NUTRITION/FLORAL FOOD
Cut flowers need a source of energy. Feed them what they need!
Most Floral foods contain three ingredients:
- Sugar – Source of energy for the flower. Promotes colour development and bloom opening.
- Citric Acid – Lowers pH to improve water uptake and reduce bacteria growth that can clog stems
- Biocide – Inhibits stem clogging bacteria growth
Proper mixing is essential as the biocide (flower food) is only effective if mixed at full strength. If under dosed bacteria will not be controlled and will feed off of the sugars. This will harm the flowers more than help them. If you are over dosing you are wasting money and can harm the flowers with the additional sugar.
To ensure proper dosing, set a protocol for measuring consistently each time. Ensure any of your team members filling buckets are aware of the protocol and follow it.
Consumer packs are the area where dosing of preservative most often fails. A standard .5 gram pack is for a litre of water, which is much less than most vases hold. Take some time to educate your customers on the importance of mixing properly, and provide them with the right number of packs for the volume of flowers and vase size.
Specialty Preservatives
Rose Pro – an everyday all-purpose food that contains a higher percentage and quality of sugar along with a fungicide to help prevent stem blockage. We highly recommend this product for Roses, Hydrangea, Lilacs and other woody stemmed flowers. It does not harm any flowers and can be used as your everyday preservative.
Gerbera Tablets – A slow release chlorine that act as a biocide to keep water free from bacteria. Gerbera are unique as they do not require sugar due to the bloom being fully formed and developed at harvest. Removing sugar from the solution removes the source of food for bacteria. Most effective in the cooler and holding solution, no consumer packs available. If using Gerberas in mixed bouquets use regular food as the other flowers require it. Tablets will not harm other flowers.
Bulb Flower Food – Contains a hormone to prevent leaf yellowing that is common with bulb flowers like Tulips, Iris, Lilies and Glads. It does not harm non-bulb flowers and can be used in mixed bouquets. The leaves stay green longer and actual/perceived vase life is increased. Most effective at the consumer level by using consumer packs of bulb food rather than using it in your holding solution.
Treatments
Crowning Glory – Anti-transparent that seals the flower to reduce water loss. Effective for event and wedding work with limited water source for the flower. Use once the bloom is opened at the stage you require. Once you’ve applied Crowning Glory, the bloom will not open much after application.
Finishing Touch – Hydrating treatment that controls moisture loss. The Nutrients are absorbed into the leaves and petals, this allows flowers to “breathe” and continue to take up water and flower food. Ideal for floral arrangements in vases or floral foam with a source of water.
Full Bloom – Forces tight blooms to open for event work. Expect one day of vase life. This is not a care and handling product.
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