Gerberas are beautiful, trendy flowers that have some unique common problems. They are highly sensitive to bacteria because of the hairy nature of their stems, which causes short vase life, hanging blooms and crooked stems. So Chrysal International decided to develop a flower food specifically for Gerberas to help combat these problems.

Introduced at the International Floriculture Trade Fair in the Netherlands in November 2014, Chrysal Gerbera Flower Food improves vase life by an average of 75 percent vs. water alone, retains bloom color and intensity and keeps stems firm and green.

“It is selling very well in Europe,” Gay Smith, technical manager at Chrysal USA, told The Produce News. “It is available in the U.S. for growers but we do not plan on selling it at the wholesale level, from my understanding.”

The sachets are intended for one-liter solutions and boxes contain either 400 or 2,000 Chrysal Clear Gerbera sachets. It will not harm other flowers, dissolves clearly, without odor in the water, and is meant for Gerbera consumer bunches.

“If growers want samples (and tests are welcomed), please contact [email protected],” said Smith.

The Aqua Pad in tray, recently introduced at IPM Essen in January, is a unique solution for reducing plant losses by 10 percent in the retail sector, as well as prolonging the life of the plant by up to 30 percent. It was developed through the joint efforts of Chrysal International, Flier Systems and Modiform in order to meet growing market demand for Aqua Pads and it provides a complete application solution, according to a news release.

The Aqua Pad is a wood fibre mat that is placed under the grower’s pot. Once the Aqua Pad is hydrated, it forms a water reservoir that absorbs up to 20 times its own weight, which is released as required by the plant. Flier Systems developed the Aqua Pad Dispenser, a machine that places the pads in trays or pots and ensures that the correct amount of water is applied. Modiform is investigating the possibility of supplying customized trays ready-filled with Aqua Pads.

The Aqua Pad in tray provides increased flexibility for logistics and planning because of the extra water reservoir, and it increases shelf life by 30 percent. It also has advantages for the consumer since the plant requires less frequent watering, and it is 100 percent compostable and environmentally friendly.

“Research proves that the consumer is aware of the advantages of the Aqua Pad and that it increases his plant’s value,” said Rudi Standaert, European client manager at SO Natural, a large-scale Dutch orchid producer, in the release. “SO Natural uses the Aqua Pad, because it benefits the life span of plants for consumers and the plants last longer on the shelf.”