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Extra Features and Video Online FloristsReview.com R E A D O N L I N E 41 Should I cut flower stems at an angle? Some florists suggest that cutting stem ends at an angle increases water absorption. is is not true. However, some designers cut stem ends at an angle to make inserting them into flower foam easier, and that's OK. What is the difference between a hydration solution, a holding solution and a flower food solution? e difference in these types of solutions is the amount of sugar. Sugar supplements the natural sugars produced by the plant to promote flower opening. • Growers use hydration solutions to hydrate the flowers following harvest and prior to shipping. • Holding solutions are used following shipping, often at the wholesale level, containing some sugar to replace the natural sugars lost during storage and transport. • Flower food solutions, used at the retail florist level, provide the largest amount of sugar to provide energy for the flowers to open and to extend vase life. Should cut flower arrangements be delivered with water or a flower food solution? Flower arrangements, with or without floral foam, should be provided to customers with a properly mixed flower food solution. Also, provide each customer or recipient with a packet or two of flower food, to replenish the solu- tion in the arrangement, as needed. Your customers also may need instructions about the use of the flower food. Why can't I just add some sugar to my vase water rather than using a flower food solution? Flowers need supplemental sugar, but if sugar is the only item added to the vase solution, bacteria will grow much faster and block water uptake to the stems. Holding solutions and flower food solutions are formulated to add some sugar, but they also contain a buffer that lowers the pH of the water between 3.5 and 5. Bacterial growth at those pH levels is restricted. Also, commercial vase solutions contain a water-absorbing agent that allows water to flow up the stems easier. At what temperature should flower coolers be kept in order to maintain cut flowers at their best? Keep your cooler(s) at 34 F to 36 F, with a humidity of 75 percent to 80 percent—unless you have tropical flowers. Keeping flowers cold reduces the loss of natural sugars. At higher temperatures, flowers will use up sugars to maintain their health. ese sugars, along with the supplemental sugar in flower foods, are used to provide energy for movement of water up the stems and for blooms to open. It is best to reduce the cooler temperature to ensure that enough sugars are available for the flowers to use after they are sold. Do I really need to wash buckets and flower containers? Absolutely! Flower life depends on having water move up the stems and into the leaves and blooms to maintain the normal function of the cells and to provide water to expand petal cells during flower opening. If flowers do not get this water, they die prematurely. Dirty cut flower storage containers will contaminate the flower food solution and promote bacterial growth that will block flower stems, restricting water uptake. I keep hearing about flower problems related to ethylene. Is it a big deal? Yes! Ethylene is a naturally occurring plant hormone that kills flowers. e gas is also given off by dead and decaying fruits and vegetables and combustible engines. Addition- ally, it is produced within flowers due to stress, such as vibration during shipping, exposure to high temperatures, and drying out. Not all flowers are sensitive to ethylene. Ethylene-sensitive flowers drop flowers, buds and leaves; fail to open fully ; and exhibit reduced vase life. You can request a list of ethylene-sensitive cut flowers and potted plants from the American Floral Endowment at endowment.org. e good news is that growers can treat ethylene-sensitive cut flowers with products such as EthylBloc™, to prevent damage from ethylene. So be sure your flower growers are treating flowers properly. Is there more I should do? Definitely! Take the "2023 Postharvest Pledge" described on Pages 48-49 of the January 2023 issue of Florists' Review or online at floristsreview.com/new-years-resolution-make- more-money-with-quality-flowers. Committing to this simple step-by-step protocol will make your flowers stay beautiful for as long as possible. Win-win! Dr. Nell serves as the Research Director for the American Floral Endowment (AFE). AFE is the trusted source and catalyst for floriculture advancement through funding innovative research, scholarships, internships and educational grants that best serve the dynamic needs and demographics of all industry sectors. Learn more at endowment.org.

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