Effect of growing conditions on the performance of potted plants in the interior plantscaping

The growing conditions and cultivation managements are responsible for the ornamental quality of plants at commercial stage and on post-production quality such as in indoor plantscaping. The major post-production disorders are represented by bud and flower abscission in the flowering potted plants or leaf abscission or yellowing in the foliage potted plants. Pre-harvest conditions can allow the accumulation of reserves and preserving the ornamental quality during the distribution chain and at the utilization stage. The quality losses of foliage potted plants intended for indoor use are mainly due to leaf senescence usually linked to an inadequate hardening before commercialization. The foliage plants that are transferred to indoor conditions can easily lose their leaves. This phenomenon occurs when plants have not lowered the light compensation point. To support this process the foliage plants are usually grown in shaded greenhouses; these plants, in fact, benefit from the irradiance reduction during the production phase to obtain a better adaptation to the harsh conditions of indoor environments. The shaded plants modify morpho-physiological parameters (i.e. biomass partitioning, photosynthetic response, canopy architecture) to better maximize photon absorption under low radiation availability. The shading conditions could also improve the ornamental characteristics of the plants, often linked to the leaf characteristics.