Maturity and Quality
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.
Postharvest Handling and Storage
Solidaster should be stored at 0-1°C.
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.
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.
Disorders
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).