Specialty Cut Flower Production and Marketing

Abstract

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Specialty cut flower production has the potential to increase income for both small and large farms.This publication discusses several marketing channels and lists flowers suitable for various markets. It covers production basics, harvest and postharvest handling, business planning and record keeping, and resources for further information.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• What Should I Grow?
• Markets
• Production Basics
• Harvest and Postharvest
• Summary
• Related ATTRA Publications
• References
• Web Resources

Introduction

Environmentally sound production techniques, increased farm diversification, and increased farm income are basic parts of sustainable farming systems. Specialty cut flower production and marketing offers both small- and large-scale growers a way to increase the level of sustainability on their farms. The tremendous variety of plants that can be grown as cut flowers allows growers to choose those which are well-adapted to the farm site and grown without large offsite inputs. This variety also makes diversity in both production and marketing possible. And the high value of specialty cut flowers can increase farm income.

The phrase "specialty cut flower" originally referred to all species other than carnations, chrysanthemums, and roses. As recently as 1986, these three cut flower species, plus gladiolus, accounted for more than 80 percent of total cut flower production. (Dole and Greer, 2004) Since then, specialty cut flowers have become the most important part of the U.S. cut flower industry. The combined production of carnations, chrysanthemums, and roses was $78 million in 2002, representing only 15 percent of total cut flower and foliage production. In contrast, specialty cut production totaled $443 million. Cut lilies, once a relatively minor greenhouse cut flower, have replaced roses as the most important domestically produced cut flower. Leatherleaf fern, gerbera, gladiolus, and tulips are the remainder of the top five specialty cuts. (Dole and Greer, 2004)

Mark Cain (left) of Dripping Springs Garden presents bouquets to Carol Eichelberger and Jean Mills of Coker, Alabama, at the Fayetteville Farmers' Market. Photo by Janet Bachmann

As specialty cut flowers become more important to the floral industry, growers are finding that these flowers make it easier to compete with imported products. Flowers that don't ship well or can't handle long intervals in a box can be picked by a local grower in the morning and be in a shopper's house that afternoon. Specialty cuts can be grown as annuals or perennials, from seeds, plugs, or bulbs. They include woody plants from which flowers, stems, fruits, or foliage are harvested. They can be grown in the field, in unheated hoophouses, and in heated greenhouses. By producing unusual, high quality flowers, using proper postharvest handling techniques, and by providing excellent service, growers can continue to expand markets for specialty cuts.

If you are considering specialty cut flowers as a farm enterprise, you should do as much research as possible before putting one plant in the ground. The most valuable information comes from other growers. Other sources that you can rely on include the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers, Cooperative Extension, suppliers, and ATTRA.

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What Should I Grow?

A tremendous number of choices are available. How can you choose, given such a vast array? Consider the following.

• Ease of cultivation. This may be especially important if you are a beginner. Sunflowers and zinnias are examples of easy-to-cultivate flowers. They can be direct seeded, and they emerge and grow quickly.
• Ease of handling. Sunflowers can again be used as an example. They have strong stems and are easy to cut and transport without bruising or shattering the flowers.
• Color. What is popular at your market? Does it combine well with other colors you have chosen? Whites and pinks are popular spring wedding colors; oranges and coppers may be more popular in the fall.
• Fragrance. Fragrance sells—to most people. Customers at the Fayetteville, Arkansas, Farmers' Market begin asking for extremely fragrant tuberoses two months before they
  are available—but some growers cannot stand to bring even a bucketful to market in a closed van.
• Old favorites. Think of customers who see a bunch of sweet peas and buy them because they are reminded of their grandmother's flower garden. Zinnias can again be used as an example.
• New introductions. New cultivars help you stay competitive in a competitive market. Membership in the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG) is one way to keep up to date on new ones. The ASCFG in cooperation with seed companies sponsors trials of new varieties every year. Results of the trials are reported in the winter issue of The Cut Flower Quarterly. Rudbeckia Prairie Sun, Dianthus Neon Duo, and countless new sunflowers are among the exciting introductions trialed by ASCFG volunteers.
• Vase life. Will the cuts last a week? Or longer?
• Stem length. Florists love long stems. But there are exceptions, such as lily-of-the-valley and grape hyacinth, that are naturally short-stemmed.
• Local growing conditions. Accept the fact that some plants are not well adapted to your climate. Ask local Extension agents, garden clubs, and nurseries which specialty cut flowers grow well in your area, and start with these. Diversify slowly, and test some new choices each growing season.
• Flowering season. Do you want year-round or seasonal blooms? For flowers throughout the growing season, identify an early bloomer to start blooming in sync with opening day of your market, and dependable f lowers to keep customers coming back to your market stand or farm until you want to close for the season.
• Flowers for building mixed bouquets. If you plan to sell mixed bouquets and plan to grow zinnias, what other flowers or foliage will mix well with them?
• Demand. What are wholesale and retail florists asking for? (Within reason.)
• Think especially about the market where you want to sell cut flowers. What do the customers want? What are their favorite flowers?

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Markets

Marketing possibilities include farmers' markets, contract growing and CSA-type subscriptions, cut-your-own, restaurants, supermarkets, retail florists, wholesale florists, special events such as weddings, and the Internet. The following discussion of markets includes flowers that growers around the country recommend for each, followed by information on related products and added value.

