ride B Product: Blushing Bride lushing Botanical name: Serruria florida B Quality specifications for Australian wildflowers Product: Product: Botanical name: name: Botanical The common name ‘Blushing Bride’ Serruria is a fast growing, erect shrub Blushing Bride Blushing well suits this delicate member of with soft, fern-like leaves. High yields per the South African Proteaceae. bush are achievable. However, plants are particularly susceptible to Phytophthora Each stem produces between 1 and root rot and need to be grown in well Serruria florida Serruria 8 terminal, nodding flower heads. drained soils. Some growers have Each has delicate, papery, white bracts successfully grown Serruria in bags or flushed with pink, surrounding a central pots of potting mix on raised benches. fluffy mass of delicate florets. Initially Plants will tolerate only light frosts. Plants these florets are white and joined tend to become straggly and need to together, but as the head matures each be pruned to encourage strong, straight floret separates, and the colour changes flowering stems. They generally have a to pink. The unopened flower heads are shorter productive life than proteas. also very attractive. A common failing of Serruria is weak Several South African tales explain stems which cannot support the blooms. the origin of the common name. In one version, a young man gives the Serruria flowers dry out very quickly girl he is courting a flower: the deeper and need to be handled and packed the flower’s shade of pink, the more accordingly. The pedicels are thin, imminent the marriage proposal, and if they dehydrate too much causing the girl to blush. Another explains that a young man would wear they lose the strength to support a flower in his lapel when he was about the flowers. The pedicels are also to propose. The depth of his love for the vulnerable to botrytis infection, girl was related to the shade of pink of which also causes them to collapse. the flower. Again, the result of the man’s show of deep affection would be a ‘blushing bride to be’. Others say that the Flowering season: name is derived from the resemblance May to October. of the flower itself to a bridal gown. A range of selections, varieties and Typical postharvest life: hybrids are available, including flowers 14 days. with rose to deep pink colours. Some are protected by Plant Breeder’s Rights, e.g. Other products to which this ‘Carmen’ (S. florida × S. rosea). specification can be generally applied: Other cultivars, selections and hybrids of Serruria, such as ‘Sugar ’n’ Spice’ , ‘Pretty in Pink’ , ‘Super Blush’ and ‘Carmen’ . Typical bunches look like this (shown with and without sleeve): 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 I nsect 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 Sydney ScienceScape Matthew Editing, by Stevens, • Edited Design Poppy Wild by JN: 10014 • Layout 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 Protea 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.