Cut Flower Care and Handling: Gladiolus

Floralife has expanded the Flower Care and Handling section of our website to offer a bunch of useful tips for the postharvest processing of many different varieties of cut flowers. Grower, wholesaler, retailer, enthusiast – there’s usually something for everybody. Let’s keep going down the list! Today’s star is the Gladiolus!

Gladiolus is a flowering plant and a member of the Iris family. There are about 250 species of Gladiolus, most of which originate in southern Africa and the rest from the Mediterranean area. It comes in a range of colors, including green, orange, pink, purple, red, salmon, white and yellow.

As always, Floralife has some practical Gladiolus care and handling tips for the grower, the wholesaler and the retailer. Here is a preview.

For the Grower: Gladiolus is ethylene sensitive. Ethylene will cause fading, wilting and translucent petals of the florets. So protect your Gladiolus with an anti-ethylene product such as Floralife’s EthylBloc^™ Technology, as soon as possible after harvest. Then, place the stems for at least one hour in HydraFlor^® 100, then transfer them to a storage and transport solution from the Floralife^® 200 series. If you have any questions, please contact Floralife.

For the Wholesaler and Retailer: Buying advice includes avoiding stems with brown or shriveled florets. Purchase spikes that have a few open florets. And be sure to ask if the Gladiolus were treated with an anti-ethylene product.

Processing: Rinse away any dirt or debris from the stems, remove foliage below water level and recut the stems.

Pretreatment: A hydration solution will help increase bud opening, decrease flower wilting and helps keep Gladiolus stems free flowing. You have two Floralife^® hydration products to consider: HydraFlor^® 100, a concentrate generally recommended for maximum results; or Floralife^® Quick Dip 100, a ready-to-use version that requires no mixing or measuring. This quick one second dip may be more suitable to retail flower shops.

Holding Solution: Hold Gladiolus at room temperature for 1 – 2 hours (2 – 4 if flowers are limp or exhibiting bent neck) prior to storage in cooler or designing. Finally, spray Floralife® Finishing Touch® hydration and protection spray over entire project.

That’s a quick preview of Floralife’s Gladiolus Care and Handling article. There is more at the original piece, including discussion on fluoride sensitivity, storage temperatures and troubleshooting advice, so take a look! Are you a fan of the Gladiolus, as a professional or an enthusiast? Let us know in the comments section!