Do
- Unpack flowers as soon as they arrive, recut stems at an angle and place them in clean water with flower food.
- Keep temperate flowers in a florist cooler or glass-door refrigerator at the cool end of the range.
- Store tropical flowers separately, in a warmer cabinet or cool room.
- Keep buckets and vases clean; bacteria in water block stems.
- Remove damaged or wilting flowers and leaves below the water line.
- Keep flowers away from ripening fruit, which releases ethylene.
- Store arrangements in the cooler until collection.
Avoid
- Do not store flowers in the same fridge as fruit or vegetables.
- Do not chill tropical flowers at temperate-flower temperatures.
- Do not place flowers directly in front of the cooler's fan, which dries petals.
- Do not leave flowers in direct sunlight or in hot delivery vans.
- Do not reuse buckets without washing and sanitising them between batches.
In Indian conditions
Florists in India deal with intense heat for much of the year, and flowers wilt quickly without cooling. Wedding season brings huge orders, often prepared a day or more ahead; a glass-door florist cooler with good humidity control is valuable for that work. Traditional flowers such as marigold, jasmine and tuberose are often sold loose at ambient; keep them shaded, misted and as cool as practical. Monsoon humidity encourages botrytis (grey mould) on roses and other flowers. Voltage fluctuations can damage cooler compressors; use stabilisers.
General good practice for commercial kitchens and shops. Where your FSSAI licence conditions or food-safety plan set stricter limits, follow those.