Valentine's Day is a celebration of love that's observed by millions of Americans each year. And the American Floral Endowment has a collection of tips to keep your blooms looking radiant for as long as possible. .jpg)
Tips for retail florists
Customers want quality flowers that last a week or more. In order to achieve that, flowers must be handled properly. Sanitation of storage buckets, coolers, vases, and work surfaces are critically important to keep florists’ shops as immaculate as possible.
In past AFE research, The University of Florida Floral Postharvest Team demonstrated that a clean enviornment is essential for ensuring the quality and longevity of fresh cut flowers. Flowers processed and stored in a clean environment reduce the proliferation and spread of microbes.
It is also imperative to use freshly made hydration and flower food solutions. Old solutions tend to have a high concentration of microbes, which clog the flower stem opening, restricting the flower’s ability to uptake the solution. The flower will die prematurely if it cannot uptake the solution, so never re-use solutions.
Tips for growers
At farm level (as well as all other levels of the supply chain), it is essential to keep flowers free from ethylene damage, which can cause your Valentine’s Day roses to wilt, drop petals and leaves, or yellow. Nell suggests growers use an anti-ethylene treatment like Silver Thiosulfate, EthylBloc or Ethylene Buster to protect flowers from ethylene damage.
Growers must also hydrate flowers with quality commercial hydration solutions and maintain appropriate temperatures.
Tips for wholesalers
Keep roses at 35 degrees and use commercial hydration solutions.
“And it should go without saying, but wholesalers should always follow the first-in, first-out method with their inventory,” says Terril Nell, Ph.D., professor emeritus at the University of Florida. “It really is important to pay close attention to that.”
Following these important tips will help keep your satisfied customers coming back for more.
For more information visit the AFE website.
Latest from Greenhouse Management
- Voting now open for the National Garden Bureau's 2026 Green Thumb Award Winners
- WUR extends Gerben Messelink’s professorship in biological pest control in partnership with Biobest and Interpolis
- Lights, CO2, GROW!
- Leading the next generation
- The Growth Industry Episode 8: From NFL guard to expert gardener with Chuck Hutchison
- The biggest greenhouse headlines of 2025
- Theresa Specht
- 10 building blocks of plant health
