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care & handling: March 2005
Edna Miller Flowers |
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Written by Gayle Smith
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Rejuvenating Jetlagged Flowers
 Urban myths abound among flower aficionados. Who hasn’t heard of one of these off-beat ideas? Some of my favourites include processing tulips in a vodka solution, painting blooms with diluted Elmer’s glue as an anti-transpirant or polishing foliage with mayonnaise. One of the mainstream handling methods that flies in the face of good processing practices is stripping foliage. Everyone knows it is important to remove foliage below the water line to prevent a bacteria soup from developing. What you may not know is that some flowers actually exude enzymes and carbohydrates when cut, not to mention the organic material floating in the water (green bits resulting when stems are cut with dull or incorrect tools).
These exudates cause bacteria to explode. Even if stems look clean (like lilies, freesia eryngium), they are loaded with microscopic bacteria and fungi. Water won’t flow if the vascular tissues are clogged with bacterial plugs; therefore all flower foods, display and vase solutions, contain ingredients to keep bacteria, fungi, yeasts and other pollutants in check. But the story doesn’t end at clean solutions.
Consider hydration. Simply put, hydration is the process of filling cells with solution. To accomplish this function, foliage contains specialized cells called stomata. These cells open and close in response to moisture needs. Keep in mind that plants (and cut flowers) are always working to equalize their microenvironments and fend off dehydration. When you receive dry-packed roses, they most likely have been produced in Latin America so obviously they have been in transit (possibly storage) for some time. Generally speaking, temperature-controlled trucks are the best method of transportation for cut flowers because temperatures are maintained below 400F (3-40C). Air shipments may be faster, but the flowers suffer temperature fluctuations when queued for loading and pick up. Temp fluctuations not only stress flowers, condensation develops inside sleeves. By the time these jet-setters arrive, they are suffering jetlag. The flowers are thirsty and enclosed in sweaty sleeves! Proper handling reduces the deleterious effects of transit stress, but incorrect, careless or delayed processing results in less than desirable results.
Let’s start with foliage removal. When you strip foliage, you are removing stomata cells. Without these cells, the flowers have little ability to pull water into the vascular system and up to the bloom. An easy remedy is to remove just the foliage that falls below the water line. Don’t go crazy and strip everything up to the bloom, at least not until the stems are completely hardened-off. Foliage removal up the stem is ample. Also, let stems drink for at least four hours before using them in design or selling to consumers – an overnight drink is better!
Seven Habits for Successful Flower Processing:
1. Remove only the foliage falling below the solution line.
2. Avoid damaging bark when de-thorning roses. Better yet, leave thorns intact.
3. Resist the urge to peel guard petals. Remove only if damaged of diseased.
4. Mix processing and vase
solutions with cold water.
Flowers will drink as efficiently, but not pop open fast.
5. Ask suppliers to provide pretreated bulb flowers. Remember, bulbous flowers include everything from alstroemeria and alliums to nerines and tuberoses.
6. Process iris, glads, lilies etc. in bulb t-bag solutions. Toss a bulb t-bag into two litres of cold water and let the flowers drink! Leave sleeves in place so stems are straight as they harden-off.
7. Attach a consumer bulb sachet to bouquets to ensure maximum vase performance.
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What about stripping foliage from lilies or alstroemeria? Often florists strip these flowers because the foliage tends to yellow much faster than the florets develop. This is not an age problem, but rather the symptom of internal hormonal imbalance that bulbous crops suffer when harvested. It is this imbalance that causes tulips to stretch, irises to curl inward, anemone colour to fade and dahlias to sag prematurely. Ever wonder why only two-three freesia and glad florets open? Hormone imbalance!
Another consideration is removing thorns. Avoid it if possible because thorn wounds are an open portal for bacteria and air bubbles, which of course block the vascular system and impede flow. Often the bark is scraped and damaged in the process of de-thorning – another avenue for bacteria entry. Wounded bark reduces the vigour and longevity of flowers.
What about peeling guard petals: a necessity or a habit? Well, certainly you need to remove rose guard petals when they are blemished, damaged or affected with Botrytis disease, but is it necessary to peel guard petals as a regular practice? No! As the name implies, guard petals protect blooms from mechanical damage. They enhance the natural beauty of the flower with exotic chips or flames of colour. Indiscriminate peeling of these outer petals loosens the bud structure, causing the flowers to open more quickly. Peeling also results in wounded tissue, where the petal is attached to the calyx. When flowers are wounded, it triggers an internal production of ethylene. Ethylene, a naturally occurring growth hormone, causes flowers (fruits and veggies) to age prematurely, thereby shortening vase life.
Remember – never sell a bunch of anything directly out of a box. Flowers need time to drink and re-hydrate to ensure vase performance and finally, save your Vodka for martinis and stick with commercially formulated flower foods instead!
Gay Smith draws information from a horticultural education and more than 30 years of 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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