Proper Sanitation Means Longer Vase Life
Each bloom in the bouquet represents a tiny slice of profit. Will it flourish to its full potential, or will it wither on the stem? Some statistics say that 20-35% of cut flowers are vulnerable to post-harvest loss each year. How can you help improve those odds? With a properly sanitized work area.
The culprits are mold, yeast, and bacteria. They’re everywhere in the typical cut flower work area; on your workbench, tools and buckets as well as the cooler and shipping area. Unchecked, they will find their way up the stems of your cut flowers and decrease vase life dramatically.
To help decrease bacterial and fungal growth, it’s important to clean and disinfect everything that comes in contact with your cut flowers, including:
- Prep buckets
- Cutters
- Measuring tools
- Work surfaces
- Cooler walls, shelves and floors
- Shipping and packing areas
Floralife offers an exceptional product to help you maintain a clean work environment: D.C.D. Cleaner. Short for Disinfect Clean Deodorize, D.C.D. Cleaner has a couple of advantages. First, you don’t have to rinse when you’re finished, saving time and water. Second, it’s long-lasting. It provides a protective coating that lasts for days, unlike bleach, which stops working the moment you can no longer smell it.
So, with best practices and the right product, you can watch those profits bloom. Keep it clean with Floralife! For more sanitation wisdom from Floralife, check out this Research Update, as well as this short care and handling video.
How about you? Any sanitation best practices (or horror stories) to share? Leave a comment below!