Now to Do you let your roses open up?

[Luc]

Since we are on the subject of roses, I know some shops let their roses unwrap so they open up, but in my case, since we don't always sell roses daily, I keep mine wrap until we use them unless I need to open up because of a wedding. I find the charlottes I get open up real quick in this heat anyways. I know if I was to sell daily I would leave them out to open before putting them back in the fridge, but does most shop do this practice or keep them wrap until you have to use them? If you leave them out or to open, do oyu find your roses don't last as long?
Luc

 

[FlowerDiva]

We buy Grand Prix & Freedom. The Grand Prix comes with the net but we remove it as we clean & process. The Grand Prix will last at least a week+ out of the cooler. It starts open & stays open. The Freedom does not come with the net but it is cracked. This rose has a large petal count & takes its time opening. We had customers reporting back to us after Valentines stating that it lasted them 2+ weeks!

We only used the Freedom rose for Valentines and we received no complaints & made no replacements! We are still receiving kudos on our VDay roses!!!

 

[LORRIE]

Good Question- I have literally been yelled at by customers who thought they were to open and by some one who thought they were to closed.
We keep a bucket of opened packages as we work and the rest stay in the sleeves til we need them.

 

[Pam]

Do you let your roses open up?

Keep ours in sleeves until hydrated then opened up and put in the large cooler out back. Then some are cleaned up for sale and put in the front display fridge. They only stay out if I need them to open for a design or wedding work.

 

[Lady Biker Florist]

We cut the ends and put in water and place in the cooler overnight. We clean them ALL the next day. Never considered leaving them in the sleeve. We strictly use Freedoms now. They open fast and then stay that way forever. They just always look good. My mom takes old ones home or gives then to her once a week hairdresser and they still last after that longer than it seems they should.

When we were using Charlottes they were gorgeous, but once they looked opened their shelf life was not near as long as Freedoms. I have to thank Mary at Hills for turning me on to the Freedoms. Carrying a good, quality, dependable, consistent rose is important for us small local florists these days, it helps set us apart.

 

[zedright]

Et tu?
When a customers complains the roses are not open enough, I tie him up and gag him until the next one comes along who complains they are too open and throw them both in the basement and let them slug it out.
I rather not get involved in their matter.

Good Question- I have literally been yelled at by customers who thought they were to open and by some one who thought they were to closed.
We keep a bucket of opened packages as we work and the rest stay in the sleeves til we need them.

 

[Tom]

Funny how some of these things seem to be universal. We unsleeve, cut underwater, treat with a hydration solution, put in water/preservative, leave out for about an hour (though I've read that this step is no longer considered necessary), remove guard petals, and display under refrigeration at 38F.
We too deal with those who think the roses are too open, too tight, too dark, too small, etc. Our preference is for them to be just slightly open so the customer will get about a week's life at home. For large funeral pieces we like to have them more open but can't always make it happen. The woman who will remain forever in my mind looked at the slightly opened roses, asked the price, and said, "You're charging THAT much for roses that aren't even open yet?" She turned and walked out. Most people do seem more concerned about them opening fully only after they get them home. They realize that a fully open rose will have limited life remaining.
Tom

 

[Lady Biker Florist]

And on that note.......

what about those occasional people that really want the rose open? They are often quite adamant about it, too. I leave some very open roses in the front cooler just for that reason. However, I do explain they will not last very long. Sometimes they say, "Oh really, then I will take a more closed one", but many times they say, "That's ok, I want it". Do you just sell it to them at normal price? We do! If they still want it after explaining a more closed one will last much longer and the open will most likely not last very long at all then I guess they know what they want. I can't say we've have never given a deal on the spur of the moment though.

 

[Connie]

Good Question- I have literally been yelled at by customers who thought they were to open and by some one who thought they were to closed.
We keep a bucket of opened packages as we work and the rest stay in the sleeves til we need them.

