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Add Cut Flowers to Increase
Your Farmโ€™s Diversityโ€ฆ
and Your Income!
Cathy Jones & Mike Perry
Chatham County, North Carolina
29th year of production
Reasons to grow cut flowers
Flowers sell, which equals more $$$$
Increases your farmโ€™s crop diversity
Enhances crop rotation options
Attracts pollinators to your fields
Attracts customers to your farm stand
โ€ฆ. and flowers make people happy!!
How are you going to grow
them?
Many flowers are very similar to vegetables in
terms of what they need: full sun, well-
drained soils, a neutral pH, adequate
fertility, organic matter โ€ฆand water!!!
Very similar equipment needed to work the soil,
to plant the crop and keep it weed-free.
When growing flowers it is always best to use
drip irrigationโ€ฆ Donโ€™t plant flowers if you
donโ€™t have a watering strategy
Additional โ€œtoolsโ€
used in growing
flowers
Trellising-
Posts, wire and netting
(Hortonova)
Harvest tools- Clippers,
shears, scissors, Japanese rice
sickles, knuckle knives
Moreโ€ฆ additional โ€œtoolsโ€
used in growing flowers
Containers-
Buckets, buckets and more buckets
Coolers / refrigeration-
Walk-in cooler, CoolBot cooled
space, or an air-conditioned room at
the very least
Shaded processing area-
Barn, shed, tarps
Donโ€™t be a โ€ฆ.
โ€œVegetable grower who grows
flowersโ€
Be a vegetable and flower grower who
does a really good job at both!!!
Quality matters! You wouldnโ€™t take ugly
broccoli to market, don't take an inferior
product to market
Long Vase Life = repeat, loyal customers
The first real question to answer-
where is your farm located?
Where are your potential
customers located ??
What will it take to get your
flowers to them?
Urban vs Rural location?
Marketing your Flowers
โ€ฆ you need to have a plan
Who are you going to sell to?
Retail or Wholesale?
How will you differentiate yourself from
other flower growers?
What seasons do you want to sell in?
Marketing your Flowers
โ€ฆ you need to have a plan
When are your farmersโ€™ markets open?
If you want to sell to florists, can you match your
production with their busy seasons?
Christmas, Valentines Day, Easter, Mothersโ€™ Day
Lotโ€™s of florists are real slow in the summer-
they are โ€œwaiting for someone to dieโ€
โ€œBucket Truckโ€ sales to florists-
driving a delivery route
Marketing your Flowers
โ€ฆ you need to have a plan
How do you plan to reach potential customers like
floral designers? Individuals who are interested in
DIY floral arrangements opportunities?
What are your media advertising options? Facebook,
Instagram, Pinterest
Could Growersโ€™ Co-ops be an option? Are there any
in your area?
Do you have a CSA? Could you add a flower share?
Bucket sales
for special
events
Arbor Day Foundation Hardiness Zone Map-
where is your farm located?
Your location has everything to do with what
you will be able to grow and sell
Start Small !!!
Making mistakes on a small scale
lays the ground work for
Success on a larger scale
Which varieties to grow?
Decisions to make,
questions to ask-
amount of space?
financial investment?
marketing plan- who are your
customers?
when are you going to start
(season)?
location of farm?
Fertility for Flowers
Soil test- every
year, at the same
time of year
Ideal pH for flowers
is 6.5-6.8
Before you fertilize-
You need to know
what nutrients you
already have or you
will waste your
money
Fertility for Flowers
Fertilizer recommendations:
N - 100-150# / acre
P - 200-225# / acre
K - 100-120# / acre
Heavy feeders:
sunflowers, zinnias, celosias
most multiple harvest varieties
Medium feeders:
dianthus, many summer annuals
Light feeders:
most over-winter annuals, most
perennials, some annuals
โ€ข
Nitrogen- (N) general plant growth
Phosphorous- (P) root, stem vigor
Potassium- (K) flower and/or fruit
When does โ€œdirect seedingโ€ a crop makes sense?
