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Yellow Aster, Solid Aster

Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality

yellowaster034
Michael S. Reid

Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis

Maturity & Quality

Description

x Solidaster luteus. The “x” prior to the generic name indicates that this species is an inter-generic hybrid, the result of crossing two different genera (Aster and Solidago). The specific epithet luteus means yellow. Originated in the Leonard Lille Nursery located in Lyon, France (1910).

Quality Indices

The flowers are normally harvested with 2-4 open blooms on the spike. Although earlier harvest provides a spike that is more resistant to transportation, the buds are unlikely to open after transport unless properly pre-treated. Flowers for the local market may be harvested with more open flowers on the spike. It is unfortunately difficult to determine whether tuberose flowers have been effectively pre-treated prior to purchase. Look for straight stems, unblemished blooms, and work with your supplier to ensure that the flowers have been properly pretreated.

Grading and Bunching

As with other filler flowers, bunches are normally made by size or weight.

Ethylene Sensitivity

Like other members of the Asteraceae, solidaster flowers are not sensitive to ethylene.

Pretreatments

Like Solidago, solidaster flowers probably would benefit from a cytokinins pulse treatment to delay leaf yellowing.

Storage Conditions

Solidaster should be stored at 0-1°C.

Packing

Solidaster are normally packed in standard horizontal fibreboard boxes.

Special Considerations

If flowers are too immature when harvested, they may not develop to their maximum beauty. Treat like most other members of the chrysanthemum family. Leaves should be stripped from the stem as they rot underwater and will foul the vase solution. Make sure that buckets, vases, and solution are kept clean.

Date

October 2004

Use of Materials

The UC Postharvest Technology Center grants users permission to download textual pages (including PDF files) from this World Wide Web site for personal use or to reproduce them for educational purposes, but credit lines and copyright notices within the pages must not be removed or modified.

Except for these specified uses, no part of the textual materials available on the UC Postharvest Technology Center Web site may be copied, downloaded, stored in a retrieval system, further transmitted or otherwise reproduced, stored, disseminated, transferred or used, in any form or by any means, except as permitted herein or with the University of California's prior written agreement. Request permission from UC Postharvest Technology Center. Distribution for commercial purposes is prohibited.

The information in this fact sheet represents our best understanding of the current state of knowledge at the time of the latest update, and does not represent an exhaustive review of all research results. Links to any of these UC Postharvest Technology Center pages are permitted, but no endorsement of the linking site or products mentioned in the linking page is intended or implied by such a link.

How to Cite

Author(s) names. Initial publication or update date (located at the top). Title. Link to the specific Produce Fact Sheet webpage (Accessed date)

Example: Cantwell, M. and T. Suslow. 2002. Lettuce, Crisphead: Recommendations for Maintaining Postharvest Quality. 

http://ucanr.edu/sites/Postharvest_Technology_Center_/Commodity_Resources/Fact_Sheets/Datastores/Vegetables_English/?uid=19&ds=799 (Accessed January 18, 2014).

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