Rehydration and longevity in flower stems of rose ‘Topaz’ and chrysanthemum ‘Hartman’ stored in dry at room temperature

Abstract

The effect of environmental exposure on the rehydration of rose ‘Topaz’ and chrysanthemum ‘Hartman’ stems and the time during which they can be stored without detriment in their vase life were evaluated. One hundred and forty stems of each species were harvested and transported to the laboratory, half were exposed to room temperature, the others were packed, in groups of ten, and stored in dry between 1 and 7 days (d). Diameter, number and area of the vessels and vulnerability index (VI), rehydration and moisture content in the exposed stems, temperature and RH inside the packages, fresh weight (FW), absorption rate (AR) and vase life (VL) were evaluated. The number of vessels was higher in chrysanthemum ‘Hartman’, however, the diameter; area and VI were higher in rose ‘Topaz’. The number of flower stems that were rehydrated was higher in chrysanthemum than in rose, in this, the loss of wetness was faster. Inside of the packages the temperature was maintained at 23 °C and the RH at 95 %, while the wetness of the flower stems was ≥ 95 %. In rose ‘Topaz’, the FW and the AR were higher in the stems stored for 1 or 3 d, in chrysanthemum for 1 to 6 d. In conclusion, rose ‘Topaz’ is more sensitive to dehydration than chrysanthemum ‘Hartman’, both can be stored in dry at room temperature, for 3 and 6 d without effect on their vase life.