Sources of the Bacteria Involved in Vascular Occlusion of Cut Rose Flowers

Abstract

Cut rose (Rosa hybrida L.) flowers placed in water often wilt prematurely, which is partially due to bacterial accumulation in the stems. Bacterial strains in the stems are mainly pseudomonads and enterobacteria. The possible sources of these organisms were investigated in `Sweet Promise' (trade name Sonia) roses. No bacteria were found in the xylem of intact plants. Cutting the stems with sterile secateurs introduced no bacteria at the cut surface or the stem interior, but cutting with nonsterile secateurs used by rose growers did. The secateurs sampled at rose growers contained Enterobacter agglomerans along with several other bacteria not found inside the xylem of cut flowers but did not contain pseudomonads. Although the plant surface may contain bacteria, freshly cut stems placed in water introduced no bacteria. Bacteria rapidly developed on the cut surface and inside the water-conducting elements when rose stems were placed in tap water, even when the stems had been surface-sterilized. However, there were no bacteria in vase water when the water and the stem surface had been sterilized. Since the stem and the secateurs are not a main source of bacteria inside stems and tap water contains pseudomonads and Enterobacter spp., we conclude that tap water is the main source of the bacteria inside cut rose stems.