Suitable conditions:
When soil conditions are
favorable- fine dry texture with
suitable soil temperature
When the seed in inexpensive
When the seeds are vigorous and
germinate quickly
When the young plant can โ€œout
growโ€ (compete) the weeds
Crops that we direct seed
For the spring-
Bachelor Buttons, Larkspur
Agrostemma, Nigella
Bupleurum, Saponaria
For the summer-
Sunflowers
Zinnias
Earthway Seeder-
what we started withโ€ฆ. still in use
20+ years later
$125
When should you consider using a
transplant?
1. When the seed is expensive, slow to emerge,
finicky or not competitive w/ weeds
2. When you need a specific spacing for your
plants
3. When you are trying to get a head start on the
season or trying to push a crop
4. When you want to give cover crops more
time to grow and develop more bio-mass
5. When you want to maintain more flexibility in
crop planning
Sources for
Transplants
garden centers / hardware stores
nurseries โ€“ local or mail order
from other organic growers
Sources for
Transplants
garden centers / hardware stores
nurseries โ€“ local or mail order
from other organic growers
or you can Grow Your Ownโ€ฆ.
CUT FLOWERS - 2019
Variety source am't Target Actual Germ. Trans. Harvest
Ageratum Blue HorizonGEO 500 P 3/1
High Tide
White Geo 100 3/1
Agrostemma Ocean Pearl Gloeck 2000 2/14 1/28
Ocean Pearl 10/1 10/29
Purp.Queen Gloeck 5000 2/14 1/28
Purp.Queen 10/1 10/29
Ammi Graceland 1/1 1/5
(in freezer)
Green Mist 1/15 1/1 1/8
Queen of
Africa 1/15 1/1 1/5
Planting Logs
Saves time ordering
seed year to year
Target planting dates
keeps you on track
Germination dates
can be compared from
year to year
Harvest dates helps
you plan
Your records become
your best reference
for future years
Rotational Advantage in Adding Flowers
Half of our vegetable crops are in the solanaceae family
5-year gap between our potato crops, but we also grow
peppers, tomatoes, eggplants?
We grow lots of brassicas every spring and fall
Forage radish and rape are used as cover crops
Food safety concerns with fresh chicken manures
Flowers offer more โ€œplant familiesโ€ = more options
Deer will eat your flowers if given the
chance !!!!
Flowers that they โ€œseemโ€
to leave alone:
Marigolds
Ascelpias
Basils
Dutch Irises
Alliums
Salvia Leucantha
Rx- 8โ€™ fencing
Other Pests of Cut
Flowers
Aphids
Thrips
Grasshoppers
Stink bugs
Kudzu beetles
Worms, worms and more
wormsโ€ฆ
Rx- scouting, timely
harvesting and if needed- a
judicious spraying of a
spinosad or a Bt solution
Categories of Cut Flowers
Annuals, Biennials, Half Hardy, Perennials
Seeds, Cuttings, Bulbs, Corms, Tubers
Foliage, Woody Cuts
Herbs
Edible blooms โ€œTextureโ€ Filler Flowers
Vegetables vs
Weeds (?) Focal Flowers
Recommended Flower Varieties
at Perry-winkle Farm
Ageratum- โ€˜Blue Horizonโ€
Basils- Mrs. Burns, Oriental Breeze
Celosia- Pampas Plume, Chief
Centaurea- (bachelor buttons) Blue
Boy, Choice Mix
Consolida (larkspur)- Cloud Series,
