As a florist, you know it’s a special craft to be able to keep flowers fresh, vibrant, and disease-free, especially in the sweltering summer months. When you can care for bouquets and flower arrangements properly, you guarantee customers will be happier and return to your flower shop for all their floral needs.
Whether you’ve been in the business for years or are just starting out, you could benefit from these tips for keeping flowers fresh longer. Some of this advice can even help you when working at a remote location, such as a festival.
Keep Them Cool
Cut flowers last longer when they are kept cool. You’ve likely had an experience where you accidentally left a bouquet out on the back counter, and when you finally remembered them, the entire arrangement was discolored and wilting. Fresh flowers die even quicker in the summer heat, which is why it’s more important than ever to keep your blooms at the ideal temperature.
To maintain freshness, you will need to store the flowers at a temperature between 34° and 36° Fahrenheit. While you are in your shop, you can easily do this with your commercial coolers. But what do you do when you’re offsite at a festival or have an influx of orders from summer weddings, corporate events, family reunions, and other occasions?
You can secure a refrigerated trailer rental in Dallas and the surrounding locations in Texas. This cooler trailer will keep your blooms from wilting, no matter the temperatures outside. Plus, the interior can be customized to meet your demands and easily disinfected to control fungal and bacterial infections.
Stay Loose
Another way to keep floral arrangements fresher longer in the summer months is to store them in the proper packaging. Flowers will naturally open and expand as time goes by. For this reason, you will either want to store the flowers with loose or no packaging. Of course, this tip doesn’t apply to roses since customers like to purchase some rose buds in their arrangements.
In addition to keeping the packaging loose, you will want to inspect the products for wilted or damaged flowers and leaves before placing them in your commercial cooler or the portable refrigeration unit. Dead and diseased flowers and leaves produce ethylene gas, which leads to greater petal drop and premature floral death.
Recut Stems
If you do not grow your own blooms and receive them from a grower or wholesaler, you may want to recut the flower stems before storing them in a cooler. It’s important to recut the stems because they are likely blocked by bacteria or have been squashed by the original cutting tools, inhibiting the flower’s ability to absorb water and flower food.
You will want to cut the stems at a slanted angle so that the stems cannot lay flush against the bottom of the container they are stored in. It’s also best to cut the stems under warm water since it has less oxygen, and oxygen can partially affect the stem’s ability to absorb water.
Mix in Preservatives
Finally, you will want to add fresh water to the container and mix in the right preservatives. Feeding the flowers the proper nutrients can allow them to remain vibrant, robust, and disease-free. For example, a bactericide will inhibit the growth of bacteria, and an acidifier keeps the water’s pH levels low, while minerals ensure the blooms last several days.
Keep It Cold™ Provides the Coolest Refrigeration Solutions for Florists
The summer heat never stops anyone from having fun, and it certainly doesn’t prevent your flower shop from being busy. If you need extra cooler space, we have the solution you need! Our temporary cold storage rentals are affordable and can be set to the ideal temperature you need to keep your floral arrangements and blooms looking and smelling amazing. Contact us today for more information!
