Anturium-Harvest and storage

Anthuriums are generally harvested when the spadix is almost fully developed. Flowers picked too early may wilt quickly.

Development of true flowers on spadix is also used as a criterion for determining the harvest stage. The flowers are harvested with its long stem when one-third of the true flowers on spadix are fully developed.

The harvested flower stems are placed in lukewarm water (38°C) overnight prior to shipment. The flower stems can also be placed in flasks containing water which are packed in moist boxes.

There are several methods for packing cut flowers. In recent past, methods such as packing the flowers in plastic bags before placing in cartons or dipping the spadix in melted paraffin to reduce moisture loss are very popular.

The most commonly used box sizes for packing anthurium flowers are 21.6 x 50.8 x 91.4 cm or 27.9 x 43.2 x 101.6 cm which can accommodate at least 10 dozen flowers.

Lining of cartons with polythene sheet and moist paper insulation are necessary to maintain proper humidity as well as to prevent injuries to the flowers.