A Flower's Journey to Fresh
Flower chain, supply chain, distribution chain… whatever you call it, it’s sort of hard to believe that a perishable product can travel so long and so far, arriving at its destination in good shape and with plenty of life remaining. It’s taken many years of research and trial to hone the art of flower care and handling but it’s worth the effort to protect your flowers and optimize their performance during that epic voyage. That’s the topic of this latest Floralife® article featured in Florists’ Review, “A Flower’s Journey to Fresh.”
“When it comes to fresh, long-lasting flowers, best practices yield best results. Using the right tools and flower foods are definitely a plus. But these are only effective when accompanied by good care and handling practices. This includes properly mixing flower food, proper temperature management, ethylene control, and sanitization at every stage of the flower’s Journey to Fresh.”
Your flowers’ Journey to Fresh begins with …
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Variety Selection: |
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Cut Stage Management: |
| Good Temperature Management: The supply chain is long with stops and transfers along the way. The proper low temperature/high humidity mix that doesn’t fluctuate is key! |
| Disease Prevention: Botrytis is a major culprit, so keep an eye on temperature, temp fluctuations, moisture, and more! |
Flower Chain: From Transport to Retail
If your grower and transporters have done their job, a delivery of full, fresh, and vital stems lands at your retail shop. Now, Care and Handling is up to you, but it’s no problem if you follow…
The 5 Steps of Fresh
Sanitize
You know the drill – buckets, tools, surfaces, and the cooler get scrubbed and sanitized. And remember, DCD® Cleaner beats bleach!
Hydrate
Professional Hydrating treatments get the party started by jump-starting water uptake. Especially helpful with field-grown flowers.
Feed & Nourish
Commercial flower food , properly dosed, is what’s on the menu. It’s the best way to lower pH in the water, keep stems flowing, and nourish flowers.
Protect
Finishing sprays, naturally! They refresh, hydrate, protect, and make flower enjoyment last longer.
Customer Care
More precisely, customer education! Show them where to place flowers in the home (and where NOT to). Give tips on changing flower food solution. And don’t forget those flower food sachets!
As always, these are the highlights. There’s much more detail at the original article. The flower chain is quite an adventure; reading about its twists and turns – and the way we floral pros deal with them, is pretty fascinating stuff! In the end…
“When your flowers’ Journey to Fresh reaches a successful conclusion in the customer’s home, it will be due to the dedication, teamwork, and expert care & handling provided by every floral professional along the way, including you. And together, we will all reap the reward of repeat business!”
