Tropical flowers in winter — isn’t that asking for trouble? In this guest blog, Claudia from Magic Flowers shares practical tips on hydration, temperature and storage. With the right treatment, you can use and present exotics all year round. It’s no coincidence that Magic Flowers, together with FleuraMetz, is sponsor of the Aloha Show at IPM Essen. Prefer to wait until spring? From the start of IPM, you can exclusively pre-order all products from the Aloha Show at FleuraMetz. Keep an eye on the webshop!
1) High humidity around the blooms
Tropical flowers mainly absorb water through their bracts, not just through the stems. Therefore, the most important care tip is to thoroughly spray the flower heads with water twice a day to keep them fully hydrated and vibrant.
Winter air is dry, both outdoors and due to indoor heating. Mist tropical flowers generously and keep them in spaces with higher humidity. Your tropical cooler should have a humidity level above 75%.
2) Do not remove the plastic sleeves when displaying tropicals
A common mistake is displaying heliconias, gingers and other tropicals without their sleeves. Unsleeved flowers dehydrate much faster. The sleeve creates a humid buffer and prevents mechanical damage, just like the sleeves and cardboard used for roses.
3) Hydrate properly
After long flights and cool-chain handling, tropicals often arrive thirsty. Recut the stems and place them immediately in a bucket with plenty of room-temperature water, ideally about 8 inches (20 cm).
4) Temperature shock prevention
Tropicals are highly sensitive to sudden temperature drops. Avoid exposing them to more than 24 hours of cold trucking. Let boxes acclimate indoors for 20–30 minutes before opening to prevent cold burn. Our rule of thumb: if you feel cold, tropicals feel cold. If you need a jacket, they need one too.
5) Proper storage conditions
Never place tropicals in standard flower coolers (1–5°C). They should be stored at 13–18°C for optimal longevity. This applies to anthuriums, gingers, heliconias, tropical greens and torch gingers.
6) Use the box plastic to create a protective microclimate
Reuse the plastic sheets from the boxes to cover the flowers at night. First spray the blooms generously with water, then cover them to create a humid, protective microclimate that keeps tropicals fresh during dry winter conditions.
(Perfect for a care card or quick verbal instructions.)
The most important thing is to spray the flower heads fully with fresh water once a day to keep the bracts hydrated.
Keep tropical flowers away from cold air, air conditioning, heaters and open windows.
Change the vase water every 2–3 days using room-temperature water.
