Presenting

planes). Ethylene exposure causes wilting, discoloration, irregular opening and shattering of flower blooms. Many flowers are highly susceptible to ethylene damage, including carnations, Gypsophila, sunflowers, lilies, roses, tulips and more. Careful attention to avoid and block ethylene damage is critical and now possible with commercial ethylene-shielding products. But the insidious damage can take days to appear, sometimes not becoming apparent until flowers reach retail, or worse, the end consumers. WHAT YOU CAN DO: How can you know if your flowers were treated with an ethylene shield at the flower farm? Ask your suppliers! It's your assurance that your floral designs will remain in top condition, avoiding flower loss and customer disappointment. PRO TIP: Stressed and decaying flowers give off even more ethylene, which can further accelerate flower decline. Take proper care of healthy stems, and promptly remove any from inventory that are deteriorating. 4 TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT Temperature throttles flower lifespan. The industry's cold supply chain slows a flower's metabolism into a hibernation-like state, keeping them dormant until you are ready to design. But it's a team effort. For temperate flowers, every degree above 38 F shortens flower life, with temperatures above 41 F shortening flower life as much as 65 percent to 75 percent, depending on the duration. Tropical flowers should be held at temperatures above 55 F. WHAT YOU CAN DO: Maintain the cold chain! Unpack flower boxes and cool the flowers promptly. Check cooler temperatures regularly, and keep cooler doors closed as much as possible. Use temperature to your advantage to manipulate bloom opening for optimal timing in your designs. PRO TIP: To open flowers for event work, remove stems from the cooler, and place them into lukewarm flower nutrient solution (properly proportioned, of course!) the day before design. Blooms will be open to occupy the ideal space in your creations. Extending the vase life of cut flowers at the consumer level doesn't end with you. Educate consumers on their role in feeding and nurturing their flowers. Every order is an opportunity to cultivate repeat buyers. Offer advice on proper flower care, and provide flower- food packets with every order. Certain flowers like roses, Dahlia, lilies, sunflowers and yarrow last from 50 percent to 300 percent longer with flower food! Flower food is your best insurance policy for long vase life, customer delight and repeat business. Farm to vase, FloraLife offers a one-stop shop to maximize the longevity of flowers. From hospital-grade sanitizers to optimal hydration, nutrition and ethylene protection products, we follow the flowers. Our goal is to help you exceed consumer expectations and get more repeat business. FloraLife: Experts in cut-flower care.

• Cover