This describes us exactly! I do try to explain that some types of roses open more quickly than others, that some are cultivated to open quickly and others to open slowly. We have one customer who regularly orders a dozen boxed roses, and he wants the tightest roses that we have. We almost never have a complaint from our customers, but if we do, it is almost always that either the roses opened up (or too quickly) or that they did not open at all (or too slowly). :tread:

 

[Frank]

We do both

We usually let our new roses chill overnight then we process them the next day or two. We usually just process what we need for orders and the display cooler and leave the rest in growers sleeves for a few days. After a few days, even if we do not need them, we process them all.

 

[Carol Bice]

Opening Roses

There are several good suggestions by previous posters. However, I have attended many classes on care and handling and studied everything I can find on that subject. One of the things that came through loud and clear to me was that after cutting and hydrating the roses, the sleeves MUST come off for several reasons.

One is that the possiblity of botritis is greater because the air can't circulate between the flowers.

Many people seem to think the roses will stay tight longer if left in the sleeves. This is untrue because they are aging at the same pace whether they are left sleeved or unsleeved. If you leave them sleeved for a week, when they are opened, they will be at the same stage in their opening as they would have been either way.

There are ways to get them to open quicker if you need them open. I think some of these methods are described in the above posts.

Carol Bice

 

[evergreen12377]

... that after cutting and hydrating the roses, the sleeves MUST come off for several reasons.
One is that the possiblity of botritis is greater because the air can't circulate between the flowers.
Many people seem to think the roses will stay tight longer if left in the sleeves.... are aging at the same pace whether they are left sleeved or unsleeved.
Carol Bice

Such a reasonable and thoughtful and SCIENTIFIC reply. Kudos to you!

Judy

 

[FlowerDiva]

There are several good suggestions by previous posters. However, I have attended many classes on care and handling and studied everything I can find on that subject. One of the things that came through loud and clear to me was that after cutting and hydrating the roses, the sleeves MUST come off for several reasons.

One is that the possiblity of botritis is greater because the air can't circulate between the flowers.

Many people seem to think the roses will stay tight longer if left in the sleeves. This is untrue because they are aging at the same pace whether they are left sleeved or unsleeved. If you leave them sleeved for a week, when they are opened, they will be at the same stage in their opening as they would have been either way.

There are ways to get them to open quicker if you need them open. I think some of these methods are described in the above posts.

Carol Bice

Thank you Carol!

Exactly what I wanted to say earlier, but couldn't think of the word botritis! I've been racking my brain over it, but it just wouldn't come to me! I'll remember to call you next time I have a thumper like this!

~ Kim

 

[PhillyPhlorist]

Very good Carol!

Having a degree on Hort helps with these issues... One of the most important things I learned in 'Post Harvest Phys.' was that the flowers (Roses, etc...) NEED to get water up the stems to the flower head ASAP. As we know, keeping Roses at approx 38 deg. F will slow the respiration down as to reduce their opening. However, I am one of those who believe that a fresh cut, hydrating and then in a WARM floral solution is needed FOLLOWED BY a period of hardening off in room temp. For Roses, about 30 min. should do. Then it's IN THE COOLER. This allows time for the water to get up the stem to the rose head and reduces the chance of bent neck.

Of course the variety of the Rose you're dealing with can determin the hardening off period, as well as the hydrated state of the Rose when it arrives to your door. For example, 'Blue Birds' and some 'Versilia' will need a much shorter time in room temp than say your 'Freedoms' of 'Sweet Uniques'. You want those 'Blue Birds' to get hydrated, but at the same time control how "open" they are....

With regards to the sleeves - TOTAL agreement with Carol. - Remove 'em. Botrytis is a big problem with some varieites (Osiana for one...that variety has become VERY problematic with Bot.) Also, keeping the sleeves on to reduce the rate in which the Rose opens is not valid. A Rose will age in or out of a sleeve, and if held in a sleeve too long, will actually "blow" open after a few hours in room temp. Also, remember our old friend Ethylene....ya' need that good air circulation!

- H.

PS - for the record, we are edu-ma-cating our customers to actually LOOK for open roses, and avoid the bullet tight ones....I see from some of the W/S & OG's (800 flowers) they are showing thier roses in a 'more open' state....as oppsed to super-tight....
Oh, and Charlottes from Elite Farms is our Red Rose (with a Ecuador 'Freedom' as the back up...)