Farmers' Markets

Photo by Janet Bachmann

Farmers' markets are considered by many to be entry-level markets, a place for new growers to sharpen their skills and cultivate higher-level markets. Other growers have found farmers' markets to be a profitable and rewarding way to sell flowers.

Specialty cut flowers sell well at the Fayetteville, Arkansas, Farmers' Market (FFM). Vendors—and customers—believe their market is one of the most attractive in the nation. It is situated on the square in downtown Fayetteville around an old post office that has been converted to a restaurant. The area is professionally landscaped and is alive with blooming and edible plants. On Saturday mornings it is the place to be, with live music, coffee and pastries, and vendors selling fruits, vegetables, plants, crafts, and of course specialty cut flowers.

Photo by Janet Bachmann

Of the more than 50 vendors at a Saturday market in mid-summer, almost 50 percent bring cut flowers for sale. "In the early days," say folks who organized the market in 1974, "vendors brought flowers cut from the roadsides." Today the FFM has become well-known as a source of high-quality, reasonably priced cut flowers. For some vendors, fresh vegetables or fruit are the main products, but many of these have added flowers as secondary products. For other vendors, flowers are the primary focus of the display and a major source of income in a college town with a relatively affluent population.

Subscriptions and CSA

Subscriptions offer upfront payment for scheduled delivery of flowers. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is a term often associated with this marketing method. Delivery may be time consuming, so be sure to account for it and charge accordingly. See the ATTRA publication Community Supported Agriculture to read about the history, philosophy, and details of organizing a CSA.

Suzy Neesen, owner and grower at The Flower Farm in Cedar Falls, Iowa, uses both farmers' markets and fresh cut bouquet subscriptions to sell her flowers. Neeson's attractive tri-fold brochure tells people how they can arrange to have a beautiful, freshly cut bouquet delivered to their home or office each week though the growing season. Or they can order for a one-time special delivery. She grows more than 100 kinds of annuals, perennials, and bulbs to provide variety and color in each bouquet. The bouquets are delivered in a vase, which is exchanged each week. The season begins about June 1st and runs for 15 weeks. She charges $225 plus tax for the season. Salons, boutiques, professional offices, and restaurants are possible places to market subscription bouquets.

Cut-Your-Own

Because they are so attractive, flowers are certainly a natural for any kind of on-farm market or roadside stand. At a fruit and vegetable growers' conference 20 years ago, Karen Pendleton of Lawrence, Kansas, told how she came to add field-grown cut flowers to her family's Pick-Your-Own (PYO) operation. At that time, Karen and her husband, John, had 12 acres of asparagus in production for PYO sales. When people came to the farm for asparagus, they saw tulips blooming in her yard, and wanted to buy them as well. The Pendletons have since added peonies to the PYO operation because they also bloom when asparagus is ready to cut.

Another example comes from a Massachusetts farm Web site, where the owner describes the flowers you can pick at the farm:

In addition to our wonderful fruits, we offer cut-your-own and fresh picked flowers from mid-July through late September. We have 15 colors of gladiolus, 10 shades of 'Blue Point' zinnias, 6 varieties of beautiful sunflowers, and gorgeous dahlias. Bring some color into your home this summer!

Lynn Byczynski in her book The Flower Farmer (Byczynski, 1997) offers pointers for success with cut-your-own-flowers.

• Provide weed-free flower beds with plenty of room to maneuver between them. Nobody wants to walk through weeds or mud to cut flowers, and you'll increase your liability risk if you don't maintain wide, clear paths.
• Price flowers in a way that is easily understood by the consumer; for example, all the 25-cent flowers in one section, and all the 50-cent flowers in another.
• Pick in advance flowers that are expensive and/or easily damaged in the field. Place them in buckets near the checkout stand, so that customers can add a special flower to their bouquets at the last minute.

In addition to tulips, peonies, gladiolus, sunflowers, and zinnias, you may also want to consider daffodils, Dutch iris, ornamental alliums, statice, and goldenrod as PYO flowers.

Ms. Byczynski says you probably will not want to offer PYO lilies because customers might cut too much foliage, which means that your costly lily bulb won't survive to bloom again next year.

You will need to provide buckets or other containers with water, scissors for cutting the stems, and wrapping materials. As with any other PYO product, you will need to provide supervision, offering instructions on where and how to pick. You may also need additional liability insurance. For general information on PYO marketing, please refer to the ATTRA publication Entertainment Farming and Agri-Tourism.

Restaurants

Selling to restaurants requires flexibility and high-quality products. The time needed to make deliveries may be considerable. (Kantor, 1999)

Supermarkets

Grocery stores can handle large volumes,but it can be difficult to establish accounts. (Kantor, 1999)

Retail Florists

In general, a florist will want flowers that are just beginning to open —unlike most farmers' market customers, who prefer fully open blossoms. Most florists know exactly what they want and may need a fairly large quantity of a certain flower.

The following tips for selling to florists by delivering to their shops are gleaned from the ASCFG Forum.

