Stems should be pruned immediately after harvest. Young transplants are susceptible to aphids, and moth larvae can cause loss of stems during flowering. Harvest and handling Harvesting should begin as soon as flowers appear and, to prevent loss of quality, should cease before flowers loose freshness. Flowers must be picked in the cool of the day and the stems placed in water as they easily dehydrate. It is easier to grade and bunch in the packing shed than in the field.
Care needs to be taken to ensure that bunches are uniform.
Bunches of 5 stems are suitable for C. eatoniae , and 10 stems for C. caeruleum . For other species, the stem number per bunch varies between 10 and 15. Bunches of C. eatoniae are packed in perforated sleeves to keep stems from tangling, and allow bunches to be packed more tightly. There are no data available on the economics of producing these wildflowers. However, they can be produced using the existing infrastructure for growing other wildflowers provided drip irrigation and fertigation is possible.