EFFECT OF PRETREATMENT AND STORAGE CONDITIONS ON CUT ROSE FLOWERS.

Cut rose flowers cv. 'Sonia' either were sprayed or held in solution with kinetin (KI) or 6-benzylamino purine (BA) prior to simulated home conditions. Their vase life ranged from 7,40 to 5,60 days. Treatments containing KI or BA did not benefit on rose vase life. Roses kept in KI or BA solutions had a faster rise in total fresh weight.

To extend availability of cut flowers, the effects of storing 'Baccara' roses under normal refrigeration (NR), low pressure (LP, 180 and 210 mm. Hg) and low oxygen (6%) were studied. Roses could be stored up to 3 weeks under LP and retain 63% of their original vase life, while those stored in NR retained only 53 %. Roses cannot be stored satisfactorily under low oxygen, they became unacceptable due to Botrytis growth.