Cut Flower Care
Why is flower care so important?
Cut flowers are perishable goods. Their life depends to a large extent on how they are treated. Whether as a bouquet or in a flower arrangement – cut flowers require care! The better the care, the longer a cut flower’s life can be. Research shows that when a customer buys a bouquet of flowers, the most important thing is the shelf life. Only a shelf life of 7 days makes the purchase of a bouquet seem worthwhile.
What is involved in proper care?
Cleanliness in the work area
Knives, scissors and containers should always be clean or, even better, disinfected. Dirty tools and vessels promote bacterial growth and cause flowers to wilt more quickly!
Temperature
Low temperatures slow down the metabolism. Accordingly, the nmost flowers should be stored at 1°-3°C. Tropical species such as Anthyrium, Heliconia, Strelitzia and Orchidaceae are the exception, they are sensitive to cold. The ideal temperature for storage of tropical species is 13°-16°C.
Humidity
High humidity reduces water loss. The relative humidity in the flower cooler should be between 75% and 85%.
Water quality
Generally, tap water has a pH between 6 and 9. The optimum pH for cut flowers is 3 to 5, as impurities are unlikely to form in this environment.
Pruning flower stems
Proper pruning of flower stems is immensely important
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Use of Floralife® products
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What are the costs of cut flower food?
Low cost – high impact:
As the costing examples below show, in most cases the cost of Floralife® Clear cut flower food per workpiece is less than 1% of the total material cost. (Floral materials, cutting foam, accessories). A satisfied customer is priceless !!!
Summer bouquet MSRP
Total cost of materials (plus labor) 28.00 €
Floral materials 27,87 €
Share Floralife® Clear cut flower food 0,13 €
Flower wreath gift MSRP
Total cost of materials (plus labor) 12,20 €
Floral materials + accessories 10,10 €
OASIS® ECObase® ring 2,00 €
Share Floralife® Clear 200 cut flower food 0,10 €
Cut flower food dosage
A test carried out with “Royalty” and “Samantha” roses shows what effect wrong dosage can have. The roses were placed in different doses of solutions, the table below shows the result.
The wrong dosage of cut flower food is more likely to cause harm. Overdosing does not lead to the optimal result and causes unnecessary costs. High underdosing (e.g. 25% of the recommended amount) even achieves a worse result than pure water. The correct dosage of cut flower food helps to reduce flower waste and thus save costs and ensures satisfied customers.
Optimal dosage Floralife® Clear cut flower food:
For sachets/powder applies:
3.5 g for up to 0.5 liters of water
5 g for 0.5 liters of water
10 g for 1 liter of water
For liquids applies:
Floralife® 100 and 200 Clear:
10 ml for 1 liter of water
Floralife® Ultra 200 Clear:
5 ml for 1 liter of water
