Wholesale fresh cut flowers
Those magnificent flowers you’ve picked from the field… they are dazzling with their colors, scents, and freshness. But one of the most challenging parts of the job, the marathon of preserving that fragile beauty until it reaches the customer or the vase, is just beginning. The post-harvest process requires just as much knowledge and care as the growing process itself.
Here are the critical steps to keep your flowers fresh, vibrant, and undamaged during storage and transport.
1. It All Starts with the Right Harvest
You begin to influence the success of the storage and transport process while the flowers are still in the field.
- Timing is Everything: The ideal time for harvesting is in the cool, early morning hours. At this time, flowers are not stressed by the day’s heat and have stored plenty of water.
- Sharp and Clean Tools: Dull or dirty tools can crush flower stems, preventing water uptake and increasing the risk of disease transmission. Always use sharp and disinfected scissors or a knife.
- Immediate Hydration: Place the flowers you’ve cut into buckets of clean water immediately, without even a second’s delay. This prevents the stems from taking in air and extends their freshness.
2. Pre-Cooling: The Golden Rule of Freshness
This is one of the biggest secrets of the pros. Pre-cooling involves rapidly removing the “field heat” from the flowers, essentially putting them into a dormant state. This process slows down the flower’s respiration (aging rate) and significantly extends its life. Flowers are typically pre-cooled by being kept in cold rooms at 2-4°C (35-39°F) for several hours.
3. The Cold Chain: The Link That Must Never Be Broken
The cold chain means keeping the flower in a constantly cool environment (usually 2-4°C / 35-39°F) from the moment it is harvested until it reaches the final consumer. If even one link in this chain is broken, it can steal hours, or even days, from the flower’s life. Ensure your storage area and transport vehicle have temperature control.
4. Proper Nutrition and Hydration: Energy for the Journey
Water alone is not always enough. Flowers need to be fed, especially for long journeys.
- Clean Buckets and Clean Water: It is essential that buckets are always spotlessly clean to prevent bacterial growth.
- Floral Preservatives: Commercially available floral preservatives (cut flower food) contain sugar to give the flower energy, acidifiers to facilitate water uptake, and a biocide to prevent bacterial growth. These mixtures can double the vase life of flowers.
5. Smart Packaging: Protecting Fragile Beauty
Packaging is like armor that protects flowers from physical damage.
- Prevent Friction and Bruising: Wrap each bunch in paper or special sleeves to prevent the flower heads from rubbing against each other or getting bruised.
- Choose the Right Box: Use sturdy cardboard boxes that will carry the flowers vertically or horizontally, provide adequate air circulation, but minimize jostling. Gaps inside the box can cause the flowers to move and get damaged.
- Air Circulation: Sufficient airflow inside the boxes prevents moisture buildup and the formation of diseases like Botrytis (gray mold).
6. The Silent Enemy: Ethylene Gas
Ethylene is a natural plant hormone that ripens fruit, but it is like a poison for cut flowers. It causes flowers to age rapidly, wilt, and drop their petals.
- Stay Away from Ethylene Sources: Never keep your flowers in the same environment as ripening fruits (especially apples and bananas), vegetables, exhaust fumes, or cigarette smoke.
- Ethylene Blockers: There are special products on the market that protect flowers from the harmful effects of ethylene. These products can be lifesavers, especially for ethylene-sensitive flowers like carnations, tulips, and hyacinths.
Each of these steps is like a link in a chain. Neglecting even one can cause all your hard work to go to waste. Remember, the beauty that begins in the field reaches its true value only when crowned with the right storage and transport techniques.
