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Product: Blushing Bride lushing : florida B

Quality specifications for Australian wildflowers in bags or or bags in Phytophthora Serruria , ‘Super Blush’ and ‘Super Blush’ , . is a fast growing, erect shrub shrub erect growing, fast a is flowers dry out very quickly quickly very out dry flowers T sleeve): without and with (shown this like look bunches ypical root rot and need to be grown in well well in grown be to need and rot root have growers Some soils. drained grown successfully benches. raised on mix potting of pots frosts. light only tolerate will Plants to need and straggly become to tend straight strong, encourage to pruned be a have generally They stems. flowering . than life productive shorter weak is Serruria of failing common A blooms. the support cannot which stems Serruria per yields High leaves. fern-like soft, with are plants However, achievable. are bush to susceptible particularly ‘Carmen’ Flowering season: Flowering October. May to postharvest life: Typical 14 days. Other productsthis which to specification can be generally applied: Other selections and hybrids cultivars, Spice’ ‘Sugar ’n’ of Serruria, such as in Pink’ ‘Pretty , Serruria packed and handled be to need and thin, are pedicels The accordingly. much too dehydrate they if and support to strength the lose they also are pedicels The flowers. the infection, botrytis to vulnerable collapse. to them causes also which ). S. florida × S. rosea S. × florida S. ( Each stem produces between 1 and and 1 between produces stem Each heads. flower nodding terminal, 8 bracts white papery, delicate, has Each central a surrounding pink, with flushed Initially florets. delicate of mass fluffy joined and white are florets these each matures head the as but together, changes colour the and separates, floret are heads flower unopened The pink. to attractive. very also explain tales African South Several In name. common the of origin the the gives man young a version, one deeper the flower: a courting is he girl more the pink, of shade flower’s the proposal, marriage the imminent Another blush. to girl the causing wear would man young a that explains about was he when lapel his in flower a the for love his of depth The propose. to of pink of shade the to related was girl man’s the of result the Again, flower. the a be would affection deep of show the that say Others be’. to bride ‘blushing resemblance the from derived is name gown. bridal a to itself flower the of and varieties selections, of range A flowers including available, are hybrids are Some colours. pink deep to rose with e.g. Rights, Breeder’s by protected ‘Carmen’ The common name ‘Blushing Bride’ Bride’ ‘Blushing name common The of member delicate this suits well . African South the

Product: Blushing Bride Botanical name: Product: Blushing Bride STAGES OF OPENING

Stage 1 Immature with bracts Stage 2 Early stage (earliest stage to Stage 3 Prime stage for export closed, unacceptable to markets market, especially for export) – bracts markets and some domestic loosening; bracts on most mature flower markets head opening, with the central fluffy flower mass just visible Cmnd om o eFECTS

Common defects to avoid at market entry: n O vermature product n L eaf yellowing or blackening n B ract browning n Insect damage n B otrytis spots and rot of flowers n B ent stems Diseased foliage Yellow foliage Diseased flowers – do not market (manage leaf – discard stems with poor- – discard diseases before harvest to quality foliage reduce damage) The stages shown apply to the product at market entry. Pay attention to the weather, time of year, and mode and duration of transport, because the flowers will continue to open during transport. You must consult with your target market to ensure that the flowers arrive at the desired stage.

Stage 4 Optimum stage for domestic Stage 5 Fully open – latest stage Stage 6 Overmature stage, markets – central flower mass to market (domestic market, for unaccepted by many markets turning pink immediate end use)

Clean stems stripped of the lower leaves (left) are preferred over the stems on the right

Overmature and mouldy Poor flowering stem product – do not market – discard New vegetative shoot developing – discard Product: Blushing Bride

FLOWERS STEMS

Appearance Up to 8 terminal rounded flower heads per stem, Appearance Rigid and strong enough to support blooms. with delicate, papery, white bracts flushed with pink, Bend <15°. surrounding a central fluffy mass of delicate florets. Free of disfiguring trim marks or other blemishes. Flower colour clear and true to type of the species or Neatly cut end. selection – crisp white, sometimes with a flush of pink. Not faded. Length According to market demand, typically as No wilting. recommended in ‘Grading and bunching’ below.

When to When the first flower head on the stem is starting RECOMMENDED HANDLING AT HARVEST harvest to open: bracts opening evenly to reveal the central flower mass, which is still white. Minimise drying out and exposure to heat – pick when it is cool, Avoid harvesting when flowers are wet. preferably straight into buckets of clean potable water containing a registered biocide or a reputable commercial postharvest solution, and Damage No damaged bracts, or asymmetrical, deformed or hold in the shade. damaged blooms. Move cut stems promptly to a cool, shaded packing area. Cool quickly to remove field heat and stop the blooms from continuing to open. Contamination Ensure that flowers are free of grit and soil, weeds or weed seeds, and signs of insects or spiders, such as webbing. GRADING AND BUNCHING

Grade quickly to minimise the time that stems are out No apparent pest or disease damage. A preharvest Grading Pests and of water. diseases spray to chase out insects and spiders may assist. Reject any contaminated stems. Picking flowers when only one head is open reduces risk of insects present within flower heads. Sort stems according to flower maturity, length and thickness. Discard any poor-quality product with insects or fungal infections. Bunching Serruria is marketed in bunches. Stems are usually bunched in 5s (longer lengths) or 10s (shorter lengths LEAVES or thin stems), or according to customer requirements. Stems within a bunch should be approximately the Appearance Fresh, mid green, crisp, uniform in colour. same diameter, with the ends aligned. Not dull or wilted. Bunches of Serruria need to be firmly tied near the Minimum discoloration (<3% by area and affecting base and again loosely 2/3 of the way up the bunch. <10% of leaves). No leaf blackening. Stem length Stem length (cm) Av. no. of stems per bunch At harvest Do not harvest or store when foliage is wet. Strip leaves from at least the lower 20 cm and up to 60+ 5 the lower half of the stem, depending on customer requirements. Excessive foliage can detract from the 40-50 5 visual appeal and increase freight costs. Be careful not to damage the stem – cut with sharp 30 10 secateurs. Sleeves Some growers like to sleeve Serruria at packing to Damage Minimum evidence of pests (such as aphids), diseases protect the flower heads. Others do not sleeve, to or other blemishes such as mechanical damage. No avoid flower rot. insect feeding damage. Free of visible chemical residues. HOLDING AND STORAGE COMMON POSTHARVEST PROBLEMS Refer to Postharvest Manual* for general advice.

