Abstract:
In this study, four holding
solutions very often used by florists and the
final consumer were tested to analyse their
impact on the development of the
inflorescence, as well as the elongation,
weight and degree of bending of the hyacinth
flowers. The use of these solutions has a
general character, and the flower species
react differently due to both their genetics
and the conditions in which they were
cultivated, handled and stored. To verify the
effectiveness of the preservative solutions on
Hyacinthus orientalis vase life, four
solutions were prepared with 2% sucrose and
none or one of the follow-ing antimicrobial
substances: sodium hypochlorite, acetic acid
and ascorbic acid. During the study,
measurements were made on the weight,
elongation of the floral stems, chlorophyll
content of the leaves and vase life days. The
vase life of the hyacinths in this experiment
was 5 days, except for the flowers from the
2% sucrose holding solution, which started
to wilt on day 5. On day 6, the flowers
showed signs of senescence. The increase in
the length of the inflorescence stem showed
significant differences for the sucrose +
ascorbic acid holding solution, with a
maximum of 0.8 cm on day 4. However, the
interest was not to maximise the elongation
of the floral stem but to slow down this
process since elongation leads to the bending
of the stem, causing it to require additional
support.
