topic # 2182 packaging & transportation by: alisa amy kowalski
Post on 26-Dec-2015
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Inventory of Salable Products• Entire crop does not become salable at
one precise date• Depending on
– size of crop– temperature fluctuations within the
greenhouse
• Seven to ten day difference may exist between the first and last salable plants
Qualifications for a Salable Plant
• Varies with the plant species– Bedding plants will be well established and
ready to transplant outdoors– Unfortunately, consumers prefer a plant that
is showing color– Blooming plant should have at least 50% of
the flowers fully opened– Potted lilies should be in the puffy bud stage
before any blooms are open– Poinsettias should have expanded bracts
• sold before the flowers mature
– Foliage plants should be compact and full
Visual Inventory• Should be taken daily during the busy
season• Will tell you how many plants out of the
total crop are ready for sale• Estimate the number of plants that you
expect to be ready for sale in the next few days
Example:• Ray tells the manager that there are 150
4” geraniums ready for sale today and another 250 pots will be ready over the next 3 days. Projected numbers of salable containers let the manager estimate if there will be enough product available for their customers.
Also Monitor• Chemicals & garden supplies should be
watched closely during the peak sales period– These products are often purchased in large
amounts when plant sales are at full swing.
• If supplies are running low, a special order may be necessary
Moving Plants• Most retail operations move salable plants
from the growing area to the sales or display area– Can be moved manually by carts, monorail or
conveyors to the retail area– Major labor expense but salable plants must
be on display in the retail area• If they are not, customers may damage the non-
salable while choosing plants they want to purchase
– Removing salable plants from the production bench will often speed up the development of the remaining plants -more sunlight, etc.
Uniformity• Salable plants should generally be in the
same developmental stage– All geraniums have one flower open or have
color showing in the buds
• For small greenhouse operations, plants in cell packs can be switched to make sure all packs have at least one bloom.
• Time-consuming, but will increase sales if the crop is slow in maturing.
Wholesale Orders• Salable plants that will be shipped to
wholesale customers should be moved to a collective area where the shipping personnel can quickly fill the customer’s orders
Customer Tags• Consumers are very interest in cultural
information on the plants they are purchasing.
• Labeling information should include– Plant name– Light requirement– Water needs – Any other special cultural requirements
Wholesale Customers’ Needs• Wholesale customers usually require
each pot or plant or pack to be labeled• This eliminates the need for wholesale
customers having to supply the information to their customers
• Eliminates any mix up of cultivars once they receive the plants
Preprinted Labels• Available from seed companies and plug
producers• Tags are brightly colored and contain the
information a consumer needs• Growers buy preprinted tags because
they are convenient to use• Stick one in each pot or pack at planting
time and the labeling is completed
Additional Information• Needed if the plants are retailed• Signs are usually placed near the plants
informing the consumer which plants are annuals or perennials, and if they bloom in the spring, summer, or fall.
• Extra information makes the buyer knowledgeable and improves their success rate with plants – which means repeat sales for the greenhouse
Packaging Procedures• Greenhouse plants must be packed to
protect the plants from damage during transportation.
• Type of packaging required depends on the plant species and the time of the year
Sleeves I• Sleeving is used for potted plants like
mums, lilies, poinsettias, & hydrangeas• Sleeves are vase shaped tubes that can
open on both ends • Slipped over the growing container and
pulled over the foliage• Growing containers hang partially out of
the bottom of the sleeve, this allows the container to stand upright
Sleeves II• Hold the foliage and flowers together and
prevent them from being broken during the loading and transportation procedure.
• Can be paper, plastic, or woven mesh in a variety of sizes and dimensions
• Paper allows the plant to transpire without moisture collecting, but they are not see-through
• Plastic sleeves are opaque so they can be seen through, but they collect moisture if the humidity is high.
