What Causes Bent Neck Roses?

In a holiday or celebration, there will always be a purchased rose bouquet to display. But as time progresses, that beautiful rose bouquet flopped over, resembling the perfect buds on mushy stems. What happened? One of the hard to avoid things in the flower trade is bent neck in roses. This would potentially prevent customers from coming back. Here’s some basic knowledge on what causes bent neck in roses and how you can prevent it from tarnishing your investment.

Premature Harvest

When roses are harvested way too early, they are at a risk of becoming what is termed by the growers in the trade as “Bullets.” The flowers that you have received in the past that were promised to bloom never actually reached it point. Why? Flowers stick to their bud form and wither, eventually. Bullets are most likely to experience bent neck failure. So the next time you purchase roses, don’t take that “bullet”: look for those roses which appears to be full and lush and are unfurled even if it’s still bud. Lastly, if the roses are sealed up real tight, avoid them.

Susceptible Variety

Rose varieties that are commercially manufactured like “Cool Water” and “Pretty Belinda” are most likely to be susceptible to bent neck than other varieties. To counter this problem, florists add calcium sulfate to the water in the vase. This makes the bud to open and increases the flower’s life.  Cultivars of modern rose are less likely to bent neck for they are increasingly resistant. Consumers should not about browsing for rose varieties that will not flop. In times of doubt, white or yellow rose are the way to go. They open quickly and live past the first few days where bent neck occurs.

Post-Harvest Stress

Removing preserving measures like refrigeration and hydration can help low-budget flower operations to save money. As roses arrive at the florist, they may not be that old. However, if poorly handed, rose may age many times faster than a high-grade rose. When is and when is not a bargain? When that cheap rose arrangement of yours does not make it past 24 hours. Spending a bit more gives you roses that thrive for a week or so.

Improper Storage

A good relationship with your local florist is always a great investment. Flowers that are on sale are questionable. They might be past their sell-by date. Roses that are not properly refrigerated are at risk of bent neck. When you are at a different city and are unfamiliar with the florists, check for old roses. They have dry, brown leaves and most likely stored in warm temperatures.

Exposure to Ethylene

Imagine a flower shrouded in great horror whilst standing next to the danger of the ethylene-exhaling apples. Putting flowers next to produce is one of the biggest mistakes in most of the floral departments in grocery stores. Ethylene gas has grave effects on flowers. It causes premature aging and can promote bent neck to flowers. Fruits are not the only suspects; smoke from lighted cigarette contains ethylene too.  Second hand smoking is bad for both people and flowers.

Insufficient Water Uptake

Water is an essential raw material for flowers and if it does not flow, it will cause bent neck in the next 36 hours. Florists have done their part and so should the consumers. Consumers need to condition the flowers at home to avoid bent neck. Under a running water, rose stems must be recut before display. Flower food may be used to nourish the flowers and reduce bacteria. A way to reduce bacteria is through changing the vase water every day. Bent neck is closely attributed to an air bubble clogged in the stem; a stem clogged with bacteria to be exact.