transpirational (evaporative) pull from
the leaf surfaces of the plant.
As soon as a flower
stem is severed from the mother plant, the water column to
the root system is broken. The negative pressure in the cut
stem causes air to be pulled into the stem as the water recedes.
The air pocket in the stem is referred to as an embolism.
The end plates of the xylem tissue, which act as small screens
at the base of cut stem, will allow water to pass but air
cannot be drawn farther into the stem. The introduction of
this air pocket in the cut stem can cause post harvest handling
problems for the wholesaler and retailers of fresh cut flowers.
The harvested cut stems, with their embolisms, are packed
into boxes by producers and shipped under dry conditions.
Harvested cut flowers are shipped to the the United States
from all over the world. During storage and shipment, flowers
may be exposed to temperature extremes, low atmospheric humidity,
delays in transit and lack of water all of which can cause
the flowers to dessicate, resulting in further stress on the
water system of the plant. These water-stressed cut flowers
may not last long if they are not handled properly on receipt.
One of the best methods of restoring a functional
water conducting system for cut flowers is to re-cut the stem
under water as soon as they are unpacked from the shipping
boxes.
The practice of cutting flower stems under water
was first discussed in the floriculture research of Alex Laurie
at Ohio State University in 1936. Since then, other researchers
in the U.S. and the Netherlands have found that there are
many benefits to recutting the stems of cut flowers immediately
after unboxing. The greatest benefits are achieved if the
stems are cut under water.
If stems are not recut
or if they are recut in open air, the flowers may have remaining
embolisms which, as noted, can disrupt the water columns in
the stem vessels resulting in a water deficit and reduced
vaselife. Researchers have shown that roses which were recut
under water after after water stress had an average of 18%
to 32% longer vaselife..
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