Product: PincushionBotanical name: Leucospermum patersonii × L. cordifoliumCultivar: ‘High Gold’

LEUCO

SPER

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HIGH G

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Quality specifications for Australian wildflowers

Product: PincushionBotanical nam

e: Leucospermum

patersonii × L. cordifolium

Cultivar: ‘High Gold’

Leucospermum flowers are commonly called ‘pincushions’ on account of their rounded, symmetrical flower heads, which have masses of styles, or ‘pins’, sticking outwards.

‘High Gold’ is a vigorous, early-flowering cultivar with large, bright yellow flower heads up to 8.5 cm in diameter. The flowers appear to glow against the dark green, heart-shaped leaves.

Each ball-shaped flower head consists of many individual florets. Each has ‘petals’ (botanically tepals, which are sepals and petals fused together in a tube), from which the style (‘pin’), folded over in the bud, opens outwards, first looping out from the flower head, and later fully releasing to point outwards. Initially the pin is curved, following the line of the flower head, but when the flower head matures, the pins all point upwards like pins in a pincushion. As the pins emerge, the tepals reflex to show their golden yellow tones.

The individual florets open sequentially from the base of the bloom. Often the pins come out first on one side, but then even out around the head. The correct picking stage is determined by the number of individual pins in the bloom that are looped and pointing out. Harvesting at the correct stage of opening is critical for maximum vase life.

Most Leucospermum species are spreading shrubs that produce many flowers per unit area of crop, usually in spring. Good yields are achieved once the plants reach 2 to 3 years of age.

Leucospermum species are indigenous to southern Africa, growing on nutrient-

deficient, acidic, sandstone-derived soils. However, they adapt to a wide range of soil types within a narrow range of pH and fertility, as long as the drainage is good. Pincushions are grown for cut

flowers in Australia, in Israel, and in the volcanic soils of Hawaii and the Canary Islands.

Plants are fast growing but susceptible to root problems (Phytophthora root rot and root knot nematode) and fungal leaf spots, as well as botrytis. Frost will damage foliage and flowers, and if severe can kill the plants. Pruning plants hard after flowering encourages long, strong stems for the next season’s crop and keeps plants at a manageable height.

Pincushions have an excellent postharvest life, making them popular on both domestic and export markets. ‘High Gold’ is susceptible to water stress: lack of water makes the flower heads go soft, but heads will rehydrate. Pick straight into buckets of deep water if the weather is hot.

The flower heads are fragile and the pins are very easily broken off or bent. The whole head will easily snap off if handled roughly. For this reason, the flowers need to be harvested at the correct stage (when relatively few pins are sticking out) and handled carefully. During transport in boxes, the heads must be protected with shredded paper. On unpacking, the heads may appear flattened, but the pins will spring out again if they are handled carefully and are well hydrated.

Growers should aim for a single flower head at the tip of a long, straight stem. Secondary flower heads may develop and should be flicked off (disbudded) while they are small to avoid unsightly stubs on the marketed stem.

Flowering season: August–December.

Typical vase life: 15 days.Export can reduce the vase life, especially if the transport conditions are not cold, the product dries out, or transport takes too long.

Other products to which this specification can be generally applied: other selections of Leucospermum; e.g. L. cordifolium and selections; L. ‘Scarlet Ribbons’.

Typical bunches look like this (shown with and without sleeves):

Common defeCts

Bird (parrot) damage: tips of pins missing on right side of flower head – discard

Stage 1 Immature stage – all styles tightly looped: unacceptable to markets

Stage 2Early stage (earliest stage to market, especially for export) – up to 30% of basal styles open and curved

Double-headed stem – discard

Product: Pincushion

Common defects to be avoided at market entry:

n Damaged or deformed flower heads

n Insect or bird damage

n Overmature product

n Multiheaded stems

n Undersized flower heads

n Poor-quality foliage

stAGes of oPenInG

Brown patch on stem and poor leaf quality

– discard

Poor leaf quality (due to frost in previous season)

– discard

Frost-damaged leaves and stem (damage occurred

before bud set) – discard

Insect borer damage – discard

The stages shown apply to the product at market entry. Pay attention to the weather, time of year, and mode and duration of transport, because the flowers will continue to open during transport. You must consult with your target market to ensure that the flowers arrive at the desired stage.

