By Dr. Yoseph Shoub


High Quality Stems Pay Back


The importance of the gerbera stem quality should concern us - breeders, growers, flower shops, and clients - as producing, selling, and enjoying high quality gerberas is our mutual interest. In our flower industry the stem qualities (length, strength, geotropic reactions, longevity, color of leaves, etc.) are equivalent to or have a commercial importance to the flower itself. If these factors are gener- ally important, with gerbera it is even more critical. The flower-stem of the gerbera has no structural support, therefore it needs distinct care.


Figure 1. In most of the plants the stem-nodes serve as structural support. The flower-stem of the gerbera does not have such support.


carrying leaves and flowers. The stem nodes are very important locations; they are the sites on the stem where primary hormonal processes, as flowering- induction and cell-differentiation occur. They are the sites where leaves, buds, side-branches, flowers, and fruits are initiated. The stem nodes, like crossroads, act also as a structural support for the plant itself (Figure 1).


T


he common name for the products that we produce and sell is Flowers. But in fact, we sell cut stems - a sequence of nodes and internodes -


In the case of the gerbera, and few other cut flowers (some bulbous and corm plants), we harvest and sell only one internode (the scape).


rying 4 leaves (rosette), and they are very short (3 to 5 mm long in total). The uppermost internode is the “flower stem” that we cut and sell; it is very long (400


A Anode A new branch 3 Pepper 1 Gerbera Gypsophila Carnation


Figure 1. In most of the plants the stem-nodes serve as structural support. The flower-stem of the gerbera does not have such support.


16 FloralNews www.SelectaCutFlowers.com Figure 2. Sketch of a gerbera branch. 2 4


3-5mm long in total. Four rigid internodes


The ‘flower stem’ is only 1 internode.


It’s length is up to 750mm.


The second flower stem reaches the same diameter and length.


Gerbera branch is built of five nodes and five internodes (Figure 2). The lower four rigid in- ternodes developed at the soil level are car-


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