SHOW: Cut Flowers: Water Requirements

In a message dated 5/1/2007 8:40:22 AM Eastern Daylight Time,  
jijones@usjoneses.com writes:

<<The point of additives is to:

1. prevent the   formation of bacteria that will clog the "arteries"  
of the stalk  preventing water from being taken up.
2. provide some food for the plant  (less important)>>


John Jones, who wrote the above, was also the source of some of  the more 
useful sounding information on the subject of floral  preservatives in the 
Archives.
 
I have a question:
 
Impressionistically speaking, how much water do the various sorts  of irises 
actually drink after cutting? 
 
The reason I ask is I have a dim memory of someone whose name I won't  
mention, although you'd all certainly recognize it, saying something to  the effect 
that bearded irises won't drink much after cutting so that the  inch of water 
they had in a bucket of blooms that was being  transported for show was 
entirely adequate. 
 
There has been a lot of talk about transporting stalks in water over  the 
years and this conversation has come to my mind each time the subject has  come 
up. 
 
Of course, there is arguably a difference between mounting a  temporary 
display for show and conditioning cut irises in the house, or  for making a gift of 
same, but presumptively one would like the  stalk to run its natural course, 
developing all or most of the buds,  etc. in any case. Assuming it has not 
gotten real beat up.
 
Anybody know anything?
 
Cordially,
 
 
Anner Whitehead
Richmond VA USA 
Jamestown Expedition and Settlement Quadricentennial May, 1607- May,  2007
"At one time...it was all Virginia."

 
    









************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index