One of the most important activities in the production of flowers is the skillful and proper preparation of them for transport. This preparation consists in the case of cut flowers: cutting and packing, in the case of potted plants - packing.
Cutting. Cutting flowers, both greenhouse, and groundwater, should be carried out several hours before the planned expedition, and the plants should be watered before cutting. In the summer time, especially in hot weather, after cutting, the flowers are moved to a room with a temperature lower than the ambient temperature.
Cold stores or storage rooms are best suited for this purpose, in which the temperature can be kept within the limits of + 5 do + 8°.
The flowers are cut in the morning, afternoon or evening. Never cut flowers at noon, this should be especially remembered in summer, during sunny days; flower cutting should then be completed by. 9—10 am or carried out between 4 a 7 time. in the evening.
Most flowers are cut with a sharp knife, sometimes the stems are broken off (e.g. cloves break off at the elbow) or pulls out (e.g. gerbera, narcissists, sapphires), and plants with woody or semi-woody shoots are cut with a secateurs (e.g. Roses, gilding, lilaki).
You must have with you when cutting ground flowers in the summer, us a box with a vessel of water. They can be buckets, jugs, or tin deep cans, filled with water to a height of 7-8 cm, with a temperature only slightly lower than the ambient temperature (very cold water is not needed). The flowers should be placed in a vessel with water immediately after cutting, and if it is not there, immediately after being brought into the room. Before submerging in water, renew the cutting areas, meaning: Cut off the end of the shoot with one stroke of a sharp knife. In a vessel, where we put the plants indoors, also there should not be too much water, one should remember, that cut plants for transport must have foliage and dry flowers.
Ground flowers are not cut in rain or immediately after rain.
The flower development phase is just as important as the cutting time, in which to cut them, to get the best trading material, as well as a decorative effect. Mostly most greenhouse flowers, as well as some of the groundwater, it is cut at the initial stage of flower development, so then, when the buds are already colored, but not yet fully opened.
Roses, both greenhouse, and ground, cuts in bud, at the latest in such a phase, when the petals of the outer whorl slightly bend outward.
The greenhouse cloves are then cut, when the flower bud is well colored and half-developed. If the market requires, cloves can also be cut when fully developed. However, it should be remembered, that fully developed flowers are much more difficult to transport than the material in the buds. They should be additionally protected against damage during transport by delicate packaging of individual flowers, with soft tissue paper or lignin. Ground wild boars are usually cut when they are in full bloom.
Gilding (chrysanthemums) then it cuts down, when the flower baskets are more than half full and full.
The freesias are then cut, when the first 1-2 flowers in the inflorescence are unfolded.
Gerbera is best plucked at the moment, when the anthers of the stamens begin to dust. Earlier plucking causes flowers to wilt very quickly.
Lily, mowers (irysy), swordtails and delphiniums are cut, when the first bud is ready to unfold, and the next - tinted.
Full-flowered peonies are then cut, when the flower is half open, single - in a closed bud, tinted.
The poppies are cut when the bud is ready to unfold.
Tulips should be cut at this time, while the buds are still closed, but clearly tinted.
Cyclamens, spurge, orchids, cantedeskie, narcissists, dahlias, zinnias and sapphires are cut in full flower.
The left horses should be uprooted then, when the first flowers are unfolded.