Giant Imperial
Helianthus (sunflower)- Pro-cut
Orange, Sunbright, Sunbright
Supreme
Iris tiphium (Dutch iris)- Casablanca,
Apollo, Hildegarde
Rubeckia (Black eyed Susan)- Indian
Summer, Irish Eyes, Prairie Sun
Tagetes (marigold)- Gold Coin,
Babuda, Jedi series
Zinnia- Benary Giant, Giant Dahlia
โ€ฆother local farms
Achillea (yarrow)- Colorado
Agrostemma- Purple Queen, Ocean
Pearl
Ammi- Queen of Africa, Green Mist
Antirrhium (snapdragons)- Chantilly
Dahlia- Karma
Dianthus- Purple Majesty, Messenger,
Super Duplex
Eustoma (lisianthus)- Echo
Gomphrena- Bi-color Rose, โ€˜QISโ€™ series
Grasses- sorghums, millets
Lilium (lily)- oriental, asiatic
Limonium sinuatum- โ€˜QISโ€™ series
Monarda (Bee Balm)- Lambada
Paeonia (peonies)
Polianthes tuberosa (tuberose)- singles
Ageratum
Blue Horizon and White Tide
One of the few BLUE flowers
Fairly expensive seeds
Seed in early March for transplanting
after last frost
Second seeding in April or take cuttings
and root them
Basils
Red Rubin- purple
Mrs. Burns- lemony
Cinnamon- green with
purple flowers
Cardinal- purple bracts
Vana- Tulsi, sacred basil
Great filler, scented
Seed in late March for late
April/ early May transplanting
Seed every 3-4 weeks
Celosia-
(Cockscomb, Wheat or a
mix/hybrid types)
Chief Series
Cramerโ€™s Amazon
Pampas Plume
Flamingo Feather
Sylphid
Loves the heat, seed in late
March for after frost
transplanting
Seed every 3-4 weeks
Tiny seeds that need light to
germinate
Centaurea-
Bachelor Buttons
Boy Series- Blue Boy
Choice Mix
Frosted
Another blue flower
Edible petals
Direct seed in the fall and
again in late winter
Consolida-
Larkspur
(filler or single spike)
Giant Imperial, QIS, Sublime
series
Cloud series- Blue Cloud,
Snow Cloud and Bi-color
Cloud
Direct seed in the fall and again
in late winter- needs 6 weeks
of temps below 55
One cut per plant, most stems
bloom at the same time
Helianthus-
Sunflowers
Pro-Cut, Sunrich series, Sunbright
Supreme and Sunbright
For a continuous supply we direct
seed multiple varieties every three
weeks
Harvest when the first petals lifts
from the center
Iris xiphium-
Dutch Iris
Apollo, Nova Blue,
Hommes Blue, Casablanca
Plant bulbs in the fall, keep
bulbs warm until planting- cold
soils stimulate growth โ€“ 50
degrees
**Needs 6 weeks of cold temps!
Harvest at the โ€œpencil stageโ€,
first line of color
Rudbeckia-
Black eyed Susan
Indian Summer, Irish Eyes,
Prairie Sun, and
Goldilocks
Harvest first thing in the
morning to avoid hydration
problems
Perennial that is seeded in
July, planted in August,
needs vernalization,
blooms in the spring
Tagetes-
African Marigolds
Jedi Series
Edible petals
Successive plantings every
three weeks
Harvest when centers are still
tight
Zinnias-
Benaryโ€™s Giants, Oklahoma,
Giant Dahlia, Uproar Rose
โ€œWorkhorseโ€ at PWF
Direct seed every 3 weeks (3
or 4 rows per 3โ€™ bed)
Bleach treat the seed
1st cut the most important!
Be Bold!!!
