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Care & handling: Fresh Ideas for 2006
Fresh Ideas for 2006 |
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Written by Gayle Smith
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There are many ways to conserve energy by avoiding needless tasks.
Let’s face it; time is a precious commodity so why waste it? Case in
point is prevailing floral advice about changing solutions. You know
what I mean, the comment so often seen in C&H information that
says: after two to three days dump contents of the vase or bucket. Cut
stems and refill with fresh water.
 Energy
There are many ways to conserve energy by avoiding needless tasks. Let’s face it; time is a precious commodity so why waste it? Case in point is prevailing floral advice about changing solutions. You know what I mean, the comment so often seen in C&H information that says: after two to three days dump contents of the vase or bucket. Cut stems and refill with fresh water. Why? If you mix flower food correctly, which means measuring the volume of water used in relationship to the concentrate, the solution will stay clean, clear, flowing and odourless for six to seven days. Why dump buckets every two to three days when you can do it once a week?
Tools
Buy tools that not only fit your hands, but also can be easily cleaned and sharpened. If I had to cut and clean large stemmed roses from Latin America during my day, I would definitely reach for a pair of cutters rather than a knife. The cutters I like best are the short blade type with spring opening plastic handles. The blade stays sharp and won’t rust. You can throw them in the dishwasher or easily spray the blades with an anti-bacterial to clean them. Remember to clean tools at least two to three times daily. Just dip blades in a ready-to-use container of floral sanitizer. This action prevents cross contamination of bacteria or fungi as you cut stem after stem.
One of a Kind
Have you ever tried kicking sales up a notch by focusing on a specific flower (or variety) of the month? The focus in spring might be tulips, with their fascinating Tulipmania story. In June, shift the interest to lilies. Roses are well-priced in July (Mother’s Day crop come back), so they are good flowers to highlight for summer. Use creative signage to feature the flower’s name, origin, and its place in history or literature. All of these features generate interest. Get the entire shop involved by asking customers if they are aware of this month’s special. Perhaps, tie in the flower of the month with some kind of special pricing or advertisement. Send out teaser cards with deliveries.
Tulip History:
Tulips originated on the scrubby slopes and inhospitable foothills where China and Tibet meet Russia and Afghanistan – one of the least hospitable environs on earth. These colourful flowers (mostly red) were hardy and adapted to the harsh winters and parched summers of central Asia. For nomads having survived another howling, freezing, Asian winter, tulips became a symbol of life and fertility; the heralds of spring. By the early 16th century, tulips had become one of the favourite motifs of Ottoman artists.
In the autumn of 1562, tulips found their way to the Netherlands through trade and capricious fortune. A Flemish fabric merchant had consigned bales of fabric to be shipped from Istanbul to Antwerp. On arrival, a package of bulbs was found wrapped inside one of the bales. The merchant roasted, seasoned and ate most of them for dinner thinking they were some sort or Turkish onion. He threw the remaining bulbs in his vegetable patch next to the cabbages. The next spring, vibrant red and yellow flowers stood out among drab leaves of the root crops. Much to the chagrin of the merchant, who was looking forward to another meal of Turkish onions, he realized there was something special about these brilliant flowers and contacted a friend with horticultural savvy to come have a look. The spark of tulip interest in the Netherlands was ignited and Tulipomania reached its peak less than 75 years later.
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All Flower Solutions are Not Equal
You wouldn’t put laundry detergent in your dishwasher so why are you (re)hydrating your hydrangeas in full-sugar flower food? Decide on the kind of solutions to use by making simple comparison tests. Sure, you can go with a “one size fits most” attitude, or you can do a bit of experimentation to determine which product gives the best return on investment. Considering that consumers base quality on vase performance, it makes sense to use the right formula for the right job. Use a hydration solution like Chrysal Professional #1 or Floralfe Hydraflor for wilt-sensitive type flowers (roses, hydrangeas, gerberas, lysimachia, veronica). These flowers need a drink of clean, acidified solution to boost flow through stems. Bulb flowers, on the other hand, need a solution containing PGR’s (plant growth regulators) to rebalance the mixed-up hormone situation that gets out of sync at harvest. Processing lilies, alstroe, tulips, tuberoses, iris and freesia in Chrysal Bulb T-bag solution rebalances those skewed hormones so you won't experience pre-mature leaf yellowing or stagnated bloom development (iris). Hawaiian Floral Mist is another solution to test out. This ready-to-use mist is completely different than “finishing” sprays. HFM spray triggers a cellular reaction to slow down the loss of moisture through the bloom surface so flowers (and plants) have a longer vase life.
Living Green
Who has the time or inclination to take houseplants outdoors and spray off dust to breathe beauty back into those brave icons, most of which are grown in nurseries in south Florida? Besides, it’s impossible to spray off plants when hoses are still rolled up in sheds and there’s a cold wind blowing through. A better idea is to spray plants with leaf shine. It adds luster, removes dust, and even works to knock off pesky insects like spider mites that sometimes find their home among leaves.
No More Gerbera Necking!
Are you tired of preparing wonderful mixed bouquets only to come in the next morning and notice the gerberas are nodding? Most likely the problem is due to one of two things; either the gerbera stems suffered a blockage (bacteria) and solution could not travel all the way up to the flower, or the flowers were cut too immature. Gerbera stems grow and stretch as the flowers are developing. Growers cut when there are two rings of pollen showing in the “eye,” but with the semi-doubles and double flower types, that stage is tough to determine and sometimes flowers are harvested before they are ready. In this case, the stem cells in the neck, directly under the head, have not elongated sufficiently to hold up the big flowers. If your problem is a bacteria plug, you might consider trying a new treatment called Professional Gerbera by Chrysal. These pills are a type of slow release chlorine (different than the chlorine formulation of bleach). You drop one pill per litre in flower food if you have a mixed bouquet or in water if it’s a mono-gerbera bouquet. The chlorine keeps the bacteria in check and the gerberas stand tall.
Gay 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.
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