Postharvest moisture loss from bare-root roses affects performance of containerized plants

Five cultivars of bare-root rose plants were exposed to increasing periods of drying and after rehydration were grown in containers until flowering in a plastic-covered greenhouse. At the start of the experiment, moisture content of well-hydrated roses was between 51% and 56%. Five or 7 h of drying resulted in moisture contents below 43% for four of the cultivars and caused up to 80% mortality, increased time to iower, and decreased the number of flowering shoots. 'First Prize' was most tolerant of drying conditions and all plants survived, whereas 'Mister Lincoln' plants were most susceptible and had poor regrowth performance. Whole-plant moisture of 'Mister Lincoln' was similar to that in the stem or shank, which means that aboveground components instead of the entire plant can be used for moisture determination.