Recommended Flower Varieties
Perry-winkle Farm
Ageratum- โ€˜Blue Horizonโ€
Basils- Mrs. Burns, Oriental Breeze
Celosia- Pampas Plume, Chief
Centaurea- (bachelor buttons) Blue Boy,
Choice Mix
Consolida (larkspur)- Cloud Series, Giant
Imperial
Helianthus (sunflower)- Pro-cut Orange,
Sunbright Supreme
Iris tiphium (Dutch iris)- Casablanca, Apollo,
Hildegarde
Rubeckia (Black eyed Susan)- Indian
Summer, Irish Eyes, Prairie Sun
Tagetes (marigold)- Gold Coin
Zinnia- Benary Giant, Giant Dahlia
โ€ฆother local farms
Achillea (yarrow)- Colorado
Agrostemma- Purple Queen, Ocean Pearl
Ammi- Queen of Africa, Green Mist
Antirrhium (snapdragons)- Chantilly
Dahlia- Karma
Dianthus- Electron, Purple Majesty,
Messenger, Super Duplex
Eustoma (lisianthus)- Echo
Gomphrena- Bi-color Rose, โ€˜QISโ€™ series
Grasses- sorghums, millets
Lilium (lily)- oriental, asiatic
Limonium sinuatum- โ€˜QISโ€™ series
Monarda (Bee Balm)- Lambada
Paeonia (peonies)
Polianthes tuberosa (tuberose)- singles
Most flowers would prefer to not be rained onโ€ฆ
Short of holding an umbrella over your flowers-
growers use cold frames, high tunnels, heated
hoop houses to grow:
Lisianthus Lilies
Snapdragons Stock
Ranunculus Anemones
Tulips Freesia
Dahlias โ€ฆ. any other high dollar cut
Peregrine Farm
Harvest and Post Harvest
Learn the proper stage of
harvest for each variety
you grow- see handout
Time of day is very important,
cut โ€œdifficultโ€ varieties first!
Sharp tools- clippers, knives
Clean buckets are a must!
Allow the flowers to hydrate,
then store in a cooler
Lady Bird Johnson said-
โ€œyour vases should be as clean
as your teacupsโ€
Harvest scheduling:
Cut some varieties daily-
sunflowers, dutch irises, tulips, bulbs
Others can be harvested just 2 or 3
times a week
Some are fine to cut once a week
Flowers drink better when
water has a low pH (3.5)
Some varieties need โ€œsugarโ€,
some donโ€™t !
Some varieties need to be
โ€œconditionedโ€ for a day
before you use them
Stage of development for harvest of numerous cut flower
species. Table obtained from Floriculture Principles and
Species (Dole and Wilkins, 2004).
Name Stage of Development
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ageratum houstonianum center floret fully open, lateral florets well colored
Agrostemma githago 1 to 2 flowers open
Allium cultivars 1/4 to ยฝ florets open
Ammi majus 80% of flowers in umbel open
Antirrhinum majus 1/3 flowers open
Asclepias tuberosa 1/2 to 2/3 flowers open
Bupleurum rotundifolium almost all flowers fully open
Calendula officinalis fully open flowers
Celosia argentea inforescence fully colored but prior to significant seed formation
Centaurea cyanus apical flower 3/4 to fully open
Consolida ambigua 2 to 5 florets open
Dahlia cultivars 3/4 to fully open flowers
Delphinium cultivars 1/4 to 1/3 florets open
Dianthus barbatus 10 to 20% of florets open
Echinacea purpurea petals fully expanded, first ring of disk florets open
Harvest flowers with the same care and
consideration as you would your salad greens
Pay attention to:
The best time of day
The proper stage of maturity
Proper harvest/pruning cuts
for re-growth
Keep the flowers cool
In our system:
We are cutting something most
mornings
We strip lower leaves, extra stems
in the field
We are constantly โ€œdead-headingโ€
most beds
Things I believe:
Bouquets should have a scent
Flowers should last at least a week
Buckets need to clean- inside and out
All stems should be stripped
Keep studying and learning
โ€ฆ more things I believe:
A cooler is very important
Successive plantings are necessary
Try new varieties at least 2-3 times
Keep records - review them - develop
a yearly calendar/schedule
Stage of harvest really matters
Selling at Farmersโ€™ Markets = Theatre
For more information on the ASCFG and its other member benefits, contact Judy Laushman at
(440) 774-2887 or check out- www.ascfg.org
ASCFG membership fees-
$195 for commercial grower/farmer
$120 for educator
$50 for student in horticulture program
Benefits:
awesome, active listserv
The Quarterly magazine
discounts on national
+ regional meetings
Lots of new friends!!

