Floral Bootcamp

Written by Gay Smith

GOAL: Solve your customer’s problems—win more sales!The BasicsTemperature is #1 critical point in quality

• A direct relationship exists between temperature, rate of respiration and longevity

• Cooler set-points = 34 — 38F. Tropical flowers and foliages = 50-55F

Flowers are dirty

• Always include a germicide in the solution to ensure solution flow

• They bleed enzymes, organic juices and carbohydrates into the water when cut

• Bacteria explode in this soup

Mix solutions with COLD water

• Cold travels faster in stems than warm water so flowers harden-off faster

• Will not provide longer vase life or affect rate of flower opening

Measure when mixing flower solutions

• Guesstimating wastes $$ and/or results in a bacterial soup

Clean buckets matter

• Scrub buckets with a floral detergent

• If really dirty, dip in a bleach rinse

• Always use a plastic liner in metal buckets, vases or containers

• Pitch old buckets: impossible to sanitize when plastic gets deeply pitted, scratched and 
gouged

Length of treatment time is important

• When it comes to hydration, there’s no such thing as a quick dip. It takes time to fill stems

• Flowers take up 75-80% of total amt of solution in first hour

Ethylene kills

• Ethylene damage is a function of flower age, temperature, length of exposure, and 
concentration of ethylene

• STS provides continual protection for sensitive flowers when blooms are treated 
at farm level

• Ethylbloc is best suited to protecting during transit (cuts and plants)

Botrytis is the #1 problem

• Keep flowers dry

• Location is critical factor in lowering shrink

Mechanical damage is costing you thousands of dollars in shrink

• Impact damage

• Bruising

• Nets on Fuji’s, gerberas in trays or rackets, wood wool scratching florets

• Blooms scraping against bottom of upper shelving units

No solution will make a bad flower good