Plan ahead:

1. Location: do not process flowers close to air vents, next to fruit (ethylene) or in freezing temperatures.
2. Clean the cooler (keep temperature of the cooler around 34-36 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity around 90%)
3. Clean and disinfect containers (use bleach and a scrub brush)
4. Fill containers with clean water and preservative
5. Use proper water temperature (if water is too warm (above 110 Fahrenheit) during conditioning, roses may open prematurely)
6. Clean and sharpen tools (do not use scissors, they tend to mash the stems)

Upon arrival:

1. Cut - don't pull! - sleeves and bands from flowers. Pulling may damage them.
2. Do not unpack more flowers than you can process within 30 minutes. Flowers should not be left on tables or in boxes at room temperature.
3. Place unopened boxes in a floral cooler. Prevent bottom of box from getting wet by placing boxes on pallet.

Processing:

1. After receiving the roses, remove some of the leaves on the lower part of the stem, but make sure that you do not remove any of the plastic or paper around the rosebuds! Remove foliage and thorns that will be below the water line. It is not recommended to remove more than 1/3 of the foliage, however. Leaves are needed to help "pump" water up the stem. Use extreme caution while de-thorning the roses: leaf and stem wounds allow air bubbles to enter the stem which impede water uptake.
2. Cut the stems at an angle at least ½ - 1 inch. Cut the stems under water, in order to prevent air bubbles from sealing off the stem (it only takes a second for a rose stem to dry out!). Re-cut stems under water every two or three days. This will prevent wilting or bent necks.
3. Let the roses hydrate ("drink") outside the cooler (condition at room temperature to increase water intake) for 1 ½ hour and for at least another six hours (some people recommend up to 12 hours!) inside the cooler.

Additional tips and comments:

1. Continue to change water regularly (every two or three days)
2. Inform your customers of "at-home" care procedures
   • keep flowers away from a spot that is too hot (bright sunlight), cold or drafty.
   • re-cut stems under water and every two or three days
   • include preservative package with every purchase
   • after leaving your shop: ask the customer to limit the time the flowers are kept in the car
3. we do not recommend that you wire the roses because it will not improve the performance
4. In order to increase water intake, it is preferred to avoid floral foam. If you are designing roses in floral foam, soak foam thoroughly in a preservative solution. Never adjust the height of flowers in foam.
5. If foliage seems dry, mist the foliage lightly, but do not mist the blooms. Water droplets are breeding grounds for fungus, also know as Botrytis.
6. While processing the roses, you may come across some roses with spots on the outside two guard petals. Do not panic: these petals have purposely not been removed at the farm in order to protect the rose from any shipping damage. Also, in case you come across any black edging, do not panic: this is Mother Nature (caused by cold days at the farm during the growing process) and it is not an indication of poor quality.
7. Processing the flowers any different from described above (for instance: using and selling the roses immediately upon receiving) may result in quality problems. This would be beyond our responsibility and risk.
8. Tip: increase consumer interest in colored varieties with a special promotion on a multi-color arrangement.

Tulips arrive looking soft or limp; freshen them with a hydration treatment. Avoid bending of the "necks" by leaving the necks wrapped in plastic or paper during processing. Before placing tulips with daffodils, which secrete a sap that clogs other flowers' stems, condition daffodils in water for a day and do not recut them.

It is better to store Irises wet than dry. Iris is ethylene-sensitive. Avoid ethylene sources. If you mix Iris with Daffodils in arrangements, first treat Daffodils properly. Soak floral foam in flower food solution before design work.

Daffodils are ethylene-sensitive. Avoid ethylene sources. Daffodils secrete a stem-clogging sap that can damage other flowers if not properly handled. Wait at least six hours before mixing with other flowers: do NOT re-cut them; the sap will be released again.

Store them vertically in plenty of water with heads bent toward the light. Do not arrange them with Daffodils unless Daffodils have been treated properly.

To prevent bending, store flowers upright. Ranunculus is also ethylene sensitive.

Try to condition them overnight in the cooler before using them in design work.

Avoid ethylene sources. To prevent pollen from staining petals (and clothing!!) remove anthers. Handle carefully, as open flowers crease easily. The top bloom usually normally does not open.

Upon arrival, place the stems in water and refrigerate them immediately. "Convallaria" likes fresh water and they drink a lot; they always require refrigeration to maintain freshness.

When working with Lily of the Valley, take great care not to break the stems. Try the following conditioning method: submerge the whole blossom, including the stem in water for at least one hour. Then put the flower in the refrigerator to crisp up for four to six hours. To condition Lily of the Valley just before using it in bridal bouquets, hang it upside down in the refrigerator for an hour. Water then suffuses and strengthens the top bud, which otherwise may get limp.

On receipt, open shipping carton and inspect for any bruised or damaged blossoms. Discard these and handle usable ones with care to avoid bruising. Replace flowers in the packing material and carton, mist with water and refrigerate at 40º for up to a week.

To retain the Dendrobium radiance for up to two weeks, follow these helpful hints:

• Unpack the flowers immediately
• Trim up to 1/2 " off the stems
• Place the flowers in a clean vase with clean water and/or a commercial floral preservative. If your Dendrobiums are wilted upon unpacking, simply submerge whole sprays for 10-15 minutes in cool tap water.

Dendrobiums are slightly sensitive to ethylene. To avoid ethylene buildup, you'll want to ensure adequate ventilation and sanitary conditions. These tropical treasures will stay their loveliest when held in water at 50º - 55ºF. Holding Dendrobiums for more than a week at temperatures below 45ºF can cause blooms to discolor or drop.

Temperature-sensitive; store at 50º - 55ºF. With the exception of Cypripediums, these Orchids should be stored with the stem secured in a water tube filled with sufficient supply of preservative solution. Avoid getting water on the petals, as this can cause spotting. Store in the shipping carton or upright in a rack, taking care not to bruise them or allow them to run against rough surfaces or other flowers. Shredded paper is useful to support and protect Orchids. Orchids are ethylene sensitive and should be stored away from sources of ethylene.