• Introduce yourself with a bucket of free samples, a flyer that lists the flowers you grow, your delivery schedule, payment terms, and business card. (Try putting the business card on a refrigerator magnet to go on the cooler door.)
• Deliver in bunches of 10, sleeved or un-sleeved. This makes it easier to pull the flowers out of buckets without destroying other blooms.
• E-mail or fax a list of what you have to offer after harvesting, then call for orders, or bring the florist out to your van full of flowers for the "ahhh" effect and let him or her choose on the spot.
• Deliver on the same day and same time every week. Florists need to depend on you if they have downsized standing orders from wholesalers so that they can buy from you.
• Use buckets with your name/label on them so you can leave them to pick up the following trip.
• Ask for payment on delivery unless you have sold to them often enough to feel comfortable about setting up an account.
• Offer only the best. Consistency in quality, quantity, and variety is crucial.

Expect retail florists to get excited about new or unusual cuts such as branches with fruit on them or pods of okra on stalks. And although they may be able to get flowers from wholesalers for a little less, they appreciate the quality and freshness of locally grown cuts. Good sellers include the following:

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Ageratum, Agrostemma, Allium, Ammi majus, Apple mint, Bupleurum, Curly willow, Dahlia, Delphinium, Digitalis, Feverfew, Gomphrena, Grasses, Hosta leaves, Hydrangea, Larkspur, Lemon/cinnamon basil, Lenten rose, Lilies, Lily of the Valley, Lisianthus, Mountain mint, Nigella, Penstemon, Peony, Redtwig dogwood, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Snapdragon, Spanish bluebell, Sunflower, Sweet pea, Sweet William, Tulip, Veronica, Yarrow, and Zinnia.

Wholesale florists

The wholesale florists' market is the most demanding as far as grading, uniformity, consistency, and packaging. Wholesale florists assemble and make available high-quality flowers for retail florists. They offer retailers a timely and dependable supply, one stop shopping, large or small quantities, product guarantee, and credit. To sell to wholesale florists, Harrison "Red" Kennicott, of Kennicott Brothers in Chicago, in a presentation at the 2002 ASCFG annual convention and trade show, advised growers:

• Get acquainted with as many people as possible in a wholesale house, to get to know the wholesaler.
• Provide information on your product.
• Avoid being oversensitive to comments.
• Have a good understanding about supply, pricing, timing, and whether or not the sales are to be on consignment.

He recommends the Society of American Florists, the national trade association that represents all participants in the U.S. floral industry, as a source of marketing and best practices information. (Kennicott, 2002) Its 15,000 members include retailers, growers, wholesalers, importers, suppliers, manufactures, educators, and students. Its consumer Web site, www.aboutflowers.com, promotes the use of flowers. You can locate wholesale florists through the Wholesale Florists and Florist Supplier Association. See References for contact information.

Weddings

If you sell flowers at a local farmers' market, sooner or later someone will approach you to do their wedding flowers. Linda Chapman of Harvest Moon Farm in Spencer, Indiana, says wedding work can be profitable, but it is not for everyone who grows flowers. Besides needing aesthetic talents, it takes a certain temperament to work cooperatively with brides, grooms, and often their parents. It also takes a lot of time.

Before deciding whether you will do a wedding, talk with the clients. Try to get a vision of what they want. Can you work with them to make their vision a reality, or do you need to send them to a commercial florist or another grower?

Photo by Carol Larsen

Most weddings involve a bridal bouquet, bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnières, corsages, flower girl flowers, altar arrangements, reception hall arrangements, and flowers for the cake. Other options include garlands, end-of-pew arrangements, and dried flower wreaths made from the wedding flowers after the event. What is their budget? Your price should reflect not only the cost of materials and labor for the finished product but also the time spent in consultation. You need to give your client a price estimate well in advance of the wedding day. Ms. Chapman says pricing is a regional thing. Prices can generally be set higher in urban areas than in rural areas. Her prices reflect the economics of a university town. (Chapman, 2002)

Carol Larsen of Sunborn Gardens in Wisconsin says she first got involved with wedding flowers when she worked with another woman who loved to grow flowers but also worked as a florist. "We did some weddings together, and I learned some mechanics from her." Later, Carol also worked for a florist but found she liked growing flowers more than just working with them. She quit her "day job" and began working exclusively with flowers in 2001, and since then she has actively sought wedding and event work. Carol markets through word of mouth, photos on her Web page, www.sunborngardens.com, and at her stand at the farmers' market on Saturdays. In addition to weddings, she has done arrangements for a bat mitzvah, a bar mitzvah, and a funeral.

Carol's list of flowers that are excellent for weddings includes the following: Bachelor Buttons, Bells of Ireland, Celosia, Dahlias, Godetia, Larkspur, Lisianthus, Rudbeckia, Shasta Daisy, Snapdragons, and Tulips.

She offers this advice:

You need to use flowers that can stand the stress of being out of water for hours. However, on the upside, they need to last only through the wedding and reception. It is very important that all the flowers used are conditioned in a cooler with flower conditioning food for 24 or more hours before working with them. Also you have to work with the flowers when they are at their peak. It doesn't work to have lilies that are too closed for the bouquet. This can mean you have to cut or otherwise get more flowers than you plan on using because some will be too far gone and others will be too immature. Figure your shrinkage at 10 to 20 percent or even more with fragile flowers like bachelor buttons or godetia.

