Let's Look At - Choosing Fresh Flowers . . .

Beer Cooler or Produce
Fresh flowers with the Beer Cooler or with Produce – Where do they last longer?

In the 1970’s, fresh cut flowers were introduced in grocery stores of the United States. Fresh cut flower are processed and displayed in containers of cold water. This water is usually treated with a flower preservative and at a temperature of about 37 degrees Fahrenheit. The flowers get their nutrients from this water. Flower cooler units were filled with fragrance and color.

Fresh flowers are in the produce department. That is where the grocers positioned them. No one told them, they are cutting the shelf of the blooms in half! Produce and citrus fruits give off ethylene gas. This gas is a plant hormone that regulates a plant’s growth and development.  This is produced in the ripening process of the fruits and vegetables. Citrus fruits and lettuce produce higher amounts of ethylene gas. This can affect fresh cut flowers to mature. This cuts the longevity of the blooms significantly.

Recently, I visited a new grocery store. The beer was in a cooler the size of a large room. The room was filled with beer displays and stacked boxes of beer. The air was sharper. All the bottles and boxes were sealed. 

In my opinion, the beer cooler would be a strategic place to cross-merchandise fresh flowers. The air around the flowers in the produce department contain ethylene gas. The air in the beer cooler does not contain ethylene gas.