Sucrose plays many important roles in plant
senescence. In cut carnations and
roses, sucrose improves flower color and petal color expression (Ichimura, 1998).
Continuous treatment with sucrose also increases anthocyanin
concentrations in the petals and extends vase life in many species of cut
flowers.
Calcium also has a role in flower life. It promotes bud opening and delays
senescence in cut roses (Torre, 1999). In carnations, a continuous treatment of
calcium significantly prolongs the vase life of cut flowers relative to the
control treatment (Eung, 1998).
A commercial packet routinely provided by florists is
produced by the company Floralife, Inc.
The ingredients of the packet include a sugar, an acidifier, and a
class of compounds designated stem unpluggers. The sugar presumably serves as a
nutrition source, the acidifier lowers the pH of the vase water, and the
function of the stem unpluggers is unknown.
In this
experiment our objective was to prolong the life of cut flowers by simple
methods that are easily repeatable in the common household. The treatments used were sucrose (Pioneer
sugar), calcium (Rolaids), and a commercial packet produced by Floralife, Inc. The flowers used in the experiment were
roses, carnations, and daffodils.