For a wedding, Carol provides bridal and bridesmaid bouquets, boutonnières, corsages, table arrangements, pew treatments, arbor decorations, and large arrangements for the church. She takes the price of the flowers and multiplies by 2 to 2.5 to achieve a price that reflects the time to meet with the bride, work with the flowers, drive to the wedding and reception sites and set up the flowers (including pinning on corsages and boutonnières), and picking up the vases, etc. after the event. The most frustrating part for her is not getting enough for her work. The most rewarding part is designing with the flowers she loves and having the bride call afterwards to let her know how much everyone enjoyed the flowers.

Yes, a bride can be quite choosy or not. I guess it depends on the individual. Some want to know what is going to be in each corsage and bouquet, and others just want to go with a color scheme and, perhaps, a style. Generally, the brides who contact me (and 90 percent of the time it is the bride) at the farmers' market seem to be the most flexible, maybe because they see my bouquets and feel more comfortable or know that is the style they want. (Larsen, 2004)

Contract Growing

If someone asks you to grow flowers for a wedding or other event, but you are not prepared to do any more than that, you can get someone else to do the arrangements. One fall a young woman who had purchased flowers from me for several years came by the farmers' market to tell me she was getting married the next summer on July 9 and wanted me to grow the flowers for her wedding. She had chosen Stargazer lilies as her main flower and set the July wedding date because that is when Stargazers bloom locally. The only other flowers she wanted were additional Oriental lilies and glads in colors to harmonize with Stargazers. During the winter, I referred her to several Web sites where she could view lilies and glads, asking her to let me know which varieties she liked. I ordered bulbs and planted them on two different dates, hoping that enough would bloom at the right time. Then I started wondering about how the flowers would be delivered to the chapel 50 miles away and who would arrange them. I knew I wouldn't have the time, skills, or vases to do this. I asked my friend whether she had someone to arrange the flowers. She hadn't thought about that yet, but proceeded to find a floral arranger, another young woman I had met at the farmers' market. What a relief. That left me with nothing to do but to keep hoping the flowers would bloom at the right time and deliver them to the farmers' market, where the arranger would pick them up. I expressed my concern about the lilies being in bloom at the right time to the floral arranger. She assured me that she could get them from a wholesaler any time of the year. More relief.

Internet

In the past decade, the Internet has become an important marketing tool. The Internet allows growers to reach customers that they could not have reached in other ways without considerable expense. More than 6 percent of all Internet transactions involve flower sales. (Carter, 2004)

Simple e-mail messages can be used to inform and educate customers, let them know what is available and when, and build relationships. E-mail can also be used to take orders. Third-party Web sites, which offer a template for you to use to list your farm and products at no or low cost, are another way to inform and educate.

Building your own Web site is a big step, but it may be an excellent way to increase your markets. The Thiessen family farm in Ontario began accepting Internet orders for flowers in 1996. The family has 30 acres of apples and offers wagon rides, a corn maze, and PYO apples. They say, however, the Internet sale of flowers has generated the most profit for the farm and kept it in business. Sales have grown to the point that other growers, one in Connecticut and three in California, have joined the effort as suppliers, with Thiessen supplying about 40 percent. The products can be seen at the Web site www.GrowerFlowers.com. (Carter, 2004)

Related Products and Added Value

Depending on your market, you may be able to increase your income with related products.

• Bulbs. Daffodils, tuberoses, and crocosmia are a few that multiply and need to be divided occasionally. If you have earned a reputation among other gardeners for your beautiful and unusual flowers, they will be pleased to have an opportunity to
  purchase starts of the same.
• Potted plants. Consider putting some of those bulbs in pots, growing them, and selling them as blooming plants.
• Bedding plants. If you start your own cut flowers from seed, you might save a few of the same for your customers so they can have their own cutting garden. It may seem strange, but some of the best flower customers at a farmers' market also have flower gardens. They just don't want to cut from them.
• Garlic braids, swags, wreaths, dried flowers—and ornamental peppers, grasses, grains, and okra—are naturals for crafting. For ideas and instructions, look for books in your local public library, or go online.
• Organically or naturally grown. Customers concerned about our natural environment will appreciate knowing that you use farming practices that protect it. Organic certification may be a way to add value to your flowers. For local markets, talking with your customers about your production practices may be even more valuable.

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Production Basics

Plan for Season-Spanning Blooms

Do you want year-round flower production? Or frost to frost? Or just one big splash? Planning is important regardless of your choice, and especially critical if you want year-round blooms.

Steve and Susan Bender of Homestead Flower Farm near Warrenton, North Carolina, presented their planting and harvest chart at the 2002 Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group conference and trade show. It is presented below as an example. Differences in location and climate, market, and personal choices will result in different schedules.

Consider sequential planting and use of cultivars that have different lengths of time to maturity to get a continuous supply of your most popular cuts. Gladioli, for example, are ready to cut about 80 days from planting. You can make your first planting in mid-spring, and sequential plantings at intervals of a week or a month, ending at least 80 days before the first frost in the fall. Sunflowers, which are usually harvested as one cut stem, also need sequential plantings for a continuous supply. Check the information provided by your seed supplier for length of time needed from planting to harvest; the time varies by cultivar.

Soil Fertility

If at all possible, find a location with well-drained, sandy loam soil, high in organic matter, and with a neutral pH. If you don't have perfect soil, you can improve it with cover crops, compost, and mulching with organic matter. Soil preparation is the most important job you will do in the flower garden.

