Topic # 2182 Packaging & Transportation By: Alisa Amy Kowalski

Inventory of Salable Products Entire crop does not become salable at one precise date Depending on –size of crop –temperature fluctuations within the greenhouse Seven to ten day difference may exist between the first and last salable plants

Qualifications for a Salable Plant Varies with the plant species –Bedding plants will be well established and ready to transplant outdoors –Unfortunately, consumers prefer a plant that is showing color –Blooming plant should have at least 50% of the flowers fully opened –Potted lilies should be in the puffy bud stage before any blooms are open –Poinsettias should have expanded bracts sold before the flowers mature –Foliage plants should be compact and full

Visual Inventory Should be taken daily during the busy season Will tell you how many plants out of the total crop are ready for sale Estimate the number of plants that you expect to be ready for sale in the next few days

Example: Ray tells the manager that there are 150 4” geraniums ready for sale today and another 250 pots will be ready over the next 3 days. Projected numbers of salable containers let the manager estimate if there will be enough product available for their customers.

Also Monitor Chemicals & garden supplies should be watched closely during the peak sales period –These products are often purchased in large amounts when plant sales are at full swing. If supplies are running low, a special order may be necessary

Moving Plants Most retail operations move salable plants from the growing area to the sales or display area –Can be moved manually by carts, monorail or conveyors to the retail area –Major labor expense but salable plants must be on display in the retail area If they are not, customers may damage the non- salable while choosing plants they want to purchase –Removing salable plants from the production bench will often speed up the development of the remaining plants -more sunlight, etc.

Uniformity Salable plants should generally be in the same developmental stage –All geraniums have one flower open or have color showing in the buds For small greenhouse operations, plants in cell packs can be switched to make sure all packs have at least one bloom. Time-consuming, but will increase sales if the crop is slow in maturing.

Wholesale Orders Salable plants that will be shipped to wholesale customers should be moved to a collective area where the shipping personnel can quickly fill the customer’s orders

Customer Tags Consumers are very interest in cultural information on the plants they are purchasing. Labeling information should include –Plant name –Light requirement –Water needs –Any other special cultural requirements

Wholesale Customers’ Needs Wholesale customers usually require each pot or plant or pack to be labeled This eliminates the need for wholesale customers having to supply the information to their customers Eliminates any mix up of cultivars once they receive the plants

Preprinted Labels Available from seed companies and plug producers Tags are brightly colored and contain the information a consumer needs Growers buy preprinted tags because they are convenient to use Stick one in each pot or pack at planting time and the labeling is completed

Additional Information Needed if the plants are retailed Signs are usually placed near the plants informing the consumer which plants are annuals or perennials, and if they bloom in the spring, summer, or fall. Extra information makes the buyer knowledgeable and improves their success rate with plants –which means repeat sales for the greenhouse

Packaging Procedures Greenhouse plants must be packed to protect the plants from damage during transportation. Type of packaging required depends on the plant species and the time of the year

Sleeves I Sleeving is used for potted plants like mums, lilies, poinsettias, & hydrangeas Sleeves are vase shaped tubes that can open on both ends Slipped over the growing container and pulled over the foliage Growing containers hang partially out of the bottom of the sleeve, this allows the container to stand upright

Sleeves II Hold the foliage and flowers together and prevent them from being broken during the loading and transportation procedure. Can be paper, plastic, or woven mesh in a variety of sizes and dimensions Paper allows the plant to transpire without moisture collecting, but they are not see- through Plastic sleeves are opaque so they can be seen through, but they collect moisture if the humidity is high.

Sleeves III Mesh sleeves allow the plant to get air and light and the customer can see through it Sleeves are very durable Plants can be picked up and carried by the sleeve which makes loading and unloading trucks a lot easier. –One person can carry eight plants at a time Sleeves can be personalized with the business’s name on the outside

Sleeve Stands Needed for quick application of sleeves Usually designed and constructed by greenhouse personnel Requirements –Stability -no tipping –Comfortable working height -no stooping –Large enough pot holder for varying sizes of pots -5,6, and 8 inches –Transportable for use in other greenhouses –Locking wheels on base- mobile, yet stabile

Sleeve Placement Always pulled up from the bottom of the pot and over the foliage –Retail customers should be told to tear or cut off the pot when they get home Pushing plant out of the sleeve can cause breakage Plants that are sleeved for local shipping are usually not placed in any other type of packaging container Small sized pots are placed in cardboard boxes or trays -efficient in transporting Write customer’s name on sleeves for ID

