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KMS University

Best-in-Class Flower Handling!Facts, Challenges and Rx

Gay SmithChrysal Technical Consulting Manager

2013

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Topics:What affects shrink?

Prep – “measure twice, cut once” Temperature

Sanitation

Solutions

Bucket polishing

Grooming

Creativity is everybody’s business

Smart vocabulary – to be more compelling

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Display Cooler Set Point

38F-- 42F

Take home temperature info for members~

Store flowers in coolest location in house

Don’t put them in the kitchen fridge

NEVER put flowers in the freezer

Use cold water when mixing food for vase

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What takes the

biggest bite from profits?

Bacteria & Botrytis

Sanitation is key to resolving (controlling) both problems

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Botrytis spores need water to start developing

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Bacteria and Botrytis Defense

• Frequent sanitation

• Sharp, clean tools

• Keep blooms dry• Handle with Care--bruising & wounding

predisposes flowers to infection

• Resist non-stop grooming

Bacteria filled water

Botrytis infection

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SANITATION Impossible to over-clean buckets or over-

sanitize tools:

Bucket cleaning--last step = a final mist of RTU cleaner bucket

Dip brooms in cleaner solution

No trash filled buckets or funky water left on back stock

carts

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Germs --- never sleep

Where Bacteria & Botrytis Thrive In under-dosed bucket solutions Cooler floors & walls Green trash on carts & old buckets Tools, dust pans, rags, broom bristles Dirty aprons Trash cans

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Chrysal Leaf Shine Concentrate

Easy to shine proconas a) Shake bottle of concentrate b) Dilute concentrate 1:10

1 part concentrate to 10 parts water

c) Wipe away dirt & spots from outer surface of procona buckets (soft cloth)

d) OK to dump used solution into drain

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Demystifying Solutions

• What’s the advantage of using flower food?

• Why the correct dose matters

• What’s behind the fascination of home brews

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Flowers gotta

drink!!

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Flower Food-- What’s in that stuff??

• Acidifiers:Lower the pH of tap water

Dissolve air bubbles in stemsBoost flow

• Clarifiers keep pollution in check

• Nutrients (glucose) energy for opening and holding in vase

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The delicate vascular systems of flower stems traps 90%

of the gunk in the bottom 1 inch of the stem

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Do the right thing

• Get the dose right • Quick transfers into bucket after cut• Top-up w/ fresh solution• Never consolidate used solutions• No ice• DRY, Dry, dry

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Busting urban myths

Aspirin

Bleach

Pennies

Vodka

Vinegar

Sugar

7UP

Boiling water

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Myth busters:• Flower food clogs stems• Add a little each day• Flower food burns foliage• Vase solution needs to be changed every other day• Home brews work as well as the packets• Mix packets with warm water• Doesn’t matter if you give stems a fresh cut or not• Only / always cut on an angle• Flower food is poisonous• Vodka keeps tulips upright• Add Ice

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Too much of a good thing can be wonderful!― Mae West

3 per procona, 1 per atlas

When it comes to flower food use,

OVER-dosing is far better

than under-dosing

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• Set up buckets with COLD water• Over-dosing is far better than under-dosing• 1/3 fill level Botrytis pressure• No Daffs in same bucket with other blooms• Quick transfers! Stems start to heal fast• Don’t combine old solutions with fresh

• Top-up arrangements with flower food, not H2O

• Needle nose watering can to fill arrangements

BEST PRACTICES for Prep

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Are you a Stripper?…a peeler

…a bit heavy-handed?

Shifting gears: Flower Handling

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Educating Ourselves

1. When is it OK to strip foliage?2. When’s the right time to out a product?3. How do I make that judgment?4. How can I identify Botrytis on …?5. What flowers are in what family? example: are Alstroes in the lily family?

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Educating Ourselves 1. When is it OK to strip foliage?

When it’s bruised or Botrytis spotted

2. When is the right time to out a product? How do I make that judgment?

Would I buy it for my mom?

3. How can I identify Botrytis on…? Shake the bunch. Infected florets fall off calyx. Spots are

beige-ish. Remove a petal, and hold to the light- are compromised all way through

4. What flowers are in what family? Lots of common names give confusing cross-over references.

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• Are you guilty of constantly peeing? • Keep blooms dry to reduce Botrytis • Pressure. Remove Botrytis—it spreads Spray hydrangeas with Leaf Shine ready to use

• Step up solution changes for

tinted anything• • Quick transfers when restocking• Keep an eye on the thermostat

BEST PRACTICES– working the cooler

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Answering Member Cooler Questions

1.How long does it last?

