A common remark often heard in places where consumers buyflowers is: “I would like to buy the roses that have very tightbuds, 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 openingstages. Despite these differences, the products need to be cutand graded at the grower in uniform lots with the same characteristics.Whether cut open or tight at the growers is crucial tothe vase life and flower development at the consumer’s.The photographs show different stages, marked as the minimumand maximum acceptable cutting stage.
Maturity standards
During distribution from grower to auction, to wholesaler, toretailer and finally to the consumer it is important to know inwhich flowering stage the cut flower is. All partners in the distributionshould agree on standards, based on research figures.Those standards of minimum and maximum opening stage differper flower. When cut flowers do not meet the determinedopening stage, they should not be traded. Flowers may not beoffered too tight but certainly not too open either, in order todeliver the consumer an optimal product. Flowers cut too tightwill never open and will become more sensitive to ‘bent-neck’(see question 50). Flowers cut too open can also cause otherproblems, 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 recommendedto pre-treat them with Chrysal BVB. This will result inlonger vase life, greener stems and more open flowers. Rosa, forexample, should not be harvested too tight. If so, the vase life,flower and colour development at the consumer is poor orabsent (see photographs).
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1 -summer cut stage
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2 -winter cut stage
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3 -buying stage
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4 -buying stage
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