Flower food is an invention that essentially revolutionized the way we are able to ship, store, sell and ultimately enjoy cut flowers. Feeding and nourishing flowers from harvest to home means flowers will be able to continue to develop, bloom, and flourish as nature intended. Flower food also helps flowers withstand the stress of being cut from the plant and decreases common problems such as bent neck. Although flower food is specifically formulated to keep flowers fresher longer, not used as intended, it can actually have negative results.
Why is it important to dose correctly?
Flower food dosing, or the amount of flower food you add to water to create what we call the flower food solution, can be a little tricky. Flowers benefit most from flower food when it's used in the right concentration. What happens when you don't use the right amount?
- Too much: flower vase life decreases.
- Too little: this could actually be worse than using just plain water. Not enough flower food can promote stem blockage decreasing vase life.
In a side-by-side comparison test, vase life to dosing ratio was measured and recorded. The results as you can see below clearly speak for themselves
| Recommended rate (10 g/l) | 8.8 |
| Twice the recommended rate (20 g/l) | 7.5 |
| One-Half the recommended rate (5 g/l) | 6.5 |
| One-Fourth the recommended rate (2.5 g/l) | 5.1 |
| Water | 6.4 |
How do I make sure I'm dosing correctly?
You can be extremely precise each time you measure water to flower food ratio but most of us don't have that kind of time available, especially during a busy holiday season. The easiest and fastest way for you to be sure you are adding the right amount of flower food every single time is by installing a dosing unit. No matter what container, bucket, or vase you are using, a dosing unit will ensure the appropriate flower food to water ratio is being mixed and helps you to process flowers with peace of mind and efficiency.
When installing a dosing unit for the first time or when changing the flower food used, always make sure to calibrate the unit to the dosing rate in accordance with the product’s label.
If you don't currently have a dosing unit in your shop, a FloraLife representative can help you source one and also demonstrate how easy it is to use.
A couple of helpful hints when it comes to flower food solution and processing:
- Use cold or chilled solution (water and flower food mixed) for longer vase life. The flower will get the right nourishment and hydration and the cool solution will slow down the flower metabolism which will slow down its life cycle which equals longer vase life.
- Use warm or tepid water solution if you need flowers to pop open quickly. Maybe you have an event such as a wedding that requires flowers to be open for a specific day and you can't wait. Warmer flower food solution will increase the speed of solution uptake into the flower. Be aware this will not extend the vase life of your flowers. The warmer solution actually accelerates the life cycle of flowers moving them through it more quickly. For certain events this works well.
Questions? Get in touch with FloraLife! Our team of experts is ready to help!