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Add cut flowers to increase your farm's diversity

  • 1. Add Cut Flowers to Increase Your Farmโ€™s Diversityโ€ฆ and Your Income!
  • 2. Cathy Jones & Mike Perry Chatham County, North Carolina 29th year of production
  • 3.
  • 4. Reasons to grow cut flowers Flowers sell, which equals more $$$$ Increases your farmโ€™s crop diversity Enhances crop rotation options Attracts pollinators to your fields Attracts customers to your farm stand โ€ฆ. and flowers make people happy!!
  • 5. How are you going to grow them? Many flowers are very similar to vegetables in terms of what they need: full sun, well- drained soils, a neutral pH, adequate fertility, organic matter โ€ฆand water!!! Very similar equipment needed to work the soil, to plant the crop and keep it weed-free. When growing flowers it is always best to use drip irrigationโ€ฆ Donโ€™t plant flowers if you donโ€™t have a watering strategy
  • 6.
  • 7.
  • 8. Additional โ€œtoolsโ€ used in growing flowers Trellising- Posts, wire and netting (Hortonova) Harvest tools- Clippers, shears, scissors, Japanese rice sickles, knuckle knives
  • 9. Moreโ€ฆ additional โ€œtoolsโ€ used in growing flowers Containers- Buckets, buckets and more buckets Coolers / refrigeration- Walk-in cooler, CoolBot cooled space, or an air-conditioned room at the very least Shaded processing area- Barn, shed, tarps
  • 10. Donโ€™t be a โ€ฆ. โ€œVegetable grower who grows flowersโ€ Be a vegetable and flower grower who does a really good job at both!!! Quality matters! You wouldnโ€™t take ugly broccoli to market, don't take an inferior product to market Long Vase Life = repeat, loyal customers
  • 11. The first real question to answer- where is your farm located? Where are your potential customers located ?? What will it take to get your flowers to them? Urban vs Rural location?
  • 12. Marketing your Flowers โ€ฆ you need to have a plan Who are you going to sell to? Retail or Wholesale? How will you differentiate yourself from other flower growers? What seasons do you want to sell in?
  • 13.
  • 14. Marketing your Flowers โ€ฆ you need to have a plan When are your farmersโ€™ markets open? If you want to sell to florists, can you match your production with their busy seasons? Christmas, Valentines Day, Easter, Mothersโ€™ Day Lotโ€™s of florists are real slow in the summer- they are โ€œwaiting for someone to dieโ€
  • 15. โ€œBucket Truckโ€ sales to florists- driving a delivery route
  • 16. Marketing your Flowers โ€ฆ you need to have a plan How do you plan to reach potential customers like floral designers? Individuals who are interested in DIY floral arrangements opportunities? What are your media advertising options? Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest Could Growersโ€™ Co-ops be an option? Are there any in your area? Do you have a CSA? Could you add a flower share?
  • 18.
  • 19. Arbor Day Foundation Hardiness Zone Map- where is your farm located?
  • 20. Your location has everything to do with what you will be able to grow and sell
  • 21. Start Small !!! Making mistakes on a small scale lays the ground work for Success on a larger scale
  • 22. Which varieties to grow? Decisions to make, questions to ask- amount of space? financial investment? marketing plan- who are your customers? when are you going to start (season)? location of farm?
