STORAGE AND FORCING METHODS OF CARNATION CUT AT THE BUD STAGE

The experiments were conducted to establish a method for marketing bud ded carnation shoots for Mother's Day. To supply flowers of high quali ty, we investigated some important conditions as follows; storage pote ntial of the flowers, silver thiosulphate (STS) application to extend vase life, the use of a greenhouse as a forcing room and treatment by commercial forcing solutions. 1. Buds of carnation 'Coral' were forced after various storage periods. A storage period longer than 16 weeks is not advisable because it delays the onset of anthesis. The longest practical storage period is 12 weeks. 2. The carnation shoots stored f or 4 weeks at 1-degrees-C were successfully forced in a greenhouse in early May. The color of the petals was nearly normal. 3. After storage for 4 weeks at 1-degrees-C, dipping the cut ends of carnation shoots in 1 mM STS for 2 hr extended the vase life to 26.8 days. 4. High-grad e cut flowers for Mother's Day were obtained by using a greenhouse as a forcing room, together with the application of an STS dip after stor age, and a treatment with a commercial forcing solution. This forcing method is simple and makes the availability of carnation flowers for M other's Day predictable.