best time because plants are full of water.
The stage of flowering should be considered. The best time to harvest is just before a flower is fully open. Exceptions to the rule include the daisy and flowering bulb crops, which are harvested in bud stage, and the calla lily, which will not develop further once it is cut.
Ethylene
Ethylene gas promotes senescence. Ethylene gas is a natural plant hormone produced by aging flowers, foliage, fruits, and vegetables. Common signs of ethylene exposure include large numbers of fallen petals, dropped florets, and yellowing leaves. Fresh cut flowers should be placed in an environment free of ethylene gas. Growers and wholesalers prevent
this damage by using ethylene inhibitors, which are products that block or tie up the gas. Growers and wholesalers also strive to keep storage areas free of aging, decaying plant materials. Fruit should not be stored in a floral cooler because it produces ethylene gas.
Disease or Damage
Disease or damage shortens the life of floral materials. Flowers that arrive from the market and those picked in the garden should be of the highest quality. They must be inspected for disease and insect damage. Do not accept low quality fresh flowers
Wholesale flowers need more care and handling, we have explained how to care for wholesale flowers in our blog Best ways of caring and handling flowers
