Technical information

Components

1. Florida container
2. Tray
3. Plastic bags
4. Cardboard interiors
5. Collar
6. Lid

Base

There are two options for the base of the Procona gerbera packaging.

Florida 25
To stack three layers of the gerbera packaging onto a pallet you need a Florida 25 container (9.8 inch) as base. With this low container the lowest stems in the interior may not be longer than 15.7 inch. The container is 9.8 inch high, the tray 3.9 inch and the lowest stems in the interior start at 2 inch from the bottom. 

Product details
Size	11.8 x 9.4 x 9.8 inch
Colour	White & Black, other colours on request
Packaging unit (large)	900 (pallet)

Florida 35
The Florida 35 is the second container that can be used as a base for the Procona gerbera packaging. With the Florida 35 as base two layers of packaging can be stacked on a pallet. The Procona gerbera packaging with the Florida 35 (13.8 inch) as base is suitable for stems from 19.7 inch high. The container is 13.8 inch high, the tray 3.9 inch and the lowest stems in the interior start at 2 inch from the bottom.

Product details
Size	11.8 x 9.4 x 9.8 inch
Colour	White & Black, other colours on request
Packaging unit (large)	850 (pallet)

 

Tray

The tray is placed on the base of the Procona gerbera packaging. The interiors are held in position in this holder. Notches on the tray support all available cardboard interiors. Openings in the tray support two water bags ensuring the supply of water to the gerberas.

Product details
Size	10.9 x 8.6 x 5.9 inch
Colour	White
Packaging unit (large)	2880 (pallet)

Bags

There are two openings in the Procona gerbera tray; these are used to suspend the bags and are then filled with water. With the Procona gerbera packaging unit the stems of the flowers hang in the water.  

At the top of each bag there is an extra flap which prevents water splashing out of the bag against the gerberas.

Three lines are printed on the bag. The water in the bag must never reach below the bottom line – as this would dry out the top gerberas in the packaging. When filling the bag, the water must be up to the middle line. When the interiors are placed on the tray- and the stems enter the bag - the water level will rise to the top line. It’s important that the water does not reach higher than the top line as this will prevent the anti-splash flap from working.

  

To guarantee the quality of the gerberas in the Procona gerbera packaging, Pagter Innovations advises adding the rose pre-treatment product Chrysal RVB, to the water. This keeps bacteria levels low and prevents burnt stems. The dosage is 0.14 fl oz per bag (of approximately 70.4 fl oz of water). A hand pump is available for dosage.

We opted for the bags with anti-splash flap, because only 2 x 140.8 fl oz of water is used.  A container totally full of water (without bags) would be too heavy. The anti-splash flap prevents water from splashing out of the bags against the flowers and the interiors.

Product details Procona gerbera packaging bag for Florida 25 container
Size	15.7 inch
Packaging unit (small)	500 (box)
Packaging unit (large)	25.000 (pallet)

 

Product details Procona gerbera packaging bag for Florida 35 container
Size	19.7 inch
Packaging unit (small)	500 (box)
Packaging unit (large)	25.000 (pallet)

 

Cardboard interiors

There are 2 dedicated interiors for the Procona gerbera packaging; 1 for large-bloomed gerberas, and 1 for Germini.

Available cardboard interiors
Interior	Interior height (cm)	Number of stems per interior	Number of stems per packaging
19.7 inch  48 holes	19.7 inch	48	96
15.7 inch 70 holes	15.7 inch	70 germini	140

 

 

Standard interior (19.7 inch, 48 holes)
This base-interior for gerberas is made of solid cardboard. After filling the interior the two ends are folded over towards each other and stapled together. This results in a tube, with the stems hanging and the blooms sticking out.

Product details
Number of stems	48
Number of interiors per packaging	2
Number of stems per packaging	96
Height	19.7 inch
Colour	White
Packaging unit (small)	30 (bundle)
Packaging unit (large)	2100 (pallet)

  

Standard interior Germini (15.7 inch, 70 holes)
There is a solid cardboard interior for Germinis. After filling the interior the two ends are folded over towards each other and stapled together. This results in a tube, with the stems hanging and the blooms sticking out.

Product details
Number of stems	70
Number of interiors per packaging	2
Number of stems per packaging	140
Height	15.7 inch
Colour	White
Packaging unit (small)	30 (bundle)
Packaging unit (large)	2700 (pallet)

 

Collars

A collar fits in the rim of the container which acts as a base for the Procona gerbera packaging. The collar makes the packaging stackable (in combination with the Florida lid). A collar provides extra protection for the gerberas. The collars for the Procona gerbera packaging come in two heights. The choice depends on the type of interior. All Procona gerbera packaging collars are printed in three colours. The collars are made of C-corrugated cardboard.