  • 23. Fertility for Flowers Soil test- every year, at the same time of year Ideal pH for flowers is 6.5-6.8 Before you fertilize- You need to know what nutrients you already have or you will waste your money
  • 24. Fertility for Flowers Fertilizer recommendations: N - 100-150# / acre P - 200-225# / acre K - 100-120# / acre Heavy feeders: sunflowers, zinnias, celosias most multiple harvest varieties Medium feeders: dianthus, many summer annuals Light feeders: most over-winter annuals, most perennials, some annuals โ€ข Nitrogen- (N) general plant growth Phosphorous- (P) root, stem vigor Potassium- (K) flower and/or fruit
  • 25. When does โ€œdirect seedingโ€ a crop makes sense? Suitable conditions: When soil conditions are favorable- fine dry texture with suitable soil temperature When the seed in inexpensive When the seeds are vigorous and germinate quickly When the young plant can โ€œout growโ€ (compete) the weeds Crops that we direct seed For the spring- Bachelor Buttons, Larkspur Agrostemma, Nigella Bupleurum, Saponaria For the summer- Sunflowers Zinnias
  • 26. Earthway Seeder- what we started withโ€ฆ. still in use 20+ years later $125
  • 27. When should you consider using a transplant? 1. When the seed is expensive, slow to emerge, finicky or not competitive w/ weeds 2. When you need a specific spacing for your plants 3. When you are trying to get a head start on the season or trying to push a crop 4. When you want to give cover crops more time to grow and develop more bio-mass 5. When you want to maintain more flexibility in crop planning
  • 28. Sources for Transplants garden centers / hardware stores nurseries โ€“ local or mail order from other organic growers
  • 29. Sources for Transplants garden centers / hardware stores nurseries โ€“ local or mail order from other organic growers or you can Grow Your Ownโ€ฆ.
  • 30. CUT FLOWERS - 2019 Variety source am't Target Actual Germ. Trans. Harvest Ageratum Blue HorizonGEO 500 P 3/1 High Tide White Geo 100 3/1 Agrostemma Ocean Pearl Gloeck 2000 2/14 1/28 Ocean Pearl 10/1 10/29 Purp.Queen Gloeck 5000 2/14 1/28 Purp.Queen 10/1 10/29 Ammi Graceland 1/1 1/5 (in freezer) Green Mist 1/15 1/1 1/8 Queen of Africa 1/15 1/1 1/5 Planting Logs Saves time ordering seed year to year Target planting dates keeps you on track Germination dates can be compared from year to year Harvest dates helps you plan Your records become your best reference for future years
  • 31.
  • 32. Rotational Advantage in Adding Flowers Half of our vegetable crops are in the solanaceae family 5-year gap between our potato crops, but we also grow peppers, tomatoes, eggplants? We grow lots of brassicas every spring and fall Forage radish and rape are used as cover crops Food safety concerns with fresh chicken manures Flowers offer more โ€œplant familiesโ€ = more options
  • 33.
  • 34. Deer will eat your flowers if given the chance !!!! Flowers that they โ€œseemโ€ to leave alone: Marigolds Ascelpias Basils Dutch Irises Alliums Salvia Leucantha Rx- 8โ€™ fencing
  • 35. Other Pests of Cut Flowers Aphids Thrips Grasshoppers Stink bugs Kudzu beetles Worms, worms and more wormsโ€ฆ Rx- scouting, timely harvesting and if needed- a judicious spraying of a spinosad or a Bt solution
