CARE & HANDLING. Optimal Relative Humidity (RH) should be between 75% 90%. Wet pack and dry pack flowers can both be stored at the same RH.

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1 CARE & HANDLING Housekeeping THE COOLER Cooler maintenance is essential: Coils, drain pans and drain lines need to be cleaned three times per year. We suggest that you set up a maintenance schedule before busy times, such as: January, April and August. Regular Maintenance: Remove dead or decaying leaves and flowers daily as well as any other debris. Keep all shelves and surfaces both on the interior and exterior of the cooler clean from water spots, fingerprints, dust or dirt. Clean your cooler weekly with a professional cleaner. Keep the coils and vents of your air system clean and clear. Wipe down all surfaces and gaskets on a regular basis. Maintain cooling system mechanics on a regular basis. Check for leaks or cracks. Optimal Relative Humidity (RH) should be between 75% 90%. Wet pack and dry pack flowers can both be stored at the same RH. Optimal cooler temperatures should be between F. Tropicals should be kept at 55 F 60 F. WORK AREA Work counters, benches, etc. should be wiped down each day with a cleaning solution, such as Floralife DCD. TOOLS All tools should be wiped down each day with a cleaning solution, such as Floralife DCD. BUCKETS Buckets should be cleaned before each use and every 3 days thereafter with a cleaning solution, such as Floralife DCD. Research has shown that buckets left dirty for four days or more can reduce vase life.

2 Processing Your Fresh Flowers 1. Get them ready. Unpack and process your flowers immediately. Begin by removing foliage below water level to prevent rotting. Remove all flower nets around product. Thoroughly rinse stem ends. 2. Get cutting. Using a clean cutting tool, give all flower stems a fresh cut (approximately 1/2 1 ). Make sure to cut every stem. This helps to ensure hydration. 3. Do the Dip. Use an instant hydrating treatment to help ensure hydration and a free flowing stem. This can be especially helpful with field grown crops. It s a must for roses and gerbera to help prevent bent necks. Always put your flowers in a solution immediately after cutting so no air bubbles will form and stems will remain free flowing. 4. Please feed. Check your water ph to know how much flower food is needed. Place flowers in a clean bucket containing flower food solution. They need to be nourished for maximum enjoyment. Flower foods generally contain: an acid to lower the ph of the solution; ingredients to keep the stems free flowering; an energy source (sugar) to nourish the flowers. 5. Keep cool and humid. Place flowers in a F cooler with an 75 90% humidity. Maintaining proper cooler conditions will reduce water loss and maximize shelf life. Keep flowers refrigerated at least two hours to allow them to hydrate before designing with or selling them.

3 Feeding WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO USE FLOWER FOOD? When used properly, flower food will greatly increase the vase life and provide greater enjoyment to the end consumer. KEY FUNCTIONS OF FRESH FLOWER FOOD: Nutritional source Plants produce sugar through photosynthesis from water, carbon dioxide and sunlight. When a flower is cut from the stem, sugar production stops. Flower food provides a nutrient supplement to assure the continuation of development of the flower bud. This will make the flower perform better in terms of size, color and vase life. Hydration Flower food helps lower the ph, which keeps the flowers working at maximum efficiency. When a flower has been dehydrated through the normal course of postharvest and shipping, it needs a jump-start. When the ph of a solution is more acidic, the molecules tend to stick together more. Stem Unclogger A flower can become exposed to debris during the transport chain, which can clog the stems reducing the ability of the flower to take up water and nutrients. This blockage can easily shorten the life of a flower. Flower food includes an ingredient to keep the water uptake flowing. Regardless of which flower food that you purchase, make sure to follow the manufacturer s instructions for maximum benefits. BULB FLOWER FOOD Bulb food will hydrate and nourish fresh cut bulb flowers for maximum enjoyment. This product works best on tulips, iris, lilies, alstroemeria and freesia. Key benefits of bulb food: Enhances bulb performance with an increased vase life versus standard flower food formulas Prevents premature bent neck and stimulates water uptake. Suitable for use in mixed or straight-line bouquets containing bulbs and foliage greens.