Procona gerbera packaging collar 20.7 inch
Suitable for 15.7 inch interiors

Product details
Height	20.7 inch
Colour	White/brown, 3-Colour print
Packaging unit	500 (pallet)

 

Procona gerbera packaging collar 24.6 inch
Suitable for 19.7 inch interiors.

Product details
Height	24.6 inch
Colour	White/brown, 3-Colour print
Packaging unit	500

 

Lids

A lid is fixed on top of the collar allowing the packaging to be stacked.

The lid has adequate ventilation holes in the top. The flow of air along the containers and via the lid throughout the pallet offers sufficient ventilation for the stacked packages. The Procona gerbera packaging can also be used without collar and lid. In that case stacking is not possible and the packaging can only be used on cards with trays.

The lid provides stacking ridges, so that another Florida container can be stacked on top.

To ensure ample air flow the ridges are raised and the lid has sufficient ventilation holes. The cool air can be inhaled into the packaging and the humid (warm) air (the flowers’ breath) can exhale from the packaging. So even the Procona gerbera packaging in the middle of a pallet has enough ventilation.

Size	11.8 x 9.4 x 1.6 inch
Colour	White & Black, other colours on request
Packaging unit (small)	60 (zak)
Packaging unit (large)	2.550 (pallet)

 

Stem lengths

It is important that all the stems are in water. To ensure this the water in the bag must be at the level of the top stripe when the gerberas have been inserted. It is also important to take the minimum and maximum stem lengths into account for every interior.

Minimum stem length
The minimum stem length is applicable for the flowers in the top row of the interior to ensure the stems are in water once packaged.

Maximum stem length
The maximum stem length is applicable for the flowers in the bottom row of the interior to ensure the stems do not touch the bottom of the bag. All the remaining flowers in the interior may be longer. 

 

Base	Interior	Minimum stem length (topmost flower)	Maximum stem length (bottom flower)
Florida 25	15.7 inch 40 stems	16 inch	14.8 inch
Florida 25	19.7 inch 48 stems	19.1 inch	16 inch
Florida 25	15.7 inch 30 stems	15.7 inch	14.8 inch
Florida 25	15.7 inch 70 stems	16 inch	14.8 inch
Florida 35	15.7 inch 40 stems	16 inch	19.1 inch
Florida 35	19.7 inch 48 stems	19.1 inch	19.9 inch
Florida 35	15.7 inch 30 stems	15.7 inch	19.1 inch
Florida 35	15.7 inch 70 stems	16 inch	19.1 inch

 

Packing

Packing gerberas in the Procona gerbera packaging requires some explanation.

Step 1
First of all the bags must be fixed in the tray. Two bags are positioned in every tray. To do this first insert the bag from the underside, through the opening in the tray. Then, both strips on the bag are clicked into the slots in the openings. Make sure that the bag is properly clicked into position. Last of all the anti-splash flap is folded into the bag so that the upper side of the tray is free.

   

Repeat this for the second bag.

The tray with the two bags is placed on the Florida 25 or Florida 35 container.

    

The water dosing machine is used to simultaneously fill both bags with water. There’s no need to add rose pre-treatment solution afterwards, if the water dosing machine has a dosing pump for this. With a water dosing machine without a dosing pump you should add 0.14 fl oz rose pre-treatment per bag afterwards, manually. Hand pumps are available for this. 

Step 2
Unfold the interior so that all holes are accessible and place the interior on the insertion table. Put a gerbera in every hole, start at the bottom. After one or more interiors have been filled, the interior must be folded and stapled. This brings the left and right sides together. Put staples in the top and bottom of the overlapping flaps. Make sure that the gerberas are not damaged. .

 

        

Step 3
After filling the interiors, check that the bottom stems aren’t too long. Stems that are too long push the heads of the flowers from the interior. Too long stems need to be cut.

Step 4
After the length of the stems has been checked, the interiors are put on the tray. They rest on the tray and the stems hang in the bags. Make sure that the water level in the bags does not go over the top line when interiors are put on the tray.

Step 5
Once all the interiors have been put on the tray a collar a lid can be placed on the packaging unit. Omit step 5 if the packaging unit will not be stacked.

Collar
There are several collars available for the various interiors, these come in different heights.

Position the collar with the longest rear side into the edge in the tray. Fold the collar forwards; meanwhile the two side flaps are folded into the edge. Close the front side of the collar and place this in the edge. Lastly, fold the short flap over and put it in the edge. This way the collar will be in minimal contact with the gerberas.

Lid
After the collar has been positioned in the container put a lid on the collar. When positioning the lid also make sure that the collar slots properly into rim of the lid.  Positioning the lid locks the interiors between the lid and the tray.

Strapping
The last stage in closing the packaging is binding it with straps. It is important that these cross the centre of the lid as this is the lid’s strongest point.