Every member of our staff is dedicated to providing you with consistent, high quality flowers all year round. We follow a demanding set of quality parameters in the production, harvesting and packaging of each and every fresh cut flower. In addition to inspections at the farm, the quality control specialists at our Miami distribution center spend over six hours a day examining flowers to make sure that they meet our quality, grading and packing standards. These standards act as your insurance that every flower is delivered to your door as though it were just cut at the farm.

On the Farm

Consistent quality starts before the seed its planted. Our farms are situated in the finest growing regions of Ecuador and Colombia where they provide the best possible growing environment for flowers. Our growers use precise combinations of fertilizers to properly nourish the plants and use minimal amounts of pesticides to combat parasites. When ready for harvest, each flower is cut at the proper stage in its growth cycle to ensure maximum bloom development, optimal color intensity and the longest possible vase life.

Stringent Grading

Each and every flower we cut must meet exact grading standards. These grading standards include:

• Unique cut stage requirements for EVERY variety – Every variety is different, and each should be cut at a different time to yield the best possible bloom for the end consumer.
• Minimum head/bud size standards – Each grade and variety is measured against its ideal bud size.
• Consistent stem length for each flower in a bunch – Unlike other growers, bloom height is not included in the measurements of our stems!
• Foliage removal – Each stem is conveniently pre-processed with 12.5 cm of foliage stripped.
• Even stem cuts – All stems are cut evenly to ensure proper hydration.

Packing

We pack flowers in a manner that maintains their freshness and quality during transit, and makes unpacking easy for the customer.

• Flowers are packed in multiple rows for efficiency and protection.
• Rubber bands on the stem are placed above the bottom of the bunch so that it is not cut when the stems are cut and processed. A large rubber band is placed around the flowers to hold the bunch intact.
• Bunches are placed into sleeves for protection. The sleeves are labeled with the variety name, grade and farm code for your convenience.
• Bunches are meticulously placed in the box and cushion covers are placed in key areas to prevent damage during transit. Plastic straps are used to hold the bunches in place.

Cold-Chain Shipping

Refrigerated shipping and handling at every step of the delivery process increases the life and health of our flowers. As soon as the stems are cut at the farm, we transport them in refrigerated cargo trucks and airplanes and only handle them in refrigerated facilities. Our state-of-the-art refrigerated storage facility maintains optimal temperature and humidity levels which are closely monitored by our experts. Cold-chain shipping continues when the flowers leave our distribution center and on to the retail florist.

No Rotation

We guarantee the freshest flowers you can buy. We fill every Regular Weekly Order from our freshest product. Flowers sold directly through wholesalers to retail florists are labeled with the retail shop name and shipped direct from the farm. In addition, Equiflor has the shortest open market maximum rotation in Miami - 48 hours for color roses; 72 hours for red roses; carnations, fillers, poms and minis cannot exceed 96 hours prior to shipment.