Sleeves III• Mesh sleeves allow the plant to get air
and light and the customer can see through it
• Sleeves are very durable• Plants can be picked up and carried by
the sleeve which makes loading and unloading trucks a lot easier. – One person can carry eight plants at a time
• Sleeves can be personalized with the business’s name on the outside
Sleeve Stands• Needed for quick application of sleeves• Usually designed and constructed by
greenhouse personnel• Requirements
– Stability -no tipping– Comfortable working height -no stooping– Large enough pot holder for varying sizes of
pots -5,6, and 8 inches– Transportable for use in other greenhouses– Locking wheels on base- mobile, yet stabile
Sleeve Placement• Always pulled up from the bottom of the
pot and over the foliage– Retail customers should be told to tear or cut
off the pot when they get home• Pushing plant out of the sleeve can cause breakage
• Plants that are sleeved for local shipping are usually not placed in any other type of packaging container
• Small sized pots are placed in cardboard boxes or trays -efficient in transporting
• Write customer’s name on sleeves for ID
Cardboard Boxes I• Use as packaging for large “specialty”
crops such as blooming hanging baskets, gloxinias, and tree poinsettias– These plants cannot be easily sleeved
• Also used to ship potted plants long distances– Extra protection during long transportation
• Usually custom made to hold plants snugly
Cardboard Boxes II• Large plants and hanging baskets are
packed in boxes, usually two plants per box and shipped– Require a higher sales price due to added
packing and shipping costs
Hanging Baskets• If hanging baskets are delivered to local
customers they may be hung on special racks in the delivery truck
• Many growers devise special shelves for transporting large pots to local customers without packaging
• A delivery driver must be careful so plants are not broken during transport and unloading
Layering in Cardboard Boxes• Used for small pots• Specially designed boxes hold several
layers of small pots• Layering does not hurt the plants • Allows the grower to ship 2-3 times the
number of plants in the same amount of shipping space
Layering Plugs and Seedlings• Also shipped in boxes that layer the trays• Normal packaging cartons contain 4-5
layers of plants held securely in place• Shipping costs are inexpensive for plugs
and seedlings because so many plants are contained in one box
Shipping Bedding Plants• No packaging is used for shipping• Flats of cell packs are loaded onto
shelves in the delivery truck• Plants grown in flats are not very tall so
the shelves can be spaced 12-15 inches apart
Special Needs Plants• Special styrofoam or styrofoam lined,
cardboard boxes must be used to ship temperature sensitive plants, especially during cold weather.
• African violets and foliage must be protected by these special cartons
• Delivery charges are often higher during the winter months due to extra packaging precautions
Water Requirements• All plants should be thoroughly watered
and have dry foliage before shipment• Not uncommon for plants to be in
shipping cartons for 3-4 days• Disease may develop if the foliage is wet
when the plants are placed in the cartons
Labeling• All plants should be securely and
correctly labeled before being placed into the shipping container
• Labels should be pushed at least halfway into the media of the pots and hanging baskets
• Labels should not be stapled to plug or seedling trays so the labels cannot be jarred loose during shipment
Precautions• Diseased or insect-infested plants should
not be shipped– These pathogens will spread quickly through
the entire carton during shipping
• Sleeves should be folded and stapled
Cardboard flats• Cardboard flats are usually used in
transport of plants for retail customers• Can be purchased from box companies• Many retail customers do not want
excessive packaging since they are only traveling short distances
Loading Delivery Trucks• Each driver should have a list of
predetermined list of delivery stops• The truck driver should know exactly
what to deliver first and last• Trucks are loaded according to delivery
stops
Drop Shipments• Truck driver goes from business to
business to drop off the customer’s order• Driver may make 30 drop shipments in
one day on a single route• Loaded in reverse order of delivery stops
– The last delivery stop is loaded onto the truck first and the first delivery is loaded last
– Orders should be placed in the truck from the front to the back• Easiest way to for delivery person to unload orders
Orders• Customer’s order should be grouped
together and labeled for easy unloading• Segregation of orders depends on driver
– A beginner may need the orders to be marked
– More competent delivery persons can tell
Invoices• A clipboard of invoices should be loaded
into the truck• The driver should check the orders• The customer will sign the invoice upon
delivery • The invoice is like a contract, it states
what products the customer received at what cost
Loading of Delivery Trucks• Usually loaded the night before delivery• Plants and products are packed in the
late afternoon and placed in the vehicle• Small sized items like chemicals, rooting
hormone, tools, etc. should be packed in a paper bag or box and labeled
• This make delivery of these items easier for the driver and it guarantees the customer will get all ordered items.
Methods of Transportation• Greenhouse products can be shipped
using either air or ground transportation methods
• Grower must decide which method is needed, and then find the least expensive
Factors in Determining Delivery• Perishability of the product• Distance between buyer and seller• Size of target city• Air freight is the most expensive shipping
method and should be used only when absolutely necessary
Ground Transportation• Most common method of shipping• Used for any product that is not highly
perishable or needed quickly• Inexpensive form of shipment• Customers prefer due to delivery to
doorstep
Ground Transportation Methods• Local trucking companies
– limited area
• National trucking companies– anywhere in United States
• UPS & Federal express• Bus companies
– Also deliver freight
• Greenhouse owned delivery trucks– frequently used
Popular Because...• Most companies have own van or truck• Most economical• Special or Emergency orders
Receiving Orders• Compare products delivered with the
delivery invoice– eliminates problems of incorrect deliveries
• Small mistakes happen• Corrections can be made while delivery
person is still there
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