  • 36. Categories of Cut Flowers Annuals, Biennials, Half Hardy, Perennials Seeds, Cuttings, Bulbs, Corms, Tubers Foliage, Woody Cuts Herbs Edible blooms โ€œTextureโ€ Filler Flowers Vegetables vs Weeds (?) Focal Flowers
  • 37. Recommended Flower Varieties at Perry-winkle Farm Ageratum- โ€˜Blue Horizonโ€ Basils- Mrs. Burns, Oriental Breeze Celosia- Pampas Plume, Chief Centaurea- (bachelor buttons) Blue Boy, Choice Mix Consolida (larkspur)- Cloud Series, Giant Imperial Helianthus (sunflower)- Pro-cut Orange, Sunbright, Sunbright Supreme Iris tiphium (Dutch iris)- Casablanca, Apollo, Hildegarde Rubeckia (Black eyed Susan)- Indian Summer, Irish Eyes, Prairie Sun Tagetes (marigold)- Gold Coin, Babuda, Jedi series Zinnia- Benary Giant, Giant Dahlia โ€ฆother local farms Achillea (yarrow)- Colorado Agrostemma- Purple Queen, Ocean Pearl Ammi- Queen of Africa, Green Mist Antirrhium (snapdragons)- Chantilly Dahlia- Karma Dianthus- Purple Majesty, Messenger, Super Duplex Eustoma (lisianthus)- Echo Gomphrena- Bi-color Rose, โ€˜QISโ€™ series Grasses- sorghums, millets Lilium (lily)- oriental, asiatic Limonium sinuatum- โ€˜QISโ€™ series Monarda (Bee Balm)- Lambada Paeonia (peonies) Polianthes tuberosa (tuberose)- singles
  • 38. Ageratum Blue Horizon and White Tide One of the few BLUE flowers Fairly expensive seeds Seed in early March for transplanting after last frost Second seeding in April or take cuttings and root them
  • 39. Basils Red Rubin- purple Mrs. Burns- lemony Cinnamon- green with purple flowers Cardinal- purple bracts Vana- Tulsi, sacred basil Great filler, scented Seed in late March for late April/ early May transplanting Seed every 3-4 weeks
  • 40. Celosia- (Cockscomb, Wheat or a mix/hybrid types) Chief Series Cramerโ€™s Amazon Pampas Plume Flamingo Feather Sylphid Loves the heat, seed in late March for after frost transplanting Seed every 3-4 weeks Tiny seeds that need light to germinate
  • 41. Centaurea- Bachelor Buttons Boy Series- Blue Boy Choice Mix Frosted Another blue flower Edible petals Direct seed in the fall and again in late winter
  • 42. Consolida- Larkspur (filler or single spike) Giant Imperial, QIS, Sublime series Cloud series- Blue Cloud, Snow Cloud and Bi-color Cloud Direct seed in the fall and again in late winter- needs 6 weeks of temps below 55 One cut per plant, most stems bloom at the same time
  • 43. Helianthus- Sunflowers Pro-Cut, Sunrich series, Sunbright Supreme and Sunbright For a continuous supply we direct seed multiple varieties every three weeks Harvest when the first petals lifts from the center
  • 44. Iris xiphium- Dutch Iris Apollo, Nova Blue, Hommes Blue, Casablanca Plant bulbs in the fall, keep bulbs warm until planting- cold soils stimulate growth โ€“ 50 degrees **Needs 6 weeks of cold temps! Harvest at the โ€œpencil stageโ€, first line of color
  • 45. Rudbeckia- Black eyed Susan Indian Summer, Irish Eyes, Prairie Sun, and Goldilocks Harvest first thing in the morning to avoid hydration problems Perennial that is seeded in July, planted in August, needs vernalization, blooms in the spring
  • 46. Tagetes- African Marigolds Jedi Series Edible petals Successive plantings every three weeks Harvest when centers are still tight
  • 47. Zinnias- Benaryโ€™s Giants, Oklahoma, Giant Dahlia, Uproar Rose โ€œWorkhorseโ€ at PWF Direct seed every 3 weeks (3 or 4 rows per 3โ€™ bed) Bleach treat the seed 1st cut the most important! Be Bold!!!