2. Why would I want to buy this one over that one?

3. Why do the roses look open?

4. How do I make it last at home?

5. How often should I cut the stems?

6. What flower is related to what

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Rose INFO Bytes1. Most varieties have a minimum of 30 petals

The more petals in the bud structure, the more open the cut needs to be to ensure bloom performs

2. Roses need food to open and hold in the vase

3. Roses don’t open for 2 reasons: a) bloom is cut too tightb) something (likely bacteria) is blocking flow

4. No home brew works as well as commercial flower food

5. No solution makes a bad flower good

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BEST PRACTICES for Member success at home

• Start with clean vase

• Use the food--it prolongs life by +50%

• Remind to give each stem a fresh cut

• Tell what quantity of water to use with food packet

Information prevents DISAPOINTED MEMBERS

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Member Success --Gerberas

2. Cut 1” off every stem. Sharp knife 3. Add 1 drop of bleach to the flower

food in the vase at home

4. Toss water and start fresh every 3-4 days. Fresh cut Gerbs are super-sensitive to pollution

1. Start with a clean vase. Mix flower food in 1 qt water, but don’t fill vase more than ¼ full.

Gerberas last longer in shallow solution.

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Member success at home

When roses won’t open …

1. Start over

2. Empty and wash vase with soap

3. Use plastic or glass liner in metal containers

4. Fill with cold flower food

5. Cut 1+ inch off every stem with clean knife

6. Immediately place in fresh food solution

7. Display away from drafts and/or sun

TELL CUSTOMERS WHY TO BUY

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USP’s (Unique selling points)

Blooms that dry well-upside down in airy, dry area Protea Gyp Colored roses Bear grass Hydrangeas

Fragrant bloomsTuberosesFreesia (some varieties)Oriental liliesPeonies, some rosesDaffsBells of Ireland

Lilac

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MORE USP’sBullet proof: last more than 10days Lilies (Orientals last longer than Asiatics)

Carns, mini carnsAlstroe

Flowers with History Chrysanthemums –symbol of royalty in both

Chinese & Japanese dynasties

Roses—Cleopatra strewn bed with petals Reagan declared it a American emblem along with the bald eagle and the flag

Green carns--Catholic Irish celebrating St Paddy Dayfamously worn by Oscar WildeExperience is simply the name we give our mistakes. O Wilde

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USP’s … flowers are interesting!!

Color and Culture Red--good luck Chinese culture White -- sympathy Chinese, purity, innocence Yellow—Lady of Guadalupe Purple—color of Easter Blue—Jewish holidays because Israeli is blue/whiet

Sentimental Journey bloomsRosesHydrangeasDahliasPeoniesCarnationsDaffsPussy willows

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Have fun with color descriptions

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Flower-friendly Vocabulary~

____Yes___________No_________Fragrance odorStrip ripSpray carns, chrysanths, poms, minisCut point too tight, blownFoliage leaves (more elegant)Florets little flowersSucculent stems juicy stemsVascular or plumbing system (describing flow in stems)Flower food preservativeBotrytis rotten, bad, spotsBlack petal margins burned tipsRuffled petal margins wrinkled petalsBi-color two toneBaby’s Breath gypIntriguing, mysterious weird, odd

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What’s in a name?

Lilies: Oriental, Asiatic lilies. Does not include Callas, alstroemeria or lily of the valley

Roses: Hybrid Teas, spray roses, garden roses Does not include Tuberoses,

Dianthus family--Carns, minis, Baby’s breath, Sw. William

Chrysanths--single blooms, multi, various flower shapes, colors, sizes. Foliage is key identifier

Statice & Limonium--cousins.

Asters: Meteor & Matsumotos, filler asters--kissing cousins

Protea--huge family--many shaped blooms

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• Working clean reduces shrink• Measure when mixing to get full results• Plan ahead—quick transfers• Don’t combine old solutions with fresh• Keep petals dry• Top-up arrangements with fresh T-bag

solution, not H2O• Avoid over-peeling

Conclusions: Best Practices

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Thank-you!