Alex and Betsy Hitt of Peregrine Farm in North Carolina have spent more than 10 years developing a system that maintains or improves soil organic matter content by the conscientious use of summer and winter cover crops combined with minimal tillage. Their planting rotation, which includes vegetables, flowers, and cover crops, is presented in the ATTRA publication Market Gardening: A Start-Up Guide. The Hitts use several tools and concepts to make the system work:

• Soil testing is done on each rotational unit every late summer/early fall.
• Organic matter is grown in place rather than imported.
• The 10-year rotation is designed both for maximum diversity for disease and insect management, and, as much as practical, to alternate heavy feeders with light feeders, deep-rooted crops withshallow-rooted ones, and cool-season with warm-season crops.

Marked improvement of their soils is indicated by higher cation exchange capacity (CEC), more organic residues, more soil biological life, easier to prepare and plant-to-seed beds, healthier crops, and higher yields. Their purchased inputs are stable or reduced, and net returns are higher. Management inputs are higher, but the returns to management are also higher. (Hitt, 2005)

ATTRA publications with information about managing soil for improved tilth and fertility include Overview of Cover Crops and Green Manures, Rye as a Cover Crop, Sustainable Soil Management, and Manures for Organic Crop Production.

Irrigation

Some flowers in some locations can be grown with the water they receive from rainfall. Examples are daffodils, butterfly milkweed, and poke berries. In most situations, however, an irrigation system is needed to consistently and reliably produce the highest quality flowers. Drip and micro-sprinkler systems are best. Overhead sprinkler systems increase the chance of disease and can reduce flower quality, but they may be less expensive to install. Overhead
sprinklers can also handle water from streams and ponds without a fine filtering system. Drip and micro-sprinkler systems deliver water more efficiently, resulting in lower water costs. The Cooperative Extension Service and supply companies can provide help in designing a system.
Accessing Irrigation Information on the Internet will also lead you to many sources of information.

Plant Establishment

Some flowers in some geographic areas can be easily started by direct seeding. Others are more safely started in flats to be transplanted later. Still others are started with root divisions or bulbs.

If you are growing from seed, Pamela and Frank Arnosky give experience-based advice in a 2004 Growing for Market article:

• Start with good seed. If you save seed from year to year, do small germination tests several weeks before you plan to plant. Then you'll have time to order new seed if you need it.
• Find out about the specific germination requirements for each of your seeds. Some need to be exposed to light to germinate; others need complete darkness. Many have no light or dark requirement and will germinate whenever other environmental factors are right.
• Provide correct germination temperature. Seeds respond to temperature in order to germinate at the right season in their natural environment. Seeds of heat-loving annuals such as sunflowers will naturally remain dormant until conditions are right for active summer growth. Seeds of cool season plants, such as larkspur and bachelor buttons, lie dormant through the summer and germinate with cooler autumn temperatures.

Some seeds take a long time to germinate. The Arnoskys have learned to take advantage of different germination requirements and "prime" seed so that plants come up more quickly in the field. (Arnosky, 2004)

Larkspur likes dark, cool conditions. If we plant larkspur in late October, it will come up in about three weeks, longer if the soil is dry. This is a lot of time, so we started "priming" our seed in the refrigerator. What we do is this: about two weeks before we plant, we put the dry seed in zip lock bags and then add a small amount of water. Inflate the bag a bit, seal it, and shake the seed until it is well coated with water. Add a bit more water if needed to moisten the seed completely, but drain off any extra water you might have in the bottom of the bag. Put the bag in the fridge, and check it the next day. The seed should have absorbed all the water—it should flow freely and not stick together in clumps. If it does, open the bag and set it out to dry for an hour or two. If your seed still looks really dry when you check it, add a tiny bit more water and check it again in a day. The key here is that you want the seed to be moist enough to respond to the cold treatment, but still be dry enough to flow through the seeder when it is time to plant.

After two weeks, the seed will be ready to germinate. We sow our larkspur with a walk-behind Earthway planter, using the onion plate. If you want it thicker, use the cucumber plate. We plant four rows in a four-foot wide bed. Using primed seed, we get germination in about a week. This cuts down on crop time, and more importantly, gives the larkspur a jump on the weeds. This method works well for late plantings in the spring, when soil temperatures are warming up.

Bottom heat is useful for seed that needs heat to germinate. See the ATTRA publication Root Zone Heating for Greenhouse Crops for ideas.

The Homestead Flower Farm Cut Flower Schedule indicates planting methods the Benders use for a number of species. Some of the flowers that they transplant are also easily direct seeded. For plants, such as lisianthus, that are difficult or especially time-consuming to start from seed, some growers will purchase plugs. Companies that sell seeds, bulbs, plugs, and bareroot plants will provide you with information about the recommended method to use, depth of planting, spacing, and light requirements. Several of the books listed in the References section also give recommendations. You are still left to decide whether you will plant in rows or beds, by hand or machine. Many growers favor the intense production of beds. This allows water and nutrients to be concentrated in the area where the plants will grow, and not in the walkways. It also enables the use of support netting, which is manufactured to fit the normal width of garden beds.

