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A series of postharvest experiments were conducted with cut flowers of Craspedia globosa in an effort to open bud-harvested flowers, determine usefulness of preservatives (sucrose + bactericide), and assess the ability of the flowers to withstand long-term dry storage at 4° C. Bud-harvested flowers pulsed with 20% sucrose solution then held in deionized water (DI) had a longer postharvest life (harvest to senescence) but not vase life (maturity to senescence), and a greater increase in flower diameter during development as the pulse duration increased from 0 to 48 h. Percentage of flowers reaching maturity was 67% regardless of pulse duration. In a second experiment, pulsing with sucrose concentrations of 20 or 25% for 48 or 72 h increased the percentage of flowers reaching maturity to 75% and reduced time of development. This did not increase vase life compared to non-pulsed flowers. Increasing the sucrose concentration in the pulse treatment up to 40% did not increase percentage of flowers opening to maturity. Partially-open harvested flowers treated with 25% sucrose pulse for 48 h had a longer postharvest life than those held in DI or 2% sucrose holding solution. Neither a 20% sucrose pulse nor 2 and 4% holding solutions increased vase life of mature harvested flowers compared to DI. Mature harvested flowers retained a long vase life after 1 or 2 weeks of dry storage.
Flowers of Craspedi a uniflora (Billy Buttons), a New Zealand annual plant, have been introduced recently into the U.S.A. florist market. Craspedia is relatively unknown in the U.S.A., but is beginning to be utilized by florists as a cut flower and has potential for specialty cut flower production. Craspedia uniflora cut flowers were grown from seed in an inflated, double-layer, polyethylene greenhouse. Short day (SD) and long day (LD) photoperiod treatments were applied by daylength reduction via black cloth and night interruption lighting, respectively. Treatments began 10 weeks after sowing (15 leaf stage) and continued until harvest. Gibberellic acid was applied as a single foliar spray to runoff at 0 and 500 mg·liter-1 at initiation of photoperiod treatment. Long day treatment reduced days to anthesis, increased flower number, and decreased stem length and plant fresh weight. Gibberellic acid (500 mg·liter-1) increased foliage height under both photo period treatments and increased plant dry weight under LD but reduced dry weight under SD treatment. Flower fresh weight, diameter and bud number were not affected by treatment.
The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of photoperiod and 0, 1, 5, or 10 applications at weekly intervals of GA3 foliar sprays at 500 mg·liter–1 on growth and flowering of Craspedia globosa `Drumstick' Benth. Long days (LD) hastened flowering and increased the number of flowers per plant. Short days (SD) increased foliage height and foliage fresh and dry weights. Foliage and total plant heights increased and days to bud and secondary inflorescence width decreased linearly as GA3 application frequency increased. Chemical name used: (1α,2β,4aα,4bβ,10β)-2,4a,7-trihydroxy-1-methyl-8-methylen egibb-3-ene-1,10-dicarboxylic acid 1,4a-lactone (gibberellic acid, GA3).