Stage 3Mid stage (later stage for export and early stage for domestic markets) – 50%–75% of pins curved (but not pointing straight up)

Stage 4Mature stage – all pins curved: suitable for domestic markets

Stage 5Overmature – centre of flower head turning brown: unaccepted by markets

Deformed flower head – discard

Abnormal pins (small and shrivelled) – discard

Broken pins – avoid by handling and packing flowers

more carefully

Old stock showing discoloured leaves – discard and

do not market

Yellow foliage (left) compared with healthy foliage (right) – avoid through adequate crop nutrition

‘FLOWERS’

Appearance Flower head fully formed, evenly rounded and at final size.Top of flower head firm and round, not pointed.Flower head well coloured: green and luminescent, rather than yellow.Flower size proportional to stem length – market smaller heads on shorter stems.Flower head follows in a straight line from the stem (and is not offset from the stem at >15°).Flower head not hidden by leaves.

When to harvest

Flower mass (dome) firm: up to 30% (export) or 50%–75% (domestic) of pins at the base open and curved; remaining pins looped or loosening.Do not harvest when flowers are wet.

Damage No damaged, broken or missing pins.No asymmetrical, deformed or damaged blooms.No secondary blooms – these must be removed early or there will be ugly scars where they have been cut off.

Contamination Ensure the flowers are free of grit and soil, weeds or weed seeds, and signs of insects or spiders, such as webbing.

Pests and diseases

No apparent pest, bird or disease damage. A preharvest spray to chase out insects and spiders may assist.Discard any poor-quality product with insects or fungal infections.Picking flowers at the correct stage, when few pins are pointing out, reduces risk of insects, like bees, being trapped within the flower head. When flowers are picked more open, birds may have already damaged the pins.

LEAVES

Appearance Fresh, dark green, and uniform in colour.Not dull or wilted.Minimum discoloration (<3% by area and affecting <10% of leaves).

At harvest Strip leaves from at least the lower 20 cm and up to the lower half of the stem, depending on customer requirements.Be careful not to damage the stem – cut with sharp secateurs.

Damage No spotted, diseased, yellow or damaged leaves.Minimum evidence of pests, diseases or other blemishes such as mechanical damage. Leaves entire (no insect feeding damage).Free of visible chemical residues.

STEMS

Appearance Rigid and strong enough to support blooms, without being too heavy and bulky.Bend <15°.Free of disfiguring trim marks or other blemishes.Neatly cut end.

Length According to market demand, typically as recommended in ‘Grading and bunching’ below.

RECOMMENDED HANDLING AT HARVEST

Minimise drying out and exposure to heat – pick when it is cool, preferably straight into buckets of clean potable water containing a registered biocide, or a reputable commercial postharvest solution, and hold in the shade.Move cut stems promptly to a cool, shaded packing area. Cool quickly to remove field heat and stop the blooms from continuing to open.

GRADING AND BUNCHING

Grading Handle carefully, aiming to keep flowers from interlocking, which damages them.Grade quickly to minimise the time that stems are out of water.Reject any contaminated stems.Sort stems according to length and thickness: flower head proportional to stem length (typically 20%–25% of the total stem length for larger blooms). Market smaller heads on shorter stems.

Bunching When bunching, aim to keep flowers from interlocking, as they will be damaged later when the customer tries to separate them.Stems are typically bunched in 5s, with the heads offset from one another, or depending on customer requirements. Stems within a bunch should be approximately the same diameter, with the ends aligned.Tie bunches firmly near the base, and use a sleeve to give further support.

Stem length Large blooms on stems 60 cm or longer are sold as single stems. Shorter lengths are generally marketed in bunches.

Stem length (cm)

90

80

70

60

50

40 (small-headed)

Sleeves Sleeves help to maintain quality by improving product appearance, limiting flower interlocking, reducing drying out and making it easier to pack. Select the sleeve size to suit the bunch size.

Product: Pincushion

HOLDING AND STORAGE

Cooling Effective cooling soon after harvest is important to retaining quality and maximising vase life. There are two options:• Cool, process, cool – for example, remove field

heat by cooling flowers immediately on entry into shed to 10 °C in buckets of solution, process flowers (bunch, grade), and then cool to 2–4 °C by either forced-air cooling (if boxed) or holding overnight in a cool room.

• Process within 1 hour of cutting, and then cool to 2–4 °C by either forced-air cooling for 20–30 minutes (if boxed) or holding overnight in a cool room (if in buckets).

Forced-air cooling of packed flowers is ideal for large volumes of product.

Temperature and humidity

Hold in a high-humidity cool room (95%) at 2–4 °C.Another way of achieving high humidity is to cover the flowers with plastic sleeves or plastic sheeting, as long as there is no condensation on the leaves, which can lead to postharvest decay.