Floral netting is stretched across the bed to keep lisianthus stems from falling over. Photo by Janet Bachmann

The degree of mechanization you use in planting will depend to a great extent on the size of your operation. You will most likely want to start small, and the same hand tools you would use for vegetable gardening will work for planting. If the soil has been freshly tilled, a hand trowel will work for making holes for transplants or plugs. They should always be "watered in" to settle the soil around the roots. If you are using support netting, you can lay it over the top of the bed before setting transplants. The six-inch square grid of the netting can be used to space your plants.

If you are planting bulbs, try digging a flat-bottomed trench to the desired planting depth, rather than using a bulb planter to make individual holes for each tulip bulb or gladiolus corm.

Weed Management

Weeds compete with flowers for nutrients, water, and light, and can harbor insect pests. A heavy stand of weeds in your planting can severely reduce cut flower quality. Weeding can be one of your most time consuming operations, especially if you choose not to use chemical herbicides. If you use support netting, mechanical weeding is impossible once it is in place.

Mulches can help suppress weeds and provide many other benefits as well, including cleaner flowers. Other benefits include soil moisture conservation, soil temperature moderation, increased soil organic matter, and habitat for natural enemies of insect pests, depending on your choice of mulching material.

And contrary to what many of us were told for years, high-carbon materials do not deprive plants of nitrogen when they are laid on the surface as mulch unless these materials are mixed into the soil. Nor do oak leaves or pine needles used as mulch make the soil more acidic. (Reich, 2005)

The Benders of Homestead Flower Farm in North Carolina grow sorghum-sudangrass in alternating beds with cut flowers. When they brush hog the grass, they can move the clippings across the walkway to mulch the adjacent flower bed.

Straw or hay, used to suppress weeds, provides other benefits as well. Photo by Janet Bachmann

Insect Pests and Disease Management

The best way to prevent insect and disease problems is to select plants that grow well in your location, and grow them well. Your next step is to recognize problems caused by insects and diseases. Some can be tolerated; others will destroy the value of your flowers. Your local County Extension staff can help identify both insect pests and diseases and provide information about their biology and behavior. The more we know about their life cycles, the more likely we will be able to manage them effectively with non-toxic methods.

Cultural control. Examples include crop rotation, plant spacing, and adjusting the timing of planting or harvest.

Physical and mechanical control. The use of physical barriers such as floating row covers prevents insects from reaching the crop. Row covers can help prevent early season damage from flea beetles or cucumber beetles. Other methods include hand picking, sticky boards or tapes, and various trapping techniques. Growers are reporting that high tunnels are decreasing both disease and insect damage to their flowers and other crops.

Biological control. All insect pests have natural enemies, often referred to as beneficials. They include:

Predators: Mainly free-living species that consume a large number of prey during their lifetime.

• Lacewing immatures, known as antlions, are among the most predacious of all beneficial insects. They eat aphids, scales, thrips, mealybugs, mites, and insect eggs. Families Chrysopidae and Hemerobiidae are highly beneficial insects in crops and gardens.
• Lady beetles and their larvae feed on aphids, scale insects, mealybugs, spider mites, and small egg masses of other insects.
• Other beetles: ground beetles, rove beetles, soldier beetles, flower beetles.
• True bugs: stink bugs, minute pirate bugs, big-eyed bugs, damsel bugs, assassin bugs.
• Predatory flies: hover or syrphid flies, robber flies, aphid midges.
• Predatory mites.
• Spiders.
• Praying mantids.
  

Parasitoids: Species whose immature stage develops on or within a single insect host, ultimately killing the host.

• Wasps: aphidiids, braconids, ichneumonids, trichogramma, and others.
• Flies: Tachinids.

Disease-causing pathogens: Bacteria, fungi, viruses, nematodes, protozoa, and microsporidia.

The use of these organisms to manage pests is known as biological control. Knowing your natural enemies is equally important to knowing your insect pests. Again, the more we know about life cycle and habitat needs, the more likely we will be able to ensure their existence. Conservation of existing natural enemies is probably the most important biological control practice readily available to growers. Beneficial insects need:

• Nectar and pollen
• Alternate prey
• Water
• Shelter from wind and rain
• Overwintering sites

Flowering plants for habitat:

• Carrot family
• Daisy family
• Mustard family
• Mint family
• Grasses
• Clovers and vetches
• Trees and shrubs

Refer to the ATTRA publication Farmscaping to Enhance Biological Control for more information.

Chemical control. If you are an organic grower, most chemical controls are not allowed. Microbials, botanicals, and oils, however, are possibilities. Most botanical insecticides, including neem, pyrethrins, ryania, and sabadilla, are permitted in organic production. Those that are considered highly toxic (strychnine and nicotine) are excluded. Botanical insecticides are relatively non-selective and can be "hard" on the natural predators and parasites in the field; therefore, minimal use is advised. Botanicals can also affect other non-target organisms. Rotenone, for example, is highly toxic to fish. Microbial insecticides include Bacillus thurengiensis, Beauveria bassiana, and Nosema locustae.

