VARIETIES AND PERCENTAGES 
In most market areas the demand is for more than fifty per cent white and light pink combined, followed 
in order by red, dark pink, yellow and color novelties. The percentage of novelties demanded in most 
areas is extremely low, although notable exceptions exist, such as at San Francisco and Milwaukee. It 
is evident that retail florists have an important hand in determining these color requirements, and some 
retail growers have found it profitable to grow sizable proportions of the novelties for their own trade, 
thus making their offerings more interesting and attractive than those of the neighboring florists. The 
standard colors predominate in the bread-and-butter work of the vast majority of retailers. 
Even with a recognized “best white” or “best red” variety, many growers prefer to grow more than 
one variety of a color. Because of the variation in cropping habits of the different varieties, such a 
procedure assures a steadier flower production. Also, since varieties “run out” or otherwise lose their 
desirability a grower is protected by having more than one variety of a color in production or on trial. 
CUTTING, STORING, PACKING 
Carnation flowers develop a little more size and quality if permitted to open on the plants, rather than 
being cut in tighter stages. Retail growers take advantage of this, allowing the flowers to develop to 
near-maturity before cutting. Wholesale growers cut at various stages, the degree of openess depending 
on market requirements, distances of shipping, etc. Most varieties will open in water after being cut, 
but a few go to sleep unless fully developed before cutting. 
Both cutting and breaking of stems are practiced when picking flowers. Using a knife for cutting is more 
likely to spread disease from plant to plant. However, in breaking the stems, some damage is likely to 
be done to buds, shoots or stems below, so the superiority of either method is debatable. 
Twenty-five is the standard number of flowers in the wholesale bunch. Other than that, grading standards 
are almost non-existent. However, the grower who uses uniformly good flowers in his regular grade and 
keeps culls, splits, crooks and shorts separate, is more likely to have a higer average return. Flat packs 
and round bunches are both used, and the advantages of each debated. The important considerations 
in bunching are to prevent stem breakage and to keep bruising and crushing of flowers to a minimum. 
After picking, carnations require a period of several hours or overnight of storing in water in a cool 
atmosphere to develop firmness. Cellars and natural storages serve fairly well during much of the year, 
but the advantages of artificial refrigeration for a warm weather cut are to obvious to be ignored. 
Temperatures of 33 to 40 degrees F. are preferable to higer temperatures for carnations. 
Long-term cut flower storage is possible with carnations. Fischer reported that carnations stored in a 
moisture proof container for four weeks at 31° F. had a post storage keeping quality of 7 days. The 
greatest application of long-term storage may come in storing carnations several weeks or a month in 
order to meet heavy seasonal demands. Completely line corrugated boxes with cellophane or polethylene, 
pack the flowers as is the practice today, seal over the top of the cellophane to complete the moisture 
proof atmosphere and refrigerate at 31°. Other ideas include the storage of flowers in large metal or 
waxed drums. 
Carnations are extremely sensitive to ethylene gas. Small amounts of the gas in the atmosphere produce 
sleepiness in the flowers. To avoid this hazard observe the following rules: 
1. Keep the storage box and the containers clean, never permitting any old, decayed or diseased 
flowers, stems or foliage to accumulate. They may give off ethylene gas. 
2. Never store fruits, vegetables or arborvitae foliage in the same box. They give off ethylene 
gas. 
3. Be certain that coal gas and fumes from leaky gas pipes and burners never reach the flowers 
in storage. f 
