98 Horticulture Today
Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Plants cultivated for fl oriculture include bedding plants, houseplants,
potted or container plants, and cut fl owers and foliage. Many of the plants
and fl owers are grown to fi ll seasonal and holiday demands. For example,
fl orists have three mainstay holidays: Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and
Christmas. The primary fl owers and plants used for these holidays are:
• Red roses for Valentine’s Day.
• Corsages, standard arrangements, dish gardens, container
arrangements, and fl owering plants for Mother’s Day.
• Poinsettias and evergreens for Christmas.
Other popular holiday plants include lilies for Easter and
chrysanthemums for both spring and fall decorating. These plants are often
sold in pots for the garden or in mixed containers for use on a porch or patio.
Nursery and Landscape Industry
The nursery and landscape industry cultivates and arranges outdoor
plant materials to create spaces that are inviting, beautiful, and useful to
people and the ecosystem. There are countless subdivisions and occupational
opportunities within this facet of horticulture. The nursery and landscape
industry is often referred to as the green industry.
Postharvest: Physiology and Technology
Horticulture
Hands-On Hands-On
Horticulturists are always racing to get
harvested products to the consumer because
from the moment a crop is harvested, it begins
to decompose. People who work and study this
area of horticulture are in the field of postharvest.
Postharvest is the cooling, cleaning, sorting,
storing, packing, and shipping of produce, flowers,
and other plant materials. Because postharvest
principles apply to everything from cut flowers in
floriculture to apples in pomology, scientists and
technologists studying and developing postharvest
techniques may work in any of these areas.
The goals of postharvest include preventing
spoilage and prolonging shelf life. The methods
used to reach these goals vary by product. For
example, all harvested crops have optimum
storage conditions that include temperature and
humidity ranges. Storing crops at less than optimum
temperature or humidity ranges will often hasten
ripening or degradation.
Some harvested crops cannot be stored
together because one may hasten the ripening or
senescence (biological aging) of the other. This
is usually the result of a natural chemical called
ethylene. Ethylene is a hormone produced and
emitted in varying quantities by different fruits and
vegetables. Ethylene is also emitted by decaying
plant materials. Some fruits, vegetables, and flowers
are more sensitive to ethylene than others, and care
should be taken to know which crops should not
be stored together. Do you know which fruits and
vegetables should not be stored together?
Postharvest goals are also achieved through
proper sanitation techniques. These techniques are
used to suppress pathogenic exposure and growth
and prevent damage that may lead to physical and
chemical changes in the product.
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