Abstract:
Flower vase life is regarded as the most important factor in the floral industry. Cut
flowers with long vase life are mostly preferred for commercial purposes by clients. To extend
the vase life of flowers, there are preservative solutions that aid in this process. This study
aimed at finding out the most appropriate preservative solution that would extend the vase life
of hypericum cut flowers. The experiment was carried out in University of Embu from end of
January to March, 2019. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design
replicated three times. The treatments were as follows; (0) Sterile water, (1) Icing sugar,
glucose and citric acid, (2) Icing sugar, glucose and sodium thiosulphate and (3) Icing sugar,
glucose and silver nitrate. Data was collected daily on the following parameters; berry
discoloration, head diameter, water uptake and stem diameter. The data collected was subjected
to Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) using R software while mean separation was done using
the Honest Significance difference HSD at 95%. Citric acid recorded the highest capacity to
enhance the cut flower vase life to 21days whereas sodium thiosulphate and silver nitrate had
the same effects on vase life period of 18 days. Thus citric acid can be recommended for use
in the preservation of hypericum cut flowers.
