1. Conditioning and Storing Cut Flowers and Greens
Mr. Wilson
Uintah High School

2. Unit Objectives
1. Students will explain the basic care requirements of cut flowers.
2. Students will explain causes of rapid flower deterioration.
3. Students will properly mix floral preservatives.
4. Students will describe the steps of effective conditioning of flowers and foliage.
5. Students will properly cut and prepare flowers for storage.

3. Long lasting flowers Important – saves $$$ Pleases customer
happy customers return to the florist when they need flowers in the future

4. In your notebooks:
New page.
Title: Where do flowers come from?

5. Chain of Life
Researched and followed procedures for handling, conditioning and storing cut flowers!
developed by the Society of
American Florists
Helps growers, wholesalers, and retailers lengthen the life of flowers

6. Chain of Life – steps
Instructions: Label each stop on a separate chain top. On bottom of chain describe step.
1. Grower – grows and harvest flowers.
2. Broker – Buys large volumes of flowers from growers all over the world.
3. Shipper – ships to the wholesalers.

7. 3 more steps – Chain of Life
4. Wholesaler – Receives flowers from growers and brokers. Conditions them to sell to retailers.
5. Retail Florist – Buys from wholesaler and growers. Conditions flowers for sale to public.
6. Customer – Purchases arranged & conditioned flowers for enjoyment, gifts, celebrations.

9. Flower Deterioration – new page in your notebook.
Deterioration - The process of progressively becoming worse.
Question? Why or how do plants deteriorate?
Poor or low water absorption.
Stem blockage
Bacteria or Fungi
Flower death – Senescence
Removal from mother plant
Plant is still growing (photosynthesizing)
1. Plant needs light and food!
2. Cut flowers cannot produce their own food.

10. Water Problems Low water absorption
most flower stems are at least partially blocked when they arrive at the retail florist

12. Stems
Internal Structures:
Xylem: Tissue responsible for carrying water and nutrients from roots to leaves; located near center of stem
Xylem Up!!
Phloem: Tissue responsible for carrying food produced in leaf to rest of plant; usually located near outside of stem
Phloem down and around!!
Label Xylem and Phloem in your notebooks on the diagram you glue in.

13. Put these in your notebooks in color!
Causes of blockage
Put these in your notebooks in color!
1. Cutting stems with dull tools
2. Cut with shears that pinch the xylem (water conducting tubes in the stem)
3. Bacteria or minerals in the water clog the stem

14. Causes of blockage
4. Air can enter the stems at the time of cutting and partially block the stem
(best to cut under water)
This can become so severe that flowers wilt in their container

15. Loss of water
Transpiration - process by which plants lose water through their leaves.
Gases and water vapor move from an area of greater concentration to an area of lesser concentration.
water vapor moves out of the plant through the stomata (stomates)
tiny openings in the underside of the leaf
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16. Loss of Water
flowers wilt when moisture is lost through transpiration quicker than it is taken in through the stems.
occurs more rapidly at higher temperatures
Turgor Pressure – the water pressure inside the plant cells. Makes the plant rigid!
Drawn a diagram to show this
in example in your notebook!

17. Loss of Nutrients
flowers are still living and need a source of nutrients
flowers continue to photosynthesize after they are cut
must be given the proper light and a source of sugar

19. Environmental/Sanitation Conditions can cause Diseases!
Put in your notebook
Prevent Disease by:
Proper temperatures of storage cooler and preservative solution.
Use only CLEAN Hands, tools, knives, shears, containers and work area.
Humidity needs to be controlled.

20. Poor Sanitation and Environment can cause.
Put in the notebook!
Poor Sanitation and Environment can cause.
Botrytis – Disease
a fungus which causes brown spots on petals

21. Preventing Botrytis (In notebook)
do not allow flowers to get wet before putting them in the cooler
allow wet flowers to dry before putting in the cooler

23. Ethylene Gas
naturally occurring gas (hormone) in flowers that speeds up maturity.
causes rapid deterioration of cut flowers.
many sources of ethylene gas

24. Ethylene Gas Sources fruit, especially apples
diseased or injured flowers

25. Ethylene Gas rotting foliage below the water line
exhaust fumes from cars

26. Symptoms of ethylene premature death flower and petal drop
yellowing of foliage
loss of foliage
upward cupping of petals - known as sleepiness in carnations.