  • 48. Recommended Flower Varieties Perry-winkle Farm Ageratum- โ€˜Blue Horizonโ€ Basils- Mrs. Burns, Oriental Breeze Celosia- Pampas Plume, Chief Centaurea- (bachelor buttons) Blue Boy, Choice Mix Consolida (larkspur)- Cloud Series, Giant Imperial Helianthus (sunflower)- Pro-cut Orange, Sunbright Supreme Iris tiphium (Dutch iris)- Casablanca, Apollo, Hildegarde Rubeckia (Black eyed Susan)- Indian Summer, Irish Eyes, Prairie Sun Tagetes (marigold)- Gold Coin Zinnia- Benary Giant, Giant Dahlia โ€ฆother local farms Achillea (yarrow)- Colorado Agrostemma- Purple Queen, Ocean Pearl Ammi- Queen of Africa, Green Mist Antirrhium (snapdragons)- Chantilly Dahlia- Karma Dianthus- Electron, Purple Majesty, Messenger, Super Duplex Eustoma (lisianthus)- Echo Gomphrena- Bi-color Rose, โ€˜QISโ€™ series Grasses- sorghums, millets Lilium (lily)- oriental, asiatic Limonium sinuatum- โ€˜QISโ€™ series Monarda (Bee Balm)- Lambada Paeonia (peonies) Polianthes tuberosa (tuberose)- singles
  • 49.
  • 50. Most flowers would prefer to not be rained onโ€ฆ Short of holding an umbrella over your flowers- growers use cold frames, high tunnels, heated hoop houses to grow: Lisianthus Lilies Snapdragons Stock Ranunculus Anemones Tulips Freesia Dahlias โ€ฆ. any other high dollar cut
  • 52.
  • 53.
  • 54. Harvest and Post Harvest Learn the proper stage of harvest for each variety you grow- see handout Time of day is very important, cut โ€œdifficultโ€ varieties first! Sharp tools- clippers, knives Clean buckets are a must! Allow the flowers to hydrate, then store in a cooler Lady Bird Johnson said- โ€œyour vases should be as clean as your teacupsโ€ Harvest scheduling: Cut some varieties daily- sunflowers, dutch irises, tulips, bulbs Others can be harvested just 2 or 3 times a week Some are fine to cut once a week Flowers drink better when water has a low pH (3.5) Some varieties need โ€œsugarโ€, some donโ€™t ! Some varieties need to be โ€œconditionedโ€ for a day before you use them
  • 55. Stage of development for harvest of numerous cut flower species. Table obtained from Floriculture Principles and Species (Dole and Wilkins, 2004). Name Stage of Development ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ageratum houstonianum center floret fully open, lateral florets well colored Agrostemma githago 1 to 2 flowers open Allium cultivars 1/4 to ยฝ florets open Ammi majus 80% of flowers in umbel open Antirrhinum majus 1/3 flowers open Asclepias tuberosa 1/2 to 2/3 flowers open Bupleurum rotundifolium almost all flowers fully open Calendula officinalis fully open flowers Celosia argentea inforescence fully colored but prior to significant seed formation Centaurea cyanus apical flower 3/4 to fully open Consolida ambigua 2 to 5 florets open Dahlia cultivars 3/4 to fully open flowers Delphinium cultivars 1/4 to 1/3 florets open Dianthus barbatus 10 to 20% of florets open Echinacea purpurea petals fully expanded, first ring of disk florets open
  • 56. Harvest flowers with the same care and consideration as you would your salad greens Pay attention to: The best time of day The proper stage of maturity Proper harvest/pruning cuts for re-growth Keep the flowers cool In our system: We are cutting something most mornings We strip lower leaves, extra stems in the field We are constantly โ€œdead-headingโ€ most beds
  • 57. Things I believe: Bouquets should have a scent Flowers should last at least a week Buckets need to clean- inside and out All stems should be stripped Keep studying and learning
  • 58. โ€ฆ more things I believe: A cooler is very important Successive plantings are necessary Try new varieties at least 2-3 times Keep records - review them - develop a yearly calendar/schedule Stage of harvest really matters Selling at Farmersโ€™ Markets = Theatre
  • 59.
  • 60. For more information on the ASCFG and its other member benefits, contact Judy Laushman at (440) 774-2887 or check out- www.ascfg.org ASCFG membership fees- $195 for commercial grower/farmer $120 for educator $50 for student in horticulture program Benefits: awesome, active listserv The Quarterly magazine discounts on national + regional meetings Lots of new friends!!