Managing Shrink through proper care techniques
Managing shrink is critical to business success when
your product line is highly perishable. Profits disappear in subtle
ways – designers pick the points of leather leaf stems and toss the
remainder on the floor. Shrink happens when deliveries sit out of
coolers for hours after wholesale drop-off. What about cooler rotation?
Do you adhere to a first in, first out rotation protocol or does
“arbitrary” better describe your system? A clear focus on product
handling will reduce shrink. The money you save in shrink falls
directly to the bottom line.
Urban Myths Prevail
Handling methods like poking pinholes in tulip stems to get them upright or adding 7-Up to buckets as flower food makes me cringe. Even worse is when Martha Stewart advocates the use of Clorox and sugar cocktails for vase solutions. To keep handling procedures simple use this easy equation from Dr. Terril Nell, a post-harvest expert at the University of Florida. Nell says to focus on the three C’s - clean, cold and care. When you understand the functions of various treatment options, it’s easy to utilize those best suited to the flower types you are processing.
Temperature is HUGE
Set point for coolers is 1-3 C. Tropical cooler set point is 10-13 C. Temperature is the number one consideration in maintaining flower quality. Too cold and flowers freeze. Too hot and they dehydrate. With fluctuating temperatures, flowers go from cold to ambient and condensation develops on blooms. If Botrytis spores are present the condensation provides “free water” needed for the disease to take off.
As flowers respire, they age and the respiration process is directly tied to temperature. As temperature rises, respiration increases and blooms move through their life cycle faster. Flowers respire three times faster at 20 C than at 4 C. Display product in coolers if you want to slow down respiration. Room temperature isn’t wrong, but at ambient temperature, it’s important to watch solution levels and top up with fresh solution (not tap water) frequently. Change floor buckets at least one to two days earlier than those in the cooler.
Watch For Botrytis
Botrytis is an air-borne fungal disease that appears as a beige spot in the beginning and looks like bread mold if left unchecked. To reduce the incidence of Botrytis, remove any infected tissues and keep flower heads dry. Position sensitive flowers like gerberas and roses in low-drip areas so blooms don’t get dripped on as customers pull stems. Let grower bunches sit out for 30-60 minutes when processing so condensation evaporates from inside the sleeves. Don’t cram buckets when processing – give ample room for air flow between bunches. Keep cooler floors dry to reduce incidence of Botrytis infection.
Botany 101
Flowers basically stop photosynthesizing once harvested so it is important to add carbohydrates to water to insure excellent vase performance. It can be difficult to hydrate roses and bouvardia because they have very small vascular systems. Bacteria and air bubbles are the major culprits in blocking flow, but flowers also exude enzymes and secretions that can block stems, so keeping flower solutions clean is critical.
Bacteria
Crops like sunflowers, snaps, gerbera and celosia have fleshy stems that get easily plugged with bacteria. Blooms grown in the field often arrive with soil and organic material on the stems. This “bioload” accelerates bacterial growth when flowers are placed in water. Starting sanitation is critical in terms of clean buckets, sharp tools and well-dosed processing solutions. Remember, if you wouldn’t drink it or out if it, neither will your flowers.
Product handling is key to reducing shrink and maximizing vase performance. Customers are “wowed” when performance exceeds expectations. C&H may lack the glitz and glamour of stylish designs, but it makes a huge difference in customer satisfaction.
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