1. Releasing your Inner Flower Expert
Gay Smith
Chrysal technical manager
Nov 2012

2. Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity” oprah winfrey

3. Temperature management Avoiding ethylene exposure
What affects Flower quality?
Production areas
Variety choices
Temperature management
Botrytis control
Avoiding ethylene exposure
Solution use

4. For US mkt, 80-85% are grown in Latin America

5. Temperature is super-important!
1. Stem bending
2. Wilting -- Flower opening
3. Leaf yellowing/blackening
4. Bacteria explosions
5. CONDENSATION
Cooler set point = 34-38F

6. Botrytis- #1 disease challenge
Non-specific fungus disease
Needs water or high humidity
Spreads—cross-contamination
Lives on live and dead tissues
Gives off ethylene as it develops

7. Examples of
Botrytis

8. Botrytis Control Respect cold chain Keep blooms dry Work CLEAN!!
Allow breathing room in buckets
Careful handling—bruising predisposes flowers to infection

9. Another challenge to longevity…
Ethylene gas:
Naturally occurring ripening hormone
Deadly to flowers in minute amounts

10. Ethylene Symptoms

11. Internal and external Sources
Fruits, veggies & flowers
Combustion engine exhaust
Space heaters
Cigarette smoke, BBQs, fireplaces,
Bacteria, fungi
Wounds & bruises are triggers

12. Avoid Ethylene Problems
Buy treated flowers
STS as first drink after harvest
Ethylene Buster for trucks & coolers
Don’t peel rose petals unnecessarily
Clean cuts, no ragged edges
No deco mosses in coolers
No lunches or food in coolers

13. Bacteria = #1 reason stems get clogged
Best line of defense?
Sanitation with a professional cleaner
Frequent sanitation
Sharp tools

14. If you wouldn’t drink it or drink out of it, neither will your flowers

15. Everything we
do on the front end,
maximizes
vase performance
&
customer satisfaction!

16. Shifting gears: Flower Handling
Are you a Stripper? …a peeler …a bit heavy-handed? Do you soak foam in flower food?

17. Flowers gotta drink!!

18. What’s in Flower Food? Acidifiers lower pH of tap water
Clarifiers keep pollution in check
Nutrients provide energy for opening and holding in vase

19. VOCAB Hydration solutions are all about clean flow (no sugar)
Flower foods boost flow, checks bacteria and supplies energy for buds to open

20. Busting urban myths Aspirin Bleach Pennies Vodka Vinegar Sugar 7UP
Boiling water

21. Get your money’s worth!! b) make fast transfers
a) Use COLD water
b) make fast transfers
c) Allow time for stems to fill
d) Avoid stripping foliage
e) Use the right solution for the right job
f) Handle with care

22. When “1 size fits all” doesn’t cut it
Hard to Hydrate flowers
Bulbous flowers
Dirty Flowers
Sugar lovers
Finishing Sprays

23. For Hard to Hydrate use Chrysal Professional #1
Hydrangeas
Garden roses
Zinnias
Woodies
Lysimachia, Veronica
Pumpkin Trees
Berries
Anthurium

24. Most versatile Processing solution
CHRYSAL Professional #2

25. Specialty foods ~ Bulb Flowers
Balanced hormones
Increase vase life
Color vibrancy
Foliage quality
All florets open

26. Whacked-out hormones Super-short vase life Buds don’t open
Buds shrivel and drop
Foliage yellows FAST
Fading color

27. SUGAR LOVERS need Professional #3
Tuberoses
Protea
Lisianthus
Carnations
Peonies

28. “Dirty” Flowers need Professional Gerbera Pills

29. Sprays Finishing vs. anti-transpirant
Chrysal Glory Hawaiian Floral Mist

30. Shiny is sexy! Dusty looks tired
LEAF SHINE

31. Of course you want to save!
Right solution for the job
Get the dose right
Quick transfers
Top-up w/ fresh solution. No ice
Never consolidate used solutions
Avoid ethylene
Never sell directly from the box
DRY, Dry, dry

32. “Not all birds can fly.
What separates the flyers from the walkers
is the ability to take off.”
Carl Sagan

33. Thank-you!