Old-School Processing Methods?
V-Day Is Perfect Time to Change!
Valentine's Day... Romance. Candlelight. Kisses. Oh, wait. That's what it means to your customers.
For you? It probably brings on a different set of thoughts... Long nights. Aching backs. Bandaged fingers. Demanding clients.
While both sets of thoughts are true, Valentine's Day also represents the opportunity for customers who might not typically be exposed to flowers to experience their joy and beauty. For that reason, Valentine's Day is a critical opportunity for you to ensure those individuals have the most enjoyable flower experience possible. After all, the better their experience, the less likely they are to think of flowers as a luxury--or, worse, a waste of money. And the more likely they are to buy flowers in the future. And more often.
The first step in teaching customers that their floral-focused purchases deliver value, then, is to make sure the flowers you place into your designs are processed correctly. Over the years, those recommended steps have evolved as researchers have studied the most effective methods to ensure long vase life.
That means that some of the steps you may have learned in your early days as a florist--or even as recently as just a few years ago--are now considered incorrect. Some old-school techniques, in fact, have even proven to be detrimental to a flower's longevity.
To get you up to speed on what recent research recommends, we asked floral designer J Schwanke to go into more depth about some tips that he had recently shared with his friends and fans. J had gathered the advice during a 2011 visit to the Chrysal Laboratories in Amsterdam to attend a joint presentation by Chrysal experts and the Dutch Flower Council on care-and-handling topics.
Based on the studies, J reported that underwater cutting was no longer being recommended because:
Because this advice differs from what so many consider SOPs (standard operating procedures), we asked J to provide some additional detail explaining the updated procedures. As you begin processing the thousands of stems that will be arriving at your shop in the next week, keep this latest advice at the ready.
J's tips:
J suggests that, before cutting flowers, you prepare your buckets by following these steps:
He reminded florists that, when they think about their ability to care for their flowers in the best ways possible and to improve the vase life for their customers, to remember that "it's all about the flowers and what is best for them." And, he added, "I hope this sheds a bit of light on the new discoveries that are making us better at our jobs as flower designers.
"It's infinitely better for our flowers!" he emphasized.
Have questions about flower processing, care or handling? Send a note to [email protected], and we'll see what we can find out to answer your question. And, of course, don't forget about doing a quick search on specific topics in the FlowerChat forums. You'll find a wealth of information and advice from your fellow florists.
V-Day Is Perfect Time to Change!
Valentine's Day... Romance. Candlelight. Kisses. Oh, wait. That's what it means to your customers.
For you? It probably brings on a different set of thoughts... Long nights. Aching backs. Bandaged fingers. Demanding clients.
While both sets of thoughts are true, Valentine's Day also represents the opportunity for customers who might not typically be exposed to flowers to experience their joy and beauty. For that reason, Valentine's Day is a critical opportunity for you to ensure those individuals have the most enjoyable flower experience possible. After all, the better their experience, the less likely they are to think of flowers as a luxury--or, worse, a waste of money. And the more likely they are to buy flowers in the future. And more often.
The first step in teaching customers that their floral-focused purchases deliver value, then, is to make sure the flowers you place into your designs are processed correctly. Over the years, those recommended steps have evolved as researchers have studied the most effective methods to ensure long vase life.
That means that some of the steps you may have learned in your early days as a florist--or even as recently as just a few years ago--are now considered incorrect. Some old-school techniques, in fact, have even proven to be detrimental to a flower's longevity.
To get you up to speed on what recent research recommends, we asked floral designer J Schwanke to go into more depth about some tips that he had recently shared with his friends and fans. J had gathered the advice during a 2011 visit to the Chrysal Laboratories in Amsterdam to attend a joint presentation by Chrysal experts and the Dutch Flower Council on care-and-handling topics.
Based on the studies, J reported that underwater cutting was no longer being recommended because:
- It allows bacteria from debris-laden water to enter flower stems.
- Using a sharp tool out of sight underwater is dangerous.
- Cutting stems at an angle is best for water absorption--and that's a technique most underwater cutters can't perform.
Because this advice differs from what so many consider SOPs (standard operating procedures), we asked J to provide some additional detail explaining the updated procedures. As you begin processing the thousands of stems that will be arriving at your shop in the next week, keep this latest advice at the ready.
J's tips:
- First, flowers hydrate at a very slow rate. It takes an average of about three hours to fully hydrate a rose that has been traveling or out of water for a period of time. So the theory that the flower has an enormous amount of "suction" and can "suck" up air was debunked with the Amsterdam researchers.
- Cutting flowers underwater is dangerous because you risk cutting yourself by using sharp tools when you can't see them.
- Water temperature is important, and cold water is proven to make flowers last longer--again, debunking something we thought was correct for years. Warm/hot water actually begins to degrade the stems of the flowers (think of cooking vegetables), and that creates more bacteria. It's far more difficult for bacteria to get a foothold and grow in ice-cold water. And if, by any chance, you have dirty buckets or debris in the water, then bacteria soup is not far behind when using warm water.
- Using a sharp knife on stems to create a short, 45-degree-angle cut is best. Using scissors, a bunch cutter or an underwater contraption that uses a scissors-type action actually compresses and crushes the vascular system of the flower. That makes it harder for the flower to take up water and hydrate.
J suggests that, before cutting flowers, you prepare your buckets by following these steps:
- Make sure they are clean and sanitized (free from stains and bacteria).
- Fill with water and flower food at the correct dose (measured accurately).
- Chill the water to at least 40 degrees F (or colder) by placing the buckets in your cooler overnight.
He reminded florists that, when they think about their ability to care for their flowers in the best ways possible and to improve the vase life for their customers, to remember that "it's all about the flowers and what is best for them." And, he added, "I hope this sheds a bit of light on the new discoveries that are making us better at our jobs as flower designers.
"It's infinitely better for our flowers!" he emphasized.
Have questions about flower processing, care or handling? Send a note to [email protected], and we'll see what we can find out to answer your question. And, of course, don't forget about doing a quick search on specific topics in the FlowerChat forums. You'll find a wealth of information and advice from your fellow florists.
