Articles
LONG TERM STORAGE OF CUT FLOWERS
It is a characteristic of the Polish flower market that the demand for flowers is very irregular.
Large quantities of flowers are needed in certain days of the year, such as the popular name-days, Women’s Day, Teacher’s Day, the last day of the school year and All Hallows.
Because of the high consumer demand for cut flowers on particular days, great attention of producers is given to planning and balancing of cut flower production according to the demand.
The storage of cut flowers for desired periods of time can delay the sale in times of overproduction and extend the marketing season.
The production of carnations occupies 65% of total cut flowers supplied from commercial greenhouses in Poland that is, 10 carnations per capita, per year.
Thus, carnations are the most popular cut flower in Poland.
The production of other cut flowers in greenhouses and in the open satisfies the needs of the domestic market for cut flowers in the summer.
There is, however, a deficiency of flowers in the period between October and March.
The prices for carnations and other cut flowers are 2–3 times lower during the summer than other seasons although, due to the advantageous light and temperature conditions, the yield and quality of summer carnations are the best.
Carnations in Poland are also one of the basic floricultural crops expansively cultivated under unheated plastic tunnels what ensuring lower costs of flower production.
For a horticulturist in Poland, as well as in other countries of temperate climate, it could be the most profitable to produce carnations during the summer months saving costs of energy for heating and storing them until the spring of the next year.
This becomes more and more relevant to gradually increasing coats of energy in the whole world.
There is, however, one condition which has to be fulfilled – a method of long storage of cut flowers which ensures good quality and long vase-life of the crops after storage.
Fortunately, the methods of storing flowers have been greatly improved over the last years and research is now continuing on the physical and chemical techniques of conditioning flowers prior to storage.
The use of low temperature, controlled atmospheres and hypobaric storage have enabled some species of flowers to be stored very well past the normal season of harvest.
All these storage methods slow down the metabolic processes within the plant tissue and prevent physiological and pathological breakdown.