Cooling Effective cooling soon after harvest is important to JN: 10014 • Layout by Wild Poppy Design • Edited Stevens, by Editing, Matthew ScienceScape Sydney retaining quality, minimising leaf blackening and Fungal Serruria is susceptible to postharvest damage from maximising vase life. There are two options (the first is decay in botrytis, with the thin pedicels especially vulnerable. preferable): storage due Effective preharvest management of botrytis with • Cool, process, cool – for example, cool flowers in buckets to botrytis fungicides is essential, especially from bud stage until of solution to below 10 °C in the 2 hours following (grey harvest. cutting, process, and then cool to 2–4 °C for 4 hours or mould) To avoid blackening, don’t let the foliage get wet. preferably overnight. Insects Dip flowers that are to be packaged and held for • Quick processing and then cooling – for example, process (for export) any significant length of time (export product) in a within 2–4 hours of cutting and then cool to 2–4 °C. registered fungicide or insecticide solution for not less Forced-air cooling of packed flowers is ideal for large than 1 minute, then dry naturally for 2 hours to ensure volumes of product. thorough disinfestation. OR: Fumigate flowers before dispatch to kill insects. Hold in a high-humidity cool room (95%) at 2–4 °C. Temperature Shake out any dead insects after fumigating and before and humidity Another way of achieving high humidity is to cover the packing. flowers with plastic sleeves or plastic sheeting, as long as there is no condensation on the leaves, which can lead to Ensure flowers are completely dry before packing. blackening. Ethylene Unknown. Postharvest Postharvest solution: Hold in clean potable water with an sensitivity added biocide registered for postharvest use in cut flowers. solutions Leaf Serruria does not appear to suffer from leaf blackening Holding solution: Same as postharvest solution. Sell blackening like species do. However, leaves may turn black if quickly. they are submerged in buckets of solution or if held for too long. Sell flowers quickly. Longer-term Not recommended. storage Leaf blackening and flower rot are likely to be a greater problem after storage. Messages for importers and wholesalers PACKAGING n Recut stems and place into fresh water containing a registered biocide. Pack only dry, cold flowers. Cool product before marketing or sending on and keep it cool. Especially for export, stems in each box should be approximately the same n diameter and length, and flower head size should be consistent. Maintain good hygiene and keep containers clean. Pack with flower heads at each end of the box and stems in the middle to Messages for retailers avoid damaging blooms. Pack bunches firmly in boxes so the product will not move and be n Recut stems and place into fresh water containing a registered biocide. damaged. Use shredded paper to protect flower heads. Avoid packing too n U se clean buckets and containers for displays. many stems per box. Use boxes with holes to allow forced-air cooling. n D o not display flowers in areas that are exposed to full sun, draughts, Minimise water loss. For long-distance shipping consider lining boxes with high temperatures or vehicle exhausts, and preferably do not display near a layer of paper. Avoid plastic, as the greater humidity in transit increases the fruit and vegetables. Use refrigerated displays if possible. risk of botrytis flower rot. n T ell the customer how to care for the flowers and emphasise the need for Cool flowers to 2–4 °C before transport. clean water and clean vases. LABELLING AND DOCUMENTATION Messages for consumers Label boxes and buckets as recommended in Postharvest Manual* or as n K eep vase filled with fresh clean water. Check daily, as flowers can use required by customer. a lot of water. Change the water at least every second day. Always use Ensure box contents are exactly the same as specified in the clean vases and clean water. documentation and on the end of the box. n D o not display in areas that are exposed to full sun, draughts or high TRANSPORT temperatures. Keep as cool as possible without freezing. Refrigerated vehicle at 2–4 °C for long-distance transport. n Disc ard other flower types in the same vase when they reach the end of their vase life.

The information contained in this publication is intended for general use to assist public knowledge and SUPPORTING INDUSTRY PARTNER: discussion and to help improve the development of sustainable regions. You must not rely on any information contained in this publication without taking specialist advice relevant to your particular circumstances. The Commonwealth of Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), the Author: Bettina Gollnow. Photographs by: Lowan Turton and Dr Ross Worrall. authors or contributors expressly disclaim, to the maximum extent permitted by law, all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any act or omission, or for any consequences of any This publication is one of a series of Quality Specifications for Australian Wildflowers. ISSN 1440-6845. such act or omission, made in reliance on the contents of this publication, whether or not caused by any ISBN 978-1-74254-027-6. RIRDC Publication No. 10/054. www.rirdc.gov.au negligence on the part of the Commonwealth of Australia, RIRDC, the authors or contributors. *The Postharvest Manual is the manual ‘Postharvest Handling of Australian Flowers from Australian Native © 2010 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. This publication is copyright. Apart from Plants and Related Species’, 2nd edition, 2010. ISBN 978-1-74254-000-9. RIRDC Publication No.10/027. any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. Requests concerning Both publications were developed by RIRDC Project No. PRJ-000331. reproduction and rights should be addressed to the RIRDC Publications Manager on phone 02 6271 4165.