Best Practice in Harvesting and Transporting Cut Flowers

Good growing conditions and management can help ensure the quality of any crop, but for cut flowers harvesting and post-harvest handling are critical. Good practice starts before a single flower is harvested. So, what do the World’s top cut flower producers do to ensure their flowers are of the best quality possible? What do the best growers do to ensure flowers reach their customers in the best possible condition?

Harvesting

When it comes to cut flowers the timing of harvest is critical. The optimum stage for harvesting varies with the species grown and the time of the year. Some species may be harvested at a less mature stage during the summer, when warmer temperatures may induce rapid development. Harvesting in the morning is often better than the afternoon because the temperature is lowest during the morning, plant water content is high, and the rest of the day is available for packing and distribution.

All buckets and utensils should be cleaned and sanitized. Cutting tools need to be sharp; dull tools will macerate stems and reduce water uptake. Plants should be healthy and vigorous (Dole & Schnelle, 2017). Flowers harvested from poor-quality plants will have a shorter vase life than those harvested from high-quality plants. The vase life of a species can vary, depending on the cultivar. Cultivars should be selected for both production capability and vase life. Flowers should be harvested at the proper stage of development to help maximise vase life.

Proper handling is also important, for example, flower stems naturally bend away from gravity and this phenomenon is called geotropism. Flowers such as gladiolus, snapdragon, gerbera, tulip, and anemone bend upward when placed horizontally. This bending of the stem away from gravity results in curved stems when they are later placed in a vertical position. These flowers should be handled upright whenever possible (University of Massachussets, 2016).

Mechanical damage to the leaves and flowers reduces the aesthetic value of the flowers and bruised petals and leaves are more prone to infection with disease organisms and ethylene production. The quality of cut flowers is best maintained with gentle and minimal handling (University of Massachussets, 2016).

Post-Harvest

Post-harvest storing flowers and the correct temperature, relative humidity and in the right solution is critical to maintaining flower quality.

Temperature

Flowers should be placed in a cool room but in warm water (110ºF/43ºC). As storage temperatures rise, respiration and water loss increase and wilting starts. Therefore, rapid cooling is imperative to remove field heat and improve the quality and vase life of cut flowers. Flowers should be cooled as soon as possible. The temperature should be maintained at a range of 0-2ºC. Just a few additional degrees of warmth can significantly decrease vase life.

Once packed, flowers are difficult to cool. Ideally, flowers should be packed in a cold room and, where possible, cool air forced cool through perforations in the storage boxes.

Relative Humidity

The ratio of water vapour pressure in the air to vapour pressure in saturated air at a given temperature is known as relative humidity (RH). RH plays a significant role in increasing the longevity of cut flowers. The RH should be over 90%, but less than 100%. If water droplets start forming on the flowers and foliage, a common fungus known as botrytis may attack.

Nutrition

Starch and sugars (carbohydrates) stored in cut flowers are responsible for flower opening and longevity. Carbohydrate levels are highest when cut flowers are grown under proper nutrition, the optimum temperature, light levels, and water supply.

The quality and longevity of cut flowers can be improved by placing stems in sugar (sucrose) water. Sugar added to holding solutions will enhance flower size and colour. Many commercial floral preservatives are available on the market, some of which come in powder form to be mixed with water. Automated application systems can mix solutions easily.

Chlorine tablets can also be used. They are used primarily for “dirty flowers” or flowers that release tannins or sap into the water as they hydrate. Chlorine tablets reduce bacteria and help keep the water clean. Hydrator cut stems should be placed into a diluted “hydrating” solution for a few hours at room temperature or overnight in a cooled (34°F – 38°F) environment. The flowers should then be transferred into flower food until transport/shipment. Quick Dip Should only be used on stems that have difficulty hydrating. Before placing in flower food, stems can be “quick dipped” for a couple of seconds to open up the stem’s vascular system, allowing for better hydration.

It can be seen that harvesting and shipping quality cut flowers requires care and attention to detail. Morgan Agro’s cut flowers and their growers are carefully selected, stored, and transported to provide the highest quality cut flowers. Please contact us to discuss your needs we have a wide range of bulbs and cut flowers available. Are you looking for any cut flowers? We can help to get from our partners- some of the biggest worldwide producers for a good price and deliver to any location.

Are looking for any flower bulbs or cut flowers?

We can help to get from our partners – some of the biggest worldwide producers for a good price and deliver to any location. Contact us for a quote.

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