Cardboard Boxes I Use as packaging for large “specialty” crops such as blooming hanging baskets, gloxinias, and tree poinsettias –These plants cannot be easily sleeved Also used to ship potted plants long distances –Extra protection during long transportation Usually custom made to hold plants snugly

Cardboard Boxes II Large plants and hanging baskets are packed in boxes, usually two plants per box and shipped –Require a higher sales price due to added packing and shipping costs

Hanging Baskets If hanging baskets are delivered to local customers they may be hung on special racks in the delivery truck Many growers devise special shelves for transporting large pots to local customers without packaging A delivery driver must be careful so plants are not broken during transport and unloading

Layering in Cardboard Boxes Used for small pots Specially designed boxes hold several layers of small pots Layering does not hurt the plants Allows the grower to ship 2-3 times the number of plants in the same amount of shipping space

Layering Plugs and Seedlings Also shipped in boxes that layer the trays Normal packaging cartons contain 4-5 layers of plants held securely in place Shipping costs are inexpensive for plugs and seedlings because so many plants are contained in one box

Shipping Bedding Plants No packaging is used for shipping Flats of cell packs are loaded onto shelves in the delivery truck Plants grown in flats are not very tall so the shelves can be spaced inches apart

Special Needs Plants Special styrofoam or styrofoam lined, cardboard boxes must be used to ship temperature sensitive plants, especially during cold weather. African violets and foliage must be protected by these special cartons Delivery charges are often higher during the winter months due to extra packaging precautions

Water Requirements All plants should be thoroughly watered and have dry foliage before shipment Not uncommon for plants to be in shipping cartons for 3-4 days Disease may develop if the foliage is wet when the plants are placed in the cartons

Labeling All plants should be securely and correctly labeled before being placed into the shipping container Labels should be pushed at least halfway into the media of the pots and hanging baskets Labels should not be stapled to plug or seedling trays so the labels cannot be jarred loose during shipment

Precautions Diseased or insect-infested plants should not be shipped –These pathogens will spread quickly through the entire carton during shipping Sleeves should be folded and stapled

Cardboard flats Cardboard flats are usually used in transport of plants for retail customers Can be purchased from box companies Many retail customers do not want excessive packaging since they are only traveling short distances

Loading Delivery Trucks Each driver should have a list of predetermined list of delivery stops The truck driver should know exactly what to deliver first and last Trucks are loaded according to delivery stops

Drop Shipments Truck driver goes from business to business to drop off the customer’s order Driver may make 30 drop shipments in one day on a single route Loaded in reverse order of delivery stops –The last delivery stop is loaded onto the truck first and the first delivery is loaded last –Orders should be placed in the truck from the front to the back Easiest way to for delivery person to unload orders

Orders Customer’s order should be grouped together and labeled for easy unloading Segregation of orders depends on driver –A beginner may need the orders to be marked –More competent delivery persons can tell

Invoices A clipboard of invoices should be loaded into the truck The driver should check the orders The customer will sign the invoice upon delivery The invoice is like a contract, it states what products the customer received at what cost

Loading of Delivery Trucks Usually loaded the night before delivery Plants and products are packed in the late afternoon and placed in the vehicle Small sized items like chemicals, rooting hormone, tools, etc. should be packed in a paper bag or box and labeled This make delivery of these items easier for the driver and it guarantees the customer will get all ordered items.

Methods of Transportation Greenhouse products can be shipped using either air or ground transportation methods Grower must decide which method is needed, and then find the least expensive

Factors in Determining Delivery Perishability of the product Distance between buyer and seller Size of target city Air freight is the most expensive shipping method and should be used only when absolutely necessary

Ground Transportation Most common method of shipping Used for any product that is not highly perishable or needed quickly Inexpensive form of shipment Customers prefer due to delivery to doorstep

Ground Transportation Methods Local trucking companies –limited area National trucking companies –anywhere in United States UPS & Federal express Bus companies –Also deliver freight Greenhouse owned delivery trucks –frequently used

Popular Because... Most companies have own van or truck Most economical Special or Emergency orders

Receiving Orders Compare products delivered with the delivery invoice –eliminates problems of incorrect deliveries Small mistakes happen Corrections can be made while delivery person is still there

Damaged Goods Note damages on invoice Call company representative to claim Items from a local company that are damaged, broken, or are of poor quality should be refused when delivered