As with any life form, under improper conditions, flowers will degrade and die. For those looking to work with flowers under retail conditions, or even those using horticulture as a hobby, a refrigeration system is a good investment.
Why Purchase a New Refrigerator
Most people own a refrigerator used for food preservation, but flowers need their own delicate climate to thrive. Variant by flower variety, proper temperature and humidity must be maintained in the refrigeration unit to ensure optimal preservation time. Home refrigerators are also sometimes home to fruit, a common, but widely unknown enemy to flowers. Fruit emits ethylene, an invisible gaseous plant hormone that causes plants to hasten ripening and die. Flowers have receptor sites for ethylene, and even a small amount can cause undesired effects. Typical signs of ethylene exposure include; buds and leaves falling off, leaf yellowing, loss of deep color, petals falling off the plant, and irregular flow bud opening. The eventual result is undesirable flowers that are not visually appealing, and certainly not fit for retail use.
Where Are Refrigeration Units Needed
The short answer is anywhere someone wants to store cut flowers for an extended period of time. The long answer is not that simple. Refrigerating flowers works by slowing their metabolic process, reducing respiration, retaining water, and slowing the development of bacteria. While bacteria growth is somewhat standard in all environments, respiration and water retention are not. Higher temperatures increase the respiration rate of a flower, thereby reducing its lifespan. High temperatures will also dry a flower out fast, reducing overall visual appeal and creating a hostile environment. For example, a floral merchandiser can be expected to sell more floral merchandisers systems California or Arizona, than would be expected in Miami, or even New England. This is because the hotter, drier, climates of California and Arizona are less conducive to preserving flowers without refrigeration.
