Methods of preserving some flowers after harvest

Flowers are special products, the value of flowers depends heavily on the harvest period. Flowers to consumers must be beautiful flowers, not crushed, good quality, meet the needs of buyers. Therefore, preservation of post-harvest flowers is necessary.

In order for the preservation of flower quality to be ensured, many steps must be followed and the principle must be followed: The quality of cut flowers to be preserved must be strong, with appropriate harvest bloom. In the process of preservation, the flower must be controlled so that the flower has a low respiratory intensity, reduced drainage intensity, ensures the maintenance of the nutrient source of flowers, prevents the production of E thylene, the development of fungal pathogens.

The following are some technical methods of collection, packaging of used chemicals and how to adjust humidity and temperature in flower preservation:

First of all need to determine the time of harvest. Flowers harvest best in the early morning, not done at noon because at this time high temperature, strong light will make the flower branch wilt quickly. After cutting off the root or leaving the mother plant, the life of the flower begins to diminish because of its ability to absorb nutrients and absorb water. It only survives thanks to the remaining nutrients in the plant, gradually wilting due to water evaporation, because fungi or bacteria enter the tissue cells to rot the conduction vessels. Therefore, it is necessary to quickly implement classification and preservation techniques.

Next to the collection and storage stages: in each type of different flowers, the collection and preservation methods are different:

1. For Lily and Lilies:

- Collection: The best cutting time with Lily, Loa trumpet is when the first bud is under the big bulge and is colored.

- How to cut: Use sharp knife to cut, should not cut flowers too low for bigger tubers. It is best to cut 15cm from the ground, leaving 5 6 leaves / tree. After cutting, soak 1/3 of the flower stalks in clean water so that the flowers will not become dehydrated. After cutting, it is necessary to decentralize and tie flowers into each bundle of 5 10 branches.

- Preservation: For long-lasting flowers need to do the following:

+ Treatment with chemicals: For Lily aromatic varieties soaking 1/4 flower stalks into chemical solution: Common solutions are Sacaro sugar with high concentration (5 10%) + Nitrac solution Silver 100mg / liter or Sunlfit Silver 4mol / liter, soak 20 minutes + 1 quantity of 100pm GA3 concentration.

+ Storage: After handling, it is necessary to put Lily in cold storage at a temperature of 1 20C, cold storage to limit respiration and produce ethylene.

+ Stimulation of blossoming flowers: After a long time of cold treatment, it is necessary to treat stimulation for blooming flowers - bloom stimulant is 8 Hydrogenoxyunun 200 mg / l + Saccaro sugar 3%.

Lily (Photo: monash.edu.au)

2. For Gerbera flowers:

- After picking flowers, cover the flowers and immediately put them into the water (flooding 1/3 - 1/4 of the cotton length) so that the stem can absorb water and increase the hardness of the stalk.

- Handling after cutting: After collection, it must be classified for processing.

After decentralizing, cut off the stem stalks from 2 5 cm and immediately plug into the water, put in cool storage 6 100C for water absorption, in 24 hours, pack the bags every 20 bunches into 1 bundle.

- Preservation:

Storage method is as follows: Soak 1/4 flower stalk cut into Nitrac solution Silver concentration of 120mg / l for 10 minutes, use atric acid solution (concentration of 150mg / liter) to adjust the pH of the solution within range from 3,5 3.7. In addition, each liter of solution added 20g of Saccaroza sugar then put flowers into cold storage and let the temperature of 1-20C, humidity of 90-95%.

Gerbera (Photo: svvn-dresden.org)

3. For roses:

- Flower collection: The cut flower position directly affects the length of the flower branch, the sprouting under the cut and the number of later litters, the quality of the later. Depending on the actual growth status of the plant, it is possible to leave an average of 2 4 burns, even cutting the main flower. If collected in September 10, 5 burning can be left, 3 - 4 months left 2 burns.

- Post-cutting treatment: After cutting the flower, it is necessary to plug 1/3 of the flower stalk into the water tank, put it into a cool, ventilated place for preliminary treatment. Before preservation, it is necessary to classify flowers according to each type for easy storage. Then bundle into 50 branches or 100 stems / 1 bunch.

- Preserving flowers

+ Preservation by chemicals: Use the following substances:

Spike balm: Flower after cutting off nutrient source, to maintain nutrition for spike using Glucose, Saccaroza 3 5% solution during storage.

Use of fungal fungal inhibitors: To reduce the harmful effects of microorganisms, it is necessary to immerse stem stems into a 10% solution of Sodium + Limonat Forinat salt -8 OH.

Use of ethylene minerals: Ethylene is a plant hormone belonging to the group of aging agents so in the process of preserving flowers, it is recommended to use some minerals such as Thiosunfat Silver concentration of 1.5 1.5 ppm sprayed on branches and leaves.

+ Preserving in air-conditioned preservation room: Adjusting temperature from 2-50C, humidity of 85 90% during storage.

Roses (Photo: tamu.edu)

4. For daisies:

- Harvesting: Collect when flowers bloom about 2/3 of the wings or fully bloom on the outer ring on the tree. When finished cutting, gently insert into water (bucket, pots).

- Handling after harvest:

Flowers when harvested should be put in cool houses for preliminary treatment, selection and classification. After sorting branches, soak in STS solution (Silverthiosulphate) 0.1%, submerged 8 10 cm of branch length for 10 minutes, use a spray bottle, spray soaked leaves, do not leave water on the flower.

- Storage: Storage solution: Saccaroza 2 - 5%; -8- HQC (8 Hydroxy quinoline citrate) 200 ppm or Chlorin 5 10 ppm; BA (Benzyl Nickelin) 2 5 ppm, adding Citric acid to PH of solution = 3 3.5.

- Time to plug 5 10 hours in the above solution and let the temperature about 100C, humidity 90 95%. Then packed in PE bags with a thickness of 0.04 mm. If not consumed immediately, refrigerate at 50C, humidity 90% - 95%.

In fact, growers are still hesitant about the application of technology in production and post-harvest preservation due to the fear of expensive and afraid of investment. According to the calculation of the Center for Vegetables and Fruits, the interest rate of the use of technology in planting and storage is much higher than that of non-preservation and simple preservation methods. The research and application of production and preservation of flower varieties according to high technical process not only brings economic efficiency, improves living standards for people but also contributes to the restructuring of agricultural economy. The agricultural sector develops in the direction of forming an agricultural production goods associated with the market.

Chrysanthemum (Photo: hermann-uwe.de)