The document provides information on processing, conditioning, and storing cut flowers. It discusses that flower food contains a bio-inhibitor, sugar, and acidifier. Flowers are debunched and stems recut upon arrival to allow drinking of flower food. They are then hardened by storing at cooler temperatures, usually 32-38°F for most flowers and 55-75°F for tropical flowers. Special circumstances for certain flowers include leaving plastic on roses and tulips, being careful stripping roses, and using chicken wire to support gerbera daisies. Foliage can be stored without water but kept wet and wrapped. Tropisms like phototropism and geotropism are to be prevented.

1. Post-Harvest Physiology
Flower Processing
Floral Design
Ornamental Horticulture
Plant Physiology

2.  Flower food contains:
 a bio-inhibitor
 like bleach to kill bacteria
 a sugar compound for the
flower food
 helps flowers open
 an acidifier
 to maintain the pH level
General Background Info:
Fresh Flower Food

3. General Background Info:
Flower Plumbing
 Xylem & Phloem
 These are the tubes
that move water and
food products up
and down the stem
of the plant.

4. General Background Info:
Old, Dead Flowers
 Ethylene
 This is the aging hormone gas
from plants.
 It causes flower blooms to open.
 It can also cause premature
aging of flowers.

5. When Flowers arrive:
Processing Flowers
 1. Debunch
 Take flowers out of plastic sleeves to release any
ethylene gas.
 Cut open the bundles so the blooms have room to
open and breath.
 2. Cut & Clean Stems
 Make a fresh cut, about 1 inch from the bottom to
provide a new water source for the flower stem.
 Remove any lower leaves that will be underwater.
Step by Step:

6.  3. Place in flower solution
 Be sure flowers are able to “drink” the flower
solution for at least 1 hour at room temperature.
When Flowers arrive:
Condition Flowers
Step by Step:

7. After Processing:
Storing Flowers
 4. After drinking for an hour, its
time to “harden” the flowers.
 Place them in the cooler!
 Most common flowers should be
stored at 32 – 38 degrees F.
Step by Step:

8.  Tropical Flowers
 Store at temperatures between
55 – 75 degrees F
 Keep air humid
 mist with water
Special Circumstances

9. Special Circumstances
 Curving Stems
 For roses and tulips, leave the plastic sleeves on
while letting them ‘drink’ the floral solution, to prevent
curving stems.

10. Special Circumstances
 Stripping roses
 Be careful not to strip the ‘bark’ because the xylem is right
below the surface, rather than in the center of the stem.

11. Special Circumstances
 Gerbera Daisies:
 Use chicken wire to support the flower heads to
prevent bent neck.
 Also, keep them in just enough water, about 2 – 4
inches. Their stems are spongy and absorb lots of
water, which can cause them to wilt prematurely.

12. Storing Foliage
 Greens, like leather leaf and other plumosa ferns,
can be stored in the cooler without a water bucket.
 Keep foliage wet, hose down the bunches.
 Keep foliage wrapped in plastic bags inside the
boxes to prevent drying out.

13. Tropisms
 Tropisms is when flower
stems curve.
 We want to prevent this
problem when storing
flowers.
 Phototropism
 This is when flowers curve
towards a light source.
 like turning toward a window

14. Tropisms
 Geotropism
 This is when flowers curve up
away from gravity.
 growing upwards, when laying down