Trade notes · 3 min
Conditioning gerberas for a longer vase life
How we cool, cut and pack so they arrive standing up.
Gerberas are the divas of the cut-flower world. Cut them at the wrong stage or let them sit warm and they will droop before they ever reach a vase. Handled well, they reward you with two weeks of colour.
Our routine is simple and strict. We cut when the outer petals are fully open but the centre is still tight, move the stems into clean water within minutes, and cool them quickly. Clean buckets matter more than any additive: gerbera stems are hollow and drink up whatever they stand in.
For florists receiving our bunches: recut a centimetre off each stem, use shallow clean water, and keep them away from ripening fruit. Do that and a Hillview gerbera will still be standing when the rest of the arrangement has given up.