28. Put this scale in your notebook!
Water Quality
pH - measure of acidity or alkalinity on a scale from with 7 being neutral

29. pH pH of 3.2 - 4.5 maximizes hydration (slightly acidic)
floral preservatives commonly added to prolong flower life by lower the pH!

30. Water quality & pH
hydration, process where flowers draw water and nutrients up their stems to the leaves and flowers through capillaries
A flower is 90% water

32. Preservatives
A commercial product designed to make flowers last longer.
Temperature of the solution should be between 100 degrees and 110 degrees Fahrenheit! Luke warm.
Warm water increases uptake and contains less trapped air.

33. Preservatives Contains some of all of the following:
1 –Sugar (carbohydrates) provides a food source needed for respiration
2 – Acidifiers to lower pH for more absorption.
3 –Wetting agents – break of surface tension, increases absorption.
4 – Growth regulators – controls excessive growth.
5 – Biocides – to control the growth of microorganisms like bacteria and fungi!

34. Preservatives can be purchased in either liquid or powder form
follow directions for mixing the preservative

35. Preservatives too much preservative can burn the flower
too little will not be enough to keep flowers fresh

36. Preservatives
home made preservative can be made using 50% Sprite or 7Up, or similar drink containing citric acid

37. Preservatives 50% warm water
1 1/2 teaspoons bleach to each quart of solution

38. Requirements For Quality Cut Flower Care
1. Good water and nutrient absorption.
2. Healthy Environment/Sanitation
3. Water Quality
4. Available Nutrients (preservatives)

39. Conditioning flowers
Techniques of treating flowers to extend their life.
Begins when flowers arrive from the wholesaler

42. Flower Conditioning steps!
1.Sanitizie - clean tools, cooler, containers
2. Water Quality – make sure clean, right temp, pH
3. Use preservatives
4. Unpack – carefully unpack
5. Remove foliage, thorns – prep
6. Re-cut stems
7. Put in water at right temp with preservative
8. Rotate stock – throw out old dead flowers!

43. Allow flowers to absorb H2O
all flowers except roses should remain in the warm preservative solution outside the cooler for one to two hours

44. Allow flowers to absorb H2O
roses should be stored in the cooler immediately at 34 – 38° F
this treatment allows flowers to absorb the maximum amount of water

45. Allow flowers to absorb H2O
at the end of this time for water absorption, the flowers should feel turgid - full of water

46. Allow flowers to absorb H2O
flowers that are shipped in the bud stage such as gladioli, lilies, and carnations could sit at room temperature overnight to open up

47. Steps to Unpacking and Conditioning Flowers

48. Unpacking as soon as they arrive
loosen paper or plastic sleeves which they have been wrapped in

49. Unpacking flowers will expand as they mature
flowers will be crushed if the sleeves are not loosened.

50. Unpacking do not loosen sleeves on roses
customers prefer roses in the bud stage

51. Unpacking check for signs of disease, damage or wilting
remove damaged or diseased flowers from the bunch before storage

52. Unpacking
excessive damage should be reported to the wholesaler! You paid $$$$. Don’t let them send you crap!

53. Re-cut the stems
stems are cut with a sharp knife rather than shears, if you can use a knife properly!
Dull shears can pinch the xylem tubes causing partial blockage

54. Re-cut the stems cut stems on a slant
this helps them to absorb more water
prevents the stems from sealing to the bottom of the container

55. Re-cut the stems stems should be cut under warm water (if possible)
warm water contains less air than cold water

56. Re-cut the stems
stems that have a milky sap must be blackened over a flame or put the tips in boiling water for seconds to seal the sap so water can be absorbed.

57. Remove lower foliage
remove all foliage from stems that would be underwater in the storage container!
foliage left underwater will decay and lead to bacterial growth!
Rotting foliage clogs the stems and releases ethylene gas!

58. Clean Containers and Cooler
containers for flower storage should be cleaned with hot detergent solution, disinfected with bleach and thoroughly rinsed

59. Clean Containers and Cooler
a 10% bleach solution is used for disinfecting the containers

60. Clean Containers and Cooler
there are commercial products available that disinfect, clean and deodorize in one step
Non-metallic containers should be used. Don’t use metal containers.

61. Metal Containers
decrease the effectiveness of preservatives

62. Containers
should be short enough so that the flowers do not come in contact with the sides of the container

63. Now lets prepare some new flowers for storage!