4 Best Consumer Practices IN STORE STEPS TO FRESH FLOWERS 1. Inspect the flowers upon arrival. 2. Flowers should be stored in a cooler with a temperature of between F. 3. Remove any fallen petals from the stem of the flowers (leaves that may have become dislodged during shipping). 4. Make sure all containers have been cleaned with a floral sanitizer. 5. Mix your flower food. 6. Using clippers, carefully cut 1 2 to 1 inch off base of all stems and immediately place in prepared bucket. 7. With wet pack flowers check to see if there is sufficient treated water in the buckets and clear the bucket of any debris. 8. With dry pack flowers place them in water properly treated with flower food as soon as possible. a. Allow 1 2 hours of drinking time in order for all flowers to be fully hydrated and ready to sell. 9. Check all buckets daily for proper amount of flower food solution and be sure to clean out any debris. 10. Follow proper FIFO (first in, first out) when rotating the flowers in and out of the store. In drypack, a 3 5 day rotation system should be observed. Flowers that suffer hydration issues (e.g. hydrangea, rose, gerbera) should be left in dry pack no more than 3 days, whereas flowers such as alstroemeria and carnations can be kept up to 5 days. 11. Check the cooler temperature twice daily. Remember, flowers last longest if stored between 34 F 38 F. The flowers should not be stored near fruit (too much Ethylene). 12. Finishing: Don t ever spray your flowers with plain water. This could create a breeding ground for botrytis. When finishing your flowers always use a specialty spray that will protect and hydrate them such as Floralife Finishing Touch. Always let any sprayed flowers dry before placing them back in the cooler. 13. Give flower food and directions with every purchase.

5 Water Quality Know your water quality... Your flowers are depending on you! Unsure of your water quality? Contact your DV Sales Associate and they will send you a sample kit that can be sent directly to Floralife. Floralife will analyze your water sample free of charge. Water will be analyzed for: ph, TDS (total dissolved solids), alkalinity and hardness. ph The ph is simply a measure of how acidic or basic your water is on a scale of 0 to 14. A ph of less than 7 is acidic; 7 is neutral and greater than 7 is basic. Typically, water alone will have a ph range of 5 to 8. Combined with flower food, the usual ph will be between 3 and 5, or slightly acidic. Fresh cut flowers benefit from a ph in the range of TDS The TDS is a measure of all the dissolved solids in the water (measured in parts per million or ppm). The level of TDS is important. High levels of certain salts can potentially reduce flower life. A mixture of moderate levels of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and sulfates can be beneficial, while a mixture of high levels of iron, fluoride and sodium can be harmful. To explore the TDS further, alkalinity and hardness are analyzed. ALKALINITY The alkalinity level of your water describes its buffering capacity (ability to resist ph changes). A higher alkalinity means that the water contains a higher amount of carbonates, bicarbonates and hydroxides, which resist the lowering of ph (and potentially reducing the effectiveness of flower food). When recommending water specific flower foods, water with alkalinity less than 60ppm is considered pure; from 60ppm to 180ppm is considered medium; and greater than 180ppm is considered hard. Alkalinity is the most important factor when considering how cut flowers will react to your water. Occasionally, water will have such high alkalinity that no flower food is able to bring the ph down into the acceptable range. HARDNESS The level of hardness refers to the amount of calcium and magnesium in your water (measured in ppm). Typically, these levels are not a good indicator of how cut flowers will react in your water. In general, most highly alkaline waters also have high hardness levels. If you have hard water, it is not recommended that you install a water softener. A softener replaces calcium and magnesium ions with sodium ions, which tend to be harmful for flowers at high levels.

6 General Care & Handling of Potted & Green Plants WHEN PLANTS ARE RECEIVED: 1. Unpack shipments as soon as possible. 2. Remove packaging sleeves. 3. Report any damage right away WATERING: Improper watering is the number one problem with plants at the retail level! 1. Check soil daily: Push your finger into soil. If the soil feels moist, the plant does not need watering. If the soil feels dry, then watering is required. Watering requirements vary by variety. 2. Water plants until water is draining out of the holes on the bottom of the pot. 3. Do not leave plants sitting in water for extended periods of time. 4. To complete the hydration process, spray plants with a finishing spray. FERTILIZER: Most Potted plants arrive to stores over-fertilized and need to be watered upon arrival (this will leach the soil). There is no need to fertilize most plants at the store level. STORAGE: Storage temperature of plants varies between crops, so when in doubt, leave plants at room temperature (68 70 F). Check with your plant source for recommendations concerning specific crops. LIGHT: Display plants under a combination of 80% fluorescent: 20% incandescent light. This brings out the true colors of the plants. Light levels to maintain the size and fullness of plants vary between varieties. Check specific requirements for each plant.