WAYS TO EXTEND THE SHELF LIFE OF CUT FLOWERS

S.ESWARA REDDY
To make your cut flowers to last as long as possible, you need to be willing to give them some extra attention. It will only take you a few minutes and the results will be well worth. Read the instructions first, and then gather the materials youll need to prepare your flowers. Here are the important points you need to know about the care of cut flowers. 1. Clean a vase by washing it thoroughly in water with household bleach. 2. Fill the vase with fresh water and a half teaspoon of household bleach for each liter of water. 3. Remove any leaves which will show below the water line in vase. 4. Cut about 20 mm (3/4 inch) from the base of the stems immediately before placing flowers (to remove any air bubbles). 5. Do not place flowers in drafts or direct sunlight, near fruit, heaters, TVs or Refrigerators 6. Change the water daily to extend the vase life of your cut flowers. A tip for cut gerberas 7. Do not stand gerberas in a deep vase of water as the stems are soft and hollow. 3 cm (or 11/4 inches) of water is sufficient. Points to strengthen shelf life a) Plunging the stems of cut flowers into a solution comprising 10-95% of a linear of ramified aliphatic alcohol with 2-5 carbon atoms, for a period of time between 10 seconds and 2 hours; b) Drying the flower stems by exposure to outer environment, so that the flowers are transported in a dry status. Prolonging life by using alcoholic solution: since our floriculture cannot rely on rapid transportation and since it necessarily has to provide far away foreign markets, difficult to reach, it had to develop alternative solutions, for example by developing lengthened post harvest life products.

dr_esreddy@yahoo.co.in 22nd May2011