Pulsing Vase life of some Leucospermum species, including ‘High Gold’, has been increased by a postharvest pulse with glucose (10–20 g/L for 20 hours at 18 °C).

Postharvest solutions

Postharvest solution: Hold in clean potable water with an added registered biocide registered for postharvest use in cut flowers.Holding solution: Same as postharvest solution. Sell quickly.

Longer-term storage

For longer storage seek professional advice and test in the market before committing product.Loss of leaf quality is likely to be a greater problem after storage.

PACKAGING

Pack only dry, cold flowers.Especially for export, stems in each box should be approximately the same diameter and length, and flower head size should be consistent.Pack with flower heads at each end of the box and stems in the middle to avoid damaging blooms.Pack stems firmly in boxes or use export hooks or stem breaks so the product will not move and be damaged. Use shredded paper to protect flower heads. Avoid packing too many stems per box.Use boxes with holes to allow forced-air cooling.Minimise water loss. For long-distance shipping consider lining boxes with a layer of paper.Cool flowers to 2–4 °C before transport.

LABELLING AND DOCUMENTATION

Label boxes and buckets as recommended in Postharvest Manual* or as required by customer.Ensure box contents are exactly the same as specified in the documentation and on the end of the box.

TRANSPORT

Refrigerated vehicle at 2–4 °C for long-distance transport.

COMMON POSTHARVEST PROBLEMS Refer to Postharvest Manual* for general advice.

Insects (for export)

Avoid postharvest dips, which can damage the pins.Fumigate flowers before dispatch.Shake out any dead insects after fumigating and before packing.

Ethylene sensitivity

‘High Gold’ is not sensitive to ethylene.

Messages for importers and wholesalersn Recut stems and place into fresh water containing a reputable commercial

postharvest solution, a registered biocide or cut-flower food. Vase life of some Leucospermum species, including ‘High Gold’, has been increased by including 10–20 g/L glucose in the vase solutions.

n Cool product before marketing or sending on and keep it cool.n Maintain good hygiene and keep containers clean.

Messages for retailersn Recut stems and place into fresh water containing cut-flower food or a

registered biocide. Vase life of some Leucospermum species, including ‘High Gold’, has been increased by including 10–20 g/L glucose in the vase solutions.

n Use clean buckets and containers for displays.n Do not display flowers in areas that are exposed to full sun, draughts, high

temperatures or vehicle exhausts, and preferably do not display near fruit and vegetables. Use refrigerated displays if possible.

n Tell the customer how to care for the flowers and emphasise the need for cut-flower food in solutions. Give the customer a sachet of cut-flower food to take home.

Messages for consumersn Keep vase filled with the correct solution of cut-flower food. Check daily, as

flowers can use a lot of water. If cut-flower food is not used, change the water at least every second day. Always use clean vases and clean water.

n Do not display in areas that are exposed to full sun, draughts or high temperatures. Keep as cool as possible without freezing.

n Discard other flower types in the same vase when they reach the end of their vase life.

Authors: Bettina Gollnow. Photographs: Dr Ross Worrall and Lowan Turton. This publication is one of a series of Quality Specifications for Australian Wildflowers. ISSN 1440-6845. ISBN 978-1-74254-020-7. RIRDC Publication No. 10/047. www.rirdc.gov.au *The Postharvest Manual is the manual ‘Postharvest Handling of Australian Flowers from Australian Native Plants and Related Species’, 2nd edition, 2010. ISBN 978-1-74254-000-9. RIRDC Publication No.10/027.Both publications were developed by RIRDC Project No. PRJ-000331.

SUPPORTING INDUSTRY PARTNER: The information contained in this publication is intended for general use to assist public knowledge and discussion and to help improve the development of sustainable regions. You must not rely on any information contained in this publication without taking specialist advice relevant to your particular circumstances. The Commonwealth of Australia, the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC), the authors or contributors expressly disclaim, to the maximum extent permitted by law, all responsibility and liability to any person, arising directly or indirectly from any act or omission, or for any consequences of any such act or omission, made in reliance on the contents of this publication, whether or not caused by any negligence on the part of the Commonwealth of Australia, RIRDC, the authors or contributors.© 2010 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. This publication is copyright. Apart from any use as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, all other rights are reserved. Requests concerning reproduction and rights should be addressed to the RIRDC Publications Manager on phone 02 6271 4165.

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