The longevity of cut leaves in flower arrangements is an important commercial consideration in horticultural practices. Here we report on the effect of short-term cold storage, in combination with a cytokinin treatment, on the post harvest longevity of cut leaves of Hosta ‘Minima Glauca’ and Hosta ‘Golden Tiara’. Cut leaves were stored dry or wet in polyethylene bags for 2 or 4 days in darkness or in light at 6°C and then transferred to 20°C where their vase life was compared with those of freshly cut leaves. Storage length and method affected the vase life of detached leaves of both Hosta cultivars; however, reduced longevity of leaves in storage could not be attributed to a single parameter of the storage conditions. Pulse conditioning with a cytokinin benzyladenine was effective in prolonging vase life both in non stored and stored leaves, in the latter increasing it 2.5-fold as compared to untreated leaves. Practical implications are that cold storage can be successfully used for cut Hosta leaves but only in combination with a BA pre-treatment.

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