TREATMENTS ON CUT FLOWERS OF PAPAVER NUDICAULE L. TO IMPROVE VASE LIFE EXTENSION

Papaver nudicaule L. is a minor species grown for cut flower production in Italy, but it has interesting productive features.

The flower stem has laticifers tissues from which, after cutting, the latex flows and plugs vases: for this reason the flower has a short vase – life.

In this research the traditional burning treatment of the stem base was compared with other heat treatments (water and preservative solution at 90°C) and an untreated sample, evaluating the time of flower opening and vase – life.

Concerning winter, the most interesting harvest period, all heat treatments showed the best results respect to the untreated sample.
Between heat treatments there were no significative differences; so it is sufficient to apply the simplest (burning treatment) to elongate cut flower vase – life.

International Symposium on Protected Cultivation of Ornamentals in Mild Winter Climates

E. Farina, A. Mercuri, T. Schiva

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1989.246.44