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Care & Handling: August/September 2006
FAQs about Flower Handling |
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Written by Gayle Smith
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FAQs about Flower Handling
Can you Pass the test?
For most florists, processing and preparing flowers for
design work is as integral a part of everyday activities as is
organizing the cash drawer of the register or turning on the
computer(s). Correct handling procedures have a huge impact on flower
performance so it makes sense to treat blooms according to their
various flower-type quirks.
Unfortunately, flower processing is often handled by the youngest and lowest paid employees. Usually, the training consists of a ten minute briefing with the person they are replacing and that’s pretty much it.
How well do you know your stuff? Below are questions queries I’ve received from florists over the past few months. Can you answer these FAQs??
1. What flowers are susceptible to Botrytis? All flowers, fruits and veggies are susceptible to this air-borne fungus. If Botrytis spores are present and they are in contact with 4 or more hours of moisture, they germinate
2. How do you control Botrytis? Sanitation and temperature management are the most important aspects of Botrytis control. Sanitize counters and tools several times daily with a commercial floral cleaner. Buckets need sanitizing each time they are emptied and cooler walls and floors need a monthly disinfection to keep spores from hunkering down in corners and waiting for the perfect conditions to take off.
Temperature management is very important, too. If flowers are moved in and out of the cooler, condensation forms on the blooms and inside sleeves. This micro layer of moisture is ample for the spores to germinate. Try to limit temperature fluctuations. If they are in the cooler, keep them there at 34-38ºF. Avoid blooms getting dripped-on as designers pull what they need from back stock buckets. Remember to let freshly processed bunches to sit outside the cooler for 30 minutes so condensation can evaporate from inside sleeve.
3. What is the advantage of using a commercial flower cleaner over bleach? To sanitize buckets and tools thoroughly, it’s important to use a detergent. The formulation of commercial flower cleaners insures residual effects. Bleach has no residual cleaning power.
4. Why is 34-38ºF the best temperature for back-stock coolers? Cold environments greatly reduce the transpiration rate (metabolism) of flowers which slows down deterioration. Ethylene is much less a problem at temperatures lower than 40ºF and cold environments slow down development of bacteria.
5. Does it really make a difference if every stem gets re-cut? Yes. Cut at least one inch from all stems whenever you are processing or transferring blooms into another solution. The exceptions are tulips, freesia and iris. These three flower types need fresh flower food solution, but can drink perfectly through the callous tissue on the stem end.
6. What are the 3 basic ingredients in flower food? pH corrector, biocides and nutrients. It’s important to measure when mixing so you maintain the correct ratio of the three so the solution is 100 per cent effective.
7. What’s the difference between flower food and hydration solutions? Hydration is all about getting the flow going, lowering the pH into the flower zone and keeping pollution in check. Flower food has an added ingredient (sugar) to provide the carbo-boost so buds open and hold in the vase
8. OK, you know I should sanitize knives and/ or cutters at least 2-3 times a day to prevent cross contamination. What’s the easiest way to do it? Fill a spray bottle with commercial flower food and spray the blades to point of dripping. If you use Chrysal Cleaner, it’s not even necessary to rinse – just start back to work. Spray worktables several times daily, too!
9. pH measures the level of alkalinity or acidity of a solution. What pH level do flowers prefer? (acid or alkaline?) Flowers drink best in slightly acid solutions (+/-pH level 4)
10. Ethylene gas is a flower killer. What are some sources of ethylene? Combustion engines, propane floor polishers, cigarette smoke, rotting green bits and trash (bacteria and Botrytis produce ethylene as they develop), some fruits, veggies and flowers, themselves.
11. What are symptoms of ethylene exposure?? Petals fall (delphinium and wax), buds shrivel and/or drop off stems (lilies and agapanthus). Transparent and/or crepe-y petals (Alstroe, lilies, freesia), flowers don’t open or open with distorted shape. Blooms take on a “blue-ish” cast. Keep in mind that ethylene is the ageing hormone so any time your blooms look old before their time; it’s a good bet they have been exposed to ethylene gas and are showing the negative symptoms.
12. Traditionally, fruits and flowers should not be mixed because of possible ethylene damage. What fruits are OK with flowers?? Citrus fruits are OK. They are not ethylene producers. Limes and lemons look cool in bottom of vases, plus the thick rind does not break down in the acidic flower food solution
13. Is it necessary to use a 2-step procedure when processing dry-pack product? Depends on the flower and how fast you want it to open. If you are processing roses or summer flowers that have been dry-packed for some time, consider using a hydration solution first and then transferring the flowers into a low-sugar flower food. If your flowers arrive wet-packed, you can skip the hydration step and go directly info a fresh solution of low-sugar flower food. Always mix your solutions with cold water, unless you are trying to get the blooms open in a hurry. In that case, use deep, warm water to force buds open
14. It is OK to top-up with water, right? No, use fresh flower food to top up so you don’t dilute the ration of ingredients in the flower food. Watch those sunflowers, stock, roses and hydrangeas! These flowers can drink a vase dry overnight.
15. I want to chill the water by adding ice, OK? No, adding ice will dilute the ratio of flower food ingredients. Better idea is to freeze (recycled) one liter water bottles and use them in buckets like a big “ice cube” to cool the solution. Refreeze and reuse the bottles throughout the summer.
16. What’s the best way to care for gerberas? Gerberas don’t like sugar. Those hairy stems are magnets for bacteria so it is best to treat gerberas in a hydration solution (no sugar) or a new slow release chlorine tablet suited to growers and retailers called Professional Gerbera. One pill per 2-3 liters water keeps gerberas drinking clean solution. Remember, chlorine does not have a long residual. Professional Gerbera pills are active for 2-3 days.
17. Bulb flowers are happiest in tap water, right? It’s true that bulb flowers don’t need much sugar to open, but they do require a clean (bacteria-free) solution to keep stems open and solution flowing. Like all other flowers, bulb blooms like a slightly acidic pH level. The big difference is this group of blooms needs supplemental hormones or plant growth regulators in their solution. Hormone production stops when flowers from bulbs, rhizomes, tubers and corms are harvested. I recommend using Bulb T-bags for processing flowers like lilies, iris, freesia, alliums, tuberoses, anemones, nerines and dahlias.
18. What’s the secret to getting tuberoses to open? Tuberoses LOVE sugar and are not too crazy for temperatures lower than 40ºF. Process these blooms in full sugar flower food – the same kind you’d use to fill customer vases and soak foam. Better yet, try processing stems in bulb T-bag solution so the flowers can benefit from hormones and sugar while they drink and harden off.
Gayle Smith draws information from a horticultural education and more than 30 years experience in the floral industry. Her experiences include floral wholesale management in SF, LA and Seattle flower markets, Holland auction buying and industry consulting. She currently works as the technical consulting manager for Pokon & Chrysal, USA.
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