Post-harvest quality and longevity of cut flowers are critical factors influencing customer satisfaction and purchase decisions. Maintaining post-harvest quality and ensuring a long vase life (VL) present significant challenges to the floriculture industry due to the perishable nature of cut flowers. Recent studies have demonstrated the potential of melatonin (MT), a multifunctional biomolecule, to improve the post-harvest quality and longevity of floricultural products. This review highlights recent advances in the application of MT to improve the longevity and post-harvest quality of cut flowers. The physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms underlying MT’s effects, along with various application methods, are discussed. Furthermore, current challenges and knowledge gaps are identified, and future research directions are proposed to explore MT’s potential in diverse flower species and its practical application in the cut flower industry.

The herbaceous peony (Paeonia lactiflora Pall.) flower is one of the most important ornamental plants in current international flower markets and is widely used for festive occasions because of its bright colors, large flowers, pleasant scent, and plump flower shape. However, the cut peony flowers have a relatively short postharvest life in vases compared to other flower species. The short vase life and susceptibility to gray mold disease caused by Botrytis cinerea significantly influence the commercial value of cut peonies. Here, we reviewed the main factors for postharvest quality reduction in cut peony flowers and the various postharvest treatments aiming for vase life extension and enhancing gray mold disease resistance in cut peonies. Chemical treatments, including ethylene inhibitors, antimicrobial agents, and other preservatives, have been assessed for their effectiveness in improving vase life. Moreover, physical treatments, such as temperature management, controlled atmosphere storage, and dry storage methods, were also discussed for their effectiveness in delaying flower senescence and reducing gray mold disease infection. The review also highlighted the importance of cultivar-specific responses to gray mold disease, ethylene, and water stress, which is important for the development of new effective and specific postharvest practices to improve the vase life of cut peonies.

Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus L.) is a globally important cut flower, and its postharvest longevity is a key determinant of commercial value. Flower senescence in carnation is a genetically programmed yet environmentally modulated process involving coordinated physiological, biochemical, hormonal, and molecular changes. This review synthesizes recent advances in the regulation of carnation petal senescence, with a particular focus on ethylene (ETH)-dependent signaling, hormonal crosstalk, metabolic regulation, and emerging molecular control layers. ETH acts as the central regulator of senescence, interacting with abscisic acid, cytokinins, gibberellins, and auxins to control the timing and progression of petal aging. Recent studies have identified key regulatory genes, including DcACS1, DcACO1, DcEIL3-1, DcWRKY75, DcNAP1/2, DcATX1, and m⁶A methylation-related factors, revealing multilayered control of senescence progression. Emerging evidence further demonstrates that RNA m⁶A modification links ETH signaling with antioxidant capacity and metabolic homeostasis. We propose an integrated regulatory network model that connects hormonal crosstalk, environmental cues, transcriptional control, and post-transcriptional regulation. This updated framework provides mechanistic insights into developing targeted postharvest treatments and breeding strategies to extend vase life of cut carnation flowers.