Add Season-Extending High Tunnels

More and more cut flower growers are discovering the advantages of growing under the protection of unheated high tunnels. These include earlier and later crops, better quality and stem length, and production of crops that otherwise could not be grown because of climate constraints. (Byczynski, 2005)

Vicki Stamback says her crops have changed dramatically over the past several years because of greenhouses. In Oklahoma, where she lives and grows specialty cut flowers, she faces huge temperature swings and high winds. Heated greenhouses and unheated hoophouses protect her flowers from Oklahoma weather. She has a 30 x 90-foot Agritex structure that has withstood 90 mph winds. It has 6-foot wide sliding doors, which allows tractor entry. Inside the house are six raised beds, each 3 feet wide by 30 feet long, and 8 inches deep, framed with 1 x 8-inch cedar. Tenax support netting is stretched over the top of bare beds, which are then planted. The Tenax is raised higher as the crops grow. After research, Vicki settled on 45°F as the appropriate winter temperature for raising lupines, sweetpeas, ranunculus, and stock. (Stamback, 2003)

In Nebraska, Laurie Hodges, PhD, Extension specialist and associate professor in horticulture at the University of Nebraska, triple cropped grape hyacinths, sweet peas, and hyacinth beans in a high tunnel. She chose these crops because they fit into a succession planting schedule. Grape hyacinths were planted October 31 and harvested from March 21 through April 8. Sweet peas were planted March 18 and harvested from May 11 through June 17. Hyacinth beans were planted June 26 and harvested from August 27 through October 28. The trellis for sweet peas and hyacinth beans was in place before anything was planted. (Byczynski, 2005)
For more information about high tunnels, see the ATTRA publication Season Extension for
Market Gardeners.

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Harvest and Postharvest

Postharvest success begins with providing the best growing conditions possible and harvesting at optimum harvest stage. The optimum harvest stage varies with individual species and according to your market. The longest vase life for some flowers will be achieved if they are cut with color but not yet open. Others are best when cut fully open. Information on the optimum harvest stage for more than 100 types of flowers is available in Specialty Cut Flowers: A Commercial Growers Guide from Kansas State University Extension. See References.

After flowers are cut, quality cannot be improved, but take steps to maintain quality and extend the vase life by providing food, water, and cool temperatures.

Water Flow in Stems

Without water, flowers wilt. When stems are cut, two things happen to restrict water flow:

• Air gets into the stems and blocks the uptake of water.
• Bacteria begin to grow in the vase water and clog the stems.

To reduce the amount of air that gets into the stems, flower stems should be placed in water as you cut them. Later, recut the stems underwater, removing about one inch, to remove air bubbles and bacteria. When cuts are made underwater, a film of water prevents air from entering the stems in the short time it takes to move them to postharvest solutions. Some suppliers offer specially designed tools for this task. See References. (Some recent literature states that recutting underwater is unnecessary.)

Bacteria, yeasts, and other microbes are present everywhere: in the soil, on plants, and other organic matter. Bacteria grow quickly in any liquid containing sugars and other organic matter. When stems are cut, they release sugars, amino acids, proteins, and other materials that are perfect food for bacteria. They start to grow at the base of cut stems as soon as flowers are put into water.

To prevent the growth of bacteria, commercial preservatives contain anti-microbial compounds, or biocides. Quaternary ammonium, hydroxyquinline salts, aluminum sulfate, and slow-release chlorine compounds are commonly used in commercial products. You can make a simple biocide by adding 1 teaspoon of household bleach (5 percent hypochlorite) to 8 gallons of water. This is very effective, but must be replaced every two or three days. (Reid, 2002)

Vase Life of Flowers

A number of products have been developed to help prolong vase life. All contain antimicrobials to suppress bacterial growth.

Hydration products make it easier for water to move up the stems. The solution should have a pH of 3.0 to 3.5, as this improves the flow. Hydration usually is best if sugar is not in the hydrating solution.

Holding solutions have sugar to feed the flowers. Sugar provides the energy needed by some flowers to continue opening.

Pulsing can improve the quality and vase life of many cut flowers using a solution containing sugar after harvest. The cut flowers are allowed to stand in solution for a short period, usually less than 24 hours, and often at low temperature. The most dramatic example of the effect of added carbohydrate is in spikes of tuberose and gladiolus: flowers open further up the spike, are bigger, and have a longer vase life after overnight treatment with a solution containing 20 percent sucrose and a biocide to inhibit bacterial growth. (Reid, 2002) Removing ethylene using specially formulated products prolongs vase life. Ethylene is a naturally occurring gas that promotes ripening in fruits, but it causes sensitive flowers to fail to open or look wilted. Product suppliers listed under References can help you choose products that will best suit your particular needs.

These flowers respond well to slow-release chlorine (not household bleach) and/or an aluminum sulfate-based commercial hydration solution:

Ageratum, Allium, Calendula, Echinops Eremurus, Eryngium, Eupatorium, Fritillary, Gerbera, Helipterum, Hydrangea, Hypericum, Lavender, Liatris, Lobelia, Lupine, Lysimachia, Malva, Marigold, Maticaria, Molucella, Monarda, Nandina, Nicotiana, Nigella, Oregano, Penstemon, Phlox, Photinia, Poppy, Ranunculus, Salvia, Saponaria, Trachelium, Verbascum, Xeranthemum and Zinnia. For best results, blend your solution.

These flowers respond best to a quaternary ammonium-based hydration solution (rather than chlorine or aluminum sulfate-based solution):

Aster (and all crops that look similar to asters), Bupleurum, Dahlia, Gentian, Limonium species and Sunflower (cut with color).

