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Horticulture Sample LessonHT011 The Basics of Cut Flower Production
MAIN POINT: What do I need to know to get started in cut flower production? American citizens are buying more cut flowers and related floral items then ever before. Domestic production cannot keep up with demand. Quality greenhouse-grown and field-grown flowers are needed to help keep up with demand. Cut flowers are flowers grown and harvested (cut) for bouquets, centerpieces, funeral arrangements, wedding arrangements, single blooms and other floral arrangements requiring fresh flowers. Floral greenery sold with bouquets is also considered a cut flower. More than 200 different fresh cut flowers and more than a dozen fresh cut foliage greens are marketed in the United States. Examples of common cut flowers include roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, gladiolas, stock and snapdragons. Some fresh cut flowers including German statice, roses and larkspur can also be dried and sold in dried arrangements. The market for fresh cut flowers is booming. Retail sales of cut flowers and related floral items exceeds five billion dollars annually. Many cut flowers are produced domestically. California, Florida, Hawaii and Colorado are all large U.S. producers of cut flowers. They are also imported from Colombia, Mexico, Holland, Israel and Costa Rica. This lesson will briefly describe the United States floral industry, discuss marketing ideas and give an overview of the production of fresh cut flowers. THE FLORAL INDUSTRY The demand for fresh cut flowers in the United States is met by domestic growers and imported flowers. Flowers are produced year-round in the United States by field growing and/or greenhouse growing. Many commercial growers are family run businesses. Cut flowers are grown all over the United States but the largest growers are located in California. Flower production is also important in Florida, Hawaii and Colorado. Smaller growers fill market niches in many other states. Energy costