Abstract
Moisture loss from bare-root plants during postharvest handling and storage can have a significant effect on plant growth and survival during establishment. Three film-forming antitranspirants and hot wax were applied to bare-root roses packaged after harvesting from the field and before three months of cold storage to determine effects on vegetative growth and flowering. Subsequently, during three weeks under display conditions, plants treated with hot wax resumed growth at the fastest rate compared to control or antitranspirant treatments. Hot wax-treated plants continued to grow at a faster rate than the other plants for two weeks following transplanting in the field. For the remaining 10 weeks of the experiment no differences in vegetative growth or flowering development were found between treatments. Over 70% of the plants treated with hot wax became sunburned, resulting in severe cane damage and plant dieback. Less than 20% of the plants from the other treatments were damaged.
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