Handling Post-production of Orchids

The specialty lies in the appearance of Orchid plants during consumption, so the effort to maintain the quality appearance may be the main objective during post-production. To implement such an effort is necessary to understand the various factors that can affect the quality of post-production of orchid plants. Factors affecting the quality of post-production of orchids as cut flowers is the rate of aging rate, temperature, water and food supplies, ethylene and mechanical damage and disease. Meanwhile, affecting among other potted orchid cultivars, growth stage, light, medium, fertilizer, temperature and duration of transport.


Orchids as cut flowers

During this orchid flowers are harvested after a 75% -80% interest has bloomed especially in the orchid Dendrobium sp. Sometimes on certain types of orchids, such as Cattleya sp., Flowers harvested 3 to 4 days after bloom, because of the interest cut will fail to bloom prematurely. When harvesting need to be considered transmission of viral diseases from one tree to another. We recommend cutting tools should be sterilized before use again in the next tree.

Cut flowers Cymbidium sp. and Paphiopedilum sp. can survive for 3 weeks at a temperature of 33-35 F (10 C) and 6 to 7 weeks when kept in a tree. Type of Cymbidium sp., Cattleya sp., Vanda sp., Paphiopedilum sp. and Phalaenopsis sp. generally can last up to 2 weeks if stored at a temperature of 5-7 C, whereas Dendrobium sp. pieces simply stored at a temperature of 10-13 C.

Cut orchid flowers are sensitive to drought. Water that is lost after the flowers are harvested must be balanced with the soaking solution containing water and other necessary compounds. Using various chemical preservative dissolved in water is recommended to extend the freshness of cut flowers.

Try to keep cut orchid flowers from the source / site of gas leak, smoke, fruit ripening and collection of flowers that have been damaged and withered. Room for post-harvest handling (sorting / grading and packaging) should be well ventilated. Sensitivity to ethylene gas can be reduced by giving cold temperatures, either after harvest or after delivery. Cut flowers must be removed from the container  and placed in a cold room with a temperature suitable for orchids.

Cut orchid flowers are sensitive to disease, not just because  somewhat fragile, but also the presence of a nutritious liquid honey is very good for the growth of pathogens. Damage caused by this disease can be avoided with good hygiene management in the greenhouse or in the garden, temperature control, and minimize the occurrence of condensation on cut flowers.


Beautiful Flowering Orchid Plants in pots

Various morphological characters, such as flower color, flower number and flowering time have been used to evaluate new cultivates flower industry. Such criteria are important factors in creating new cultivates. In the future criteria for tolerance to conditions of carriage, interior light levels are low, ethylene and cooling should also be included in the assessment.

Growth stage (age), a beautiful flowering orchid pot plant at the time the market is the main factor affecting the appearance of these plants indoors. It should be noted that the proper stage for marketing depends on the time required to obtain plants. Generally, plants with many flowers bloom more difficult in the transport, is more sensitive to ethylene and more easily damaged than plants that are transported in the Stadia are still buds or flowers are blooming flower percentage is still low.

The temperature needs to be reduced during the last cycle of 2-3 weeks to strengthen and enhance flower color carbohydrate content of plants, which can lead to resistance to keep. All the beautiful flowering potted plants will be more resistant at lower temperatures and the range is highly dependent on the type of plant. Furthermore, flowering plants are placed at a temperature of 27 C or higher, generally have more faded flower color, stem / stalk taller, the leaves quickly turn yellow and fall off.

Easy Media structured crumb soaked again by the consumer or the stylist is very important space to produce the optimum performance of the beautiful flowering plants in the room. A number of polymer gel can be used to retain moisture and prevent media from drying indoor plants. Irrigation using a wetting agent at the time of marketing allows for easy re-wetting media.

Ratio N: K is recommended 1: 1 to 3 weeks before flowering, changed to 0.5: 1. Ratio of ammonia poisoning is to prevent problems and increase shelf life.

Beautiful flowering potted orchid plants are sensitive to ethylene. Symptoms are loss of leaves, buds and abortion flowers / buds. One effective way to reduce sensitivity to ethylene,  by lowering the temperature during transport. Another method that is used commercially is by spraying the leaves using a compound antagonistic to ethylene, which can suppress the production of ethylene in flower, and reduce the bad influence of ethylene.

Lack of watering a beautiful flowering plants and let it wilt will reduce the life demonstration. Instead the excess water will cause damage to the roots, so the plants easily damaged. Better irrigated crops every day or every two days, depending on the level of light, temperature and humidity, as well as size and growth media. Watering made ??to the media without wetting the flowers and leaves.

Optimum light required by each plant must be maintained to produce plants that have the better appearance, the maximum number of flowers, leaves forming a perfect, beautiful flower color, plant height and adequate. Generally, a beautiful flowering potted plants will establish the maximum amount with interest in beautiful colors on high-lighted room conditions, although direct sunlight be avoided.