Usually hydration happens best when the solution has no sugar, but some flowers respond well in low-sugar solutions. The sugar provides the energy needed for florets to continue opening. These solutions acidify the water, keep it pollution free, and provide a minimum amount of sugar. Remember to measure when you mix, or you will be wasting both time and money.

Some flowers need a low-sugar pretreatment:

Calla, Lisianthus, Lilac, Mimosa, Stock, Sunflower (very tightly cut), and Viburnum.

Some flowers need high sugar in postharvest solutions:

Protea—prevents foliage blackening, Tuberose—place into slow-release chlorine or aluminum sulfate hydration solution overnight, then transfer into high-sugar flower food to get blooms to open.

Run your own postharvest treatment tests:

You can test several solutions to see which give the best response for your water, harvest temperatures, and varietal choices. Set up vases with different solutions in each. Label and date them. Place at least five stems of the same variety and of similar size and bud count in each vase. Treat the flowers in the same way you currently handle them; that is, leave them in hydration solution the length of time that simulates your current rotation practices. After that time passes, transfer the stems into the same type of solution used by your customers. (Wholesalers and retailers usually use low-sugar processing solutions; those buying for home use may use full-load flower food solutions made with packets and water, or just plain water.) Make sure to use the same solution for all the vases in this second stage.

By far the most important tool available to increase the life of stored flowers is temperature control. For most flowers, 32°F and 90 percent relative humidity is ideal. Many flower types deteriorate two to three times faster at 50°F than at 32°F. A battery-powered digital hygrothermometer is a handy tool for measuring both temperature and humidity. It also records minimum and maximum temperatures. See References.

The following practices hold true for most cut flowers.

• Use sharp and clean cutting tools. Disinfect cutting tools at least twice per day.
• Remove excess foliage: foliage exposed to the air increases water loss; submerged foliage increases microbial growth and clogged stems.
• Cut into clean buckets that have been washed inside—and out if they will be stacked—with detergent and two to four tablespoons of household bleach per gallon of water. (To save labor, consider installing a bucket washer. See References.)
• Place stems in water as you cut to reduce the amount of air that gets into the stems. Recut stems underwater, removing about one inch, to remove air bubbles and bacteria. Some suppliers offer specially designed tools for this task. See References. (Some recent literature states that recutting underwater is unnecessary.)
  
• Harvest during the coolest part of the day, early morning or late evening, and keep buckets of flowers out of the sun.
• Use warm, 100 to 110°F water in the buckets. It is taken up more quickly than cool water.
• Let flowers stand at room temperature in a hydrating solution for one to two hours.
• Store in a cooler. Low temperatures prolong quality and vase life. The best temperature for keeping most cut flowers is 32 to 38°F with 80 to 90 percent humidity. (Tropical cuts are injured at such low temperatures and should be kept at 55°F or room temperature. Zinnias also need to be kept at higher temperatures; 40 to 45°F is recommended.)

Packing Shed and Cold Storage

A packing shed is an essential part of any flower farm. A well-designed packing shed will save time and help you maintain high quality. Depending on the size of the farm, it may be as rudimentary as a laundry tub or table under a canopy, or as sophisticated as a separate building with automated equipment and a loading dock. Growing for Market publisher Lynn Byczynski surveyed other growers to learn what they liked or didn't like about their packing sheds. Features growers consider important in creating the ideal packing shed are listed in her article Plan the perfect packing shed. (Byczynski, 2002)

• Location. The packing shed should be close to the fields so harvested produce can be moved quickly to the postharvest area. It should also be accessible by whatever vehicle is going to transport the produce off the farm.
• Space. How much space you need depends on what you grow and what other storage buildings are available to you. At a minimum, you need sinks for washing buckets and vases, tables for sorting and arranging, and a cooler. You will want a place to store buckets, vases, and other supplies. Work stations should be close enough that steps aren't wasted going back and forth, but they should allow plenty of room for two or more people to work together.
• Light. Good lighting is important because it allows you to spot defects in your flowers. From a mental health perspective, try to get as much daylight as possible into your packing shed.
• Surfaces. The best flooring is concrete because it allows you to use wheeled carts, hand trucks, or even a pallet jack to move boxes or buckets. Concrete should be poured so
  that it slopes toward a 6-inch drain for easy washing of the floor. Walls can be washable, too, if painted with epoxy paint.
• Cleanliness. Sanitation is especially important in produce packing sheds, to prevent food-borne illness. In flower packing sheds, you can protect packaging from mice and other pests by keeping supplies in sealed storage containers.
• Water. Plan for drainage that will handle a large amount of water. The water you use in the packing shed will be too much for your septic system. Consider running it off to a garden area where it can be used to water plants.
• Ergonomics. Workstation heights should suit the workers. According to the Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project at the University of Wisconsin, the most efficient work table height is halfway between the wrist and the elbow, measured when the arm is held down at the worker's side. For heavier items, it is slightly lower. A loading dock that matches the height of the truck will minimize back strain when loading.
• Work flow. The most efficient layout avoids extra steps and crossed paths. It also moves produce in the direction of the worker's leading hand (left to right for right-handed
  people).

The University of Wisconsin Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project developed a series of tip sheets on labor efficiency for fresh-market vegetable growers. One of these covers packing shed layout. It poses a number of questions to help growers create their own designs. The same questions are appropriate for cut flower growers.