A common remark often heard in places where consumers buy flowers is: “I would like to buy the roses that have very tight buds, so I can enjoy them longer”. Is this true, a myth or false?
What is the best maturity/cutting stage?
Flowers are sold in many different forms, colours and opening stages. Despite these differences, the products need to be cut and graded at the grower in uniform lots with the same characteristics.Whether cut open or tight at the growers is crucial to the vase life and flower development at the consumer’s.The photographs show different stages, marked as the minimum and maximum acceptable cutting stage.
Maturity standards
During distribution from grower to auction, wholesaler, retailer and finally to the consumer it is important to know in which flowering stage the cut flower is. All partners in the distribution should agree on standards, based on research figures.Those standards of minimum and maximum opening stage differ per flower. When cut flowers do not meet the determined opening stage, they should not be traded. Flowers may not be offered too tight but certainly not too open either, in order to deliver the consumer an optimal product. Flowers cut too tight will never open and will become more sensitive to ‘bent-neck’(see question 50). Flowers cut too open can also cause other problems, i.e. being more exposed to petal damage during distribution.Rosa, Iris, Lilium and Nerine i.e. are very sensitive tothe stage in which they are cut
How to tackle this problem?
If Nerine has to be cut slightly tighter for the Japanese market (requested by the Japanese customers), it is strongly recommended to pre-treat them with Chrysal BVB. This will result in longer vase life, improved quality of the stem and more open flowers. Rosa, for example, should not be harvested too tight. If so, the vase life, flower and colour development at the consumer is poor or absent (see pictures).
|
|
|
|
|
1 -summer cut stage
|
2 -winter cut stage
|
3 -buying stage
|
4 -buying stage
|
|
|
|
|
|
5
|
6
|
7
|
8
|
|
|
