Transporting flowers chilled: tips for the flower industry
Short answer: transport most cut flowers at 2 to 4 °C (tropical species such as orchids at 13 to 15 °C instead), in an insulated box or under a breathable insulation cover, with gel packs at the sides and bottom, never in direct contact with the flowers. In addition, protect against drying out, condensation and ethylene build-up.
Fresh flowers quickly lose quality if temperature control during transport is not properly arranged. Too warm and flowers dry out or bloom prematurely. Too cold and you get frost damage. The right packaging makes the difference.
Good transport temperatures
- Roses, tulips, lilies: 2 to 4 °C
- Carnations, gerberas: 2 to 5 °C
- Orchids, anthuriums: 13 to 15 °C (tropical, too cold does harm)
- Cut greens: 1 to 4 °C
The challenge of flower transport
Flowers are living products. They breathe, evaporate moisture and produce ethylene, a gas that speeds up ageing. Good packaging must:
- Maintain a stable temperature
- Regulate moisture (too dry means drying out)
- Prevent ethylene build-up
- Provide mechanical protection
Recommended packaging
- EPS boxes or honeycomb cooler boxes for insulation. View the range of EPS boxes.
- Gel packs at the bottom and sides (no direct contact with flowers)
- Absorbent pads against condensation
- Breathable insulation covers for pallet transport
- Container desiccant bags for sea freight
International transport by air freight
A large share of European flower exports goes via hubs such as Schiphol to markets in Asia, North America and the Middle East. Our pallet covers are used daily by air freight parties for:
- Protection against extreme outside temperatures on the tarmac
- Stabilisation of temperature in cargo holds
- Preventing condensation when temperatures change
You can read more about what goes wrong in the air freight chain in our article perishables in air freight.
Packing step by step
- Cool the flowers before packing. Do not pack them warm. A box does not cool warm flowers back down, it only retains what you put in it.
- Dry the packaging. Condensation on the product and on the wall causes rot and mould. Place an absorbent pad at the bottom.
- Build a barrier. Place a layer of cardboard or film between the gel packs and the flowers. That way the stems and flowers do not touch the cold pack.
- Lay the flowers stable. Stems must not tip or kink. Use dividers or filling material, so that nothing can shift.
- Close the box properly and write the desired orientation and the perishability clearly on the outside.
Common mistakes
- Putting all flowers at the same temperature. Tropical species next to roses in one box does not work well. Ship them separately or choose a compromise in consultation with your customer.
- Gel packs directly against the flowers. That causes frost spots, certainly with sensitive species.
- No room for air circulation on pallets. A closed cover without attention to moisture can cause condensation. Choose a cover that suits your cargo.
- Waiting times that are too long at the loading or unloading point. Every hour outside refrigeration counts. Plan transhipment as short as possible.
- No measurement. Without data you do not know where it goes wrong.
Allowing for season and route
In summer, the outside temperature is the biggest risk factor. With a shipment that stands for hours on a loading dock on a warm day, the box heats up. In winter, frost is the risk, certainly for tropical species and with transport in an unheated vehicle. Look therefore at the route and at the waiting times en route and at the moment of delivery. Agree with your carrier when the shipment arrives and who accepts it. A box that arrives on Friday afternoon and is not unpacked until Monday gets a much heavier test than a box that is delivered the same morning.
Measuring instead of guessing
On a new route, place a data logger in the shipment and read out the temperature curve after arrival. That shows you whether the packaging works with your carrier, route and season. The actual holding time depends on outside temperature, filling, cooling elements and the transport duration. Adjust your set-up therefore to what the measurement shows.
Checklist for shipping
- Has the desired transport temperature been determined per species?
- Are the flowers pre-cooled and dry?
- Is there an absorbent pad in the box?
- Are the cooling elements not directly against the product?
- Does the carrier know that this is perishable goods?
- Is the transport time as short as possible and known to the recipient?
- Has a data logger been sent along on new routes?
Frequently asked questions
Can flowers go in an ordinary cardboard box?
For short routes at mild temperatures this is sometimes possible. Cardboard insulates little. In warm weather or on longer routes, an insulated box or cover is wiser.
How many gel packs do I need?
That depends on transport duration, outside temperature and insulation. Use our calculation method in the article how many gel packs do you need per shipment as a starting point and check with a data logger.
What do I do with tropical flowers in winter?
Then you run the risk of conditions that are too cold. Use insulation and avoid direct contact with cooling elements. If in doubt, consult our sales support team about the set-up.
For advice on your specific flower transport, you can contact our sales support team.
Order directly
Need the right packaging straight away? View our thermal pallet covers, cooling elements and cold chain packaging for fresh produce & flowers.
