Horticultural Science and Technology ISSN:1226-8763(Print) 2465-8588(Online) 원예과학기술지

The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of the cultivation environment in different seasons on the quality and longevity of the cut spray rose ‘Lovely Lydia’ (Rosa hybrida L.). According to our analysis, the high outdoor temperature in the summer led to a higher temperature inside the greenhouse. The relative humidity (RH) also increased because of the mist spray that was used to lower the temperature. These changes in the cultivation environment resulted in shorter longevity and lower quality of cut roses during summer compared to that of other seasons. The average minimum temperature during summer was 19.82°C, which was higher than the optimum night temperature of 15 ‑ 18°C; thus, the initial characteristics of cut flowers were affected by the high minimum temperature, which also led to a decline in quality. Flower stem length, upper and lower flower stem diameters, fresh weight, and the number of florets were also affected by the season. Plant length was longer in spring cut roses compared to roses grown in other seasons. Analysis of the vase life of postharvest cut flowers showed that summer cut roses lasted 4.6 days, which was more than 4 days shorter than that of spring cut flowers. The vase life of cut flowers gradually increased from summer to winter and then to spring. The longer vase life of the spring roses may be related to good water status through proper stomatal function of the cut flowers. The high temperature and humid growth environment during summer limited stomata movement in the cut roses because of the moisture control, which led to less water uptake compared to other seasons. In summary, it maintains the optimum growth environment for roses, and thereby improve cut flower characteristics and quality.