bulb flowers - Super Floral Retailing

cut flower of the month
Super Floral Retailing has created this page
for the education of store-level employees.
To download a reprintable PDF, please go
to www.superfloralretailing.com and select
“Current Issue.”
bulb flowers
The term “bulb” is given to flowers and
plants that have underground, fleshy storage organs. Not all of these storage organs
vase-life extenders
PROMPT ATTENTION, SPECIAL CARE Unpack
bulb flowers immediately upon arrival,
and separate any species of Narcissi (daffodils, paper-whites, etc.) from the rest of
the bulb flowers for processing. When
Narcissi stems are cut, they exude a gelatinous substance that is detrimental to
some other bulb flowers, especially tulips.
Follow the steps described next when processing Narcissi, but keep them in separate
containers for several hours after cutting
them, to allow the harmful sap to leach.
After that time, Narcissi can be arranged or
placed with other blossoms, even if recut
again, without affecting the lives of the
other flowers.
STRIP AND BATHE Remove any leaves that
would fall below the water line in containers. Then thoroughly rinse the stems—
especially of field-grown flowers—under
tepid (100 F) running water to remove
dirt, sand and other debris.
RECUTTING STEMS With a sharp, sterile
blade, cut off at least 1 inch from all stem
ends—except hyacinths (do not recut
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Hyacinthus (hy-uh-SIN-thus)
Hyacinth
n Iris (EYE-ris)
Dutch Iris, Fleur-de-lis
n Lilium (LIL-ee-um)
Lily
n Muscari (mus-CAR-ee, mus-CAR-eye)
Grape hyacinth
n Narcissus (nar-SIS-us)
Daffodil, Jonquil, Paper-white
n Nerine (nuh-RIN-ee, nuh-RY-nee,
nay-REE-nay)
Spider lily, Guernsey lily
n Ornithogalum (orn-i-THOG-uh-lum)
Star-of-Bethlehem, Chincherinchee,
Wonder flower
n Scilla (SIL-uh, SKIL-uh)
Squill
n Tulipa (TOO-li-puh)
Tulip
are “true bulbs,” however; some are corms
(e.g., Gladiolus, Freesia, Brodiaea); tubers
(Anemone, Dahlia); rhizomes (Alstroemeria,
calla, lily-of-the-valley); and tuberous
roots (Ranunculus, Eremurus). In this article, we discuss only true bulbs.
BOTANICAL AND COMMON NAMES
n Allium (AL-ee-um)
Flowering onion, Flowering garlic
n Eucharis (YOU-cuh-ris)
Amazon lily, Eucharist lily,
Madonna lily
n Eucomis (you-KO-mis)
Pineapple lily, Pineapple flower
n Fritillaria (fritl-AIR-ee-uh)
Fritillary, Crown imperial,
Checker lily, Checkered lily
n Hippeastrum (hip-ee-AS-trum)
Amaryllis, Barbados lily
n
hyacinth stems; see “Hyacinth Stem
Cutting” on Page 18 for more information)—
to remove desiccated (dried out) ends and
accumulated dirt, debris and microbes in
the stem cells. You may cut stems either
under water or in air; however, if you cut
stems under water, change the water (or
flower-food solution) frequently to prevent
it from being contaminated with bacteria.
HYDRATION AND NUTRITION Immediately
after cutting stem ends, place the flowers
into a properly prepared bulb-flower-food
solution made with cold, nonfluoridated
(if possible) water. Cold nutrient solution
helps keep blooms from opening too
quickly while fluoride can decrease vase
life; inhibit bloom development and
opening; and cause petal discoloration,
deterioration and/or droop as well as
flower and leaf tip burn.
When they are cut from their bulbs,
these flowers experience hormone imbalances, and bulb-flower-food solutions
contain—in addition to all the ingredients in standard flower-food solutions—
“replacement” hormones. They also have a
lower concentration of sugar, which can
aggravate leaf yellowing.
Although research shows that some
spring bulb flowers, including Irises, daffodils and tulips, may not benefit greatly
from the nutrient (sugar) in flower-food
solutions, they do benefit from the biocides, which limit the growth of harmful
stem-plugging microbes.
REFRIGERATION After processing cut bulb
flowers, place them immediately into a
floral cooler, and allow them to hydrate
there for at least two hours before arranging or selling them.
The optimal storage temperature range
for most cut bulb flowers is 33 F to 35 F.
Those requiring higher temperatures
include paper-whites (Narcissi) and
hyacinths, which prefer 36 F to 41 F temperatures, and amaryllises (Hippeastrums),
which require temperatures ranging from
41 F to 50 F.
ETHYLENE SENSITIVITY Many bulb flowers
are sensitive to ethylene gas; tulips and
hyacinths are about the only exceptions.
Make sure the bulb flowers you purchase
www.superfloralretailing.com
cut flower of the month
are treated with an ethylene inhibitor at the
grower or wholesaler level, at the point of
importation, or during shipment by truck.
The grower level is often the most ideal.
CARE EXTRA Store tulips, daffodils and Irises
vertically in their containers to encourage
straight stems. Tulips are geotropic, meaning
they respond to the forces of gravity, so storing them vertically and in their plastic sleeves
can help prevent their stems from curving.
QUICK SALE Sell cut bulb flowers within two
days of receipt. Flowers held for more than
two days lose at least a day of vase life for
each day they are held beyond the two days.
Allium cepa ‘Utopia’
Flowering onion
(a.k.a. Spring onion,
Potato onion,
Scallion, Shallot)
Eucharis amazonica
(syn. E. grandiflora)
Amazon lily, Eucharist lily,
Madonna lily,
Lily-of-the-Amazon
Eucomis comosa
Pineapple flower,
Pineapple lily
Photo: iBulb
Photo: iBulb
Fritillaria imperialis
‘Rubra Maxima’
Crown imperial, Fritillary
Fritillaria meleagris
Checkered lily, Snake’s head
fritillary, Guinea-hen tulip
Hippeastrum
‘Dancing Queen’
Amaryllis, Barbados lily
Photo: iBulb
Photo: iBulb
Photo: iBulb
Hippeastrum ‘Stargazer’
Amaryllis, Barbados lily
Hyacinthus orientalis
‘Purple Pride’
Hyacinth, Dutch hyacinth
Iris hollandica
‘Sapphire Beauty’
Dutch Iris, Fleur-de-lis
Photo: iBulb
Photo: iBulb
Lilium ‘Dazzle’
Asiatic hybrid lily
Lilium ‘Flashpoint’
Oriental hybrid lily
Photo: The Sun Valley Group
Photo: iBulb
Lilium Dublet
’Sweet Rosie’
Double-flowered
Oriental hybrid lily
Photo: iBulb
hyacinth stem cutting
The latest data suggest that hyacinth stems
should not be recut. In Holland, for example,
hyacinths are harvested with their bulbs
attached; the bulbs are later removed by a
“coring” procedure. This means that the lowest part of a hyacinth stem (basal plate) is the
center interior of the bulb. Research shows
that leaving the basal plates intact improves
water uptake and will extend flower vase life.
If you choose to recut hyacinth stems during
processing, remove as little of the stem as
possible—preferably no more than 1/8 inch.
Do you need a quick
and easy reference for
information about
other cut flowers?
Photo: iBulb
Designed to fit on your
countertop, desk or design
bench, Flower Flip — A
Guide to 50 Favorite
Flowers provides information on care, vase life,
availability, pronunciation
and more in a handy 5.5” x
6.5” flip-chart format.
FRFB1010 $12.95
Order Online
To order, visit ww.superfloralretailing.com and click on
“Bookstore,” or call (800) 355-8086. (To discuss quantity
purchases and pricing, ask for Mary Lou Clark, ext. 12.)
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floral retailing
february ’13
Photo: The Sun Valley Group
www.superfloralretailing.com
Lilium ‘Menorca’
L.A. hybrid lily
(longiflorum /asiatic)
Lilium ‘Shocking’
O.T. hybrid lily
(Oriental/trumpet, Orienpet)
Photo: Holland America Bulb Farms, Inc.
Photo: The Sun Valley Group
Narcissus ‘Juanita’
Large-cupped daffodil
Narcissus ‘Stef’
Daffodil
Narcissus ‘Meeting’
Double-flowered daffodil
Narcissus tazetta ‘Cragford’
Polyanthus Narcissus
Photo: iBulb
Photo: iBulb
Photo: Flower Council of Holland
Photo: Flower Council of Holland
Nerine bowdenii ‘Albivetta’
Spider lily, Guernsey lily
Ornithogalum thyrsoides
‘White Giant’
Chincherinchee
(a.k.a. Wonder flower, African
wonder flower, Star-of-Bethlehem)
Scilla
Squill
Tulipa ‘Donau’
Tulip
Photo: iBulb
Photo: iBulb
Photo: iBulb
Muscari armeniacum ‘Big Smile’
Grape hyacinth
Narcissus ‘Dutch Master’
Trumpet daffodil
Photo: iBulb
Photo: iBulb
Some information provided by:
Botanica, by R.G. Turner Jr. and Ernie Wasson
Chain of Life Network® , www.chainoflife.org
Cut Flowers, by C. Gelein
Cut Flowers of the World
by Johannes Maree and Ben-Erik van Wyk
Hortus Third
by Liberty Hyde Bailey and Ethel Zoe Bailey
SAF Flower & Plant Care,
by Terril A. Nell, Ph.D., and
Michael S. Reid, Ph.D.
Tulipa ‘Grand Style’
French tulip, Cottage tulip
Tulipa ‘Honeymoon’
Fringed tulip, Crispa tulip
Photo: The Sun Valley Group
Photo: The Sun Valley Group
www.superfloralretailing.com
Tulipa ‘Monarch Parrot’
Parrot tulip
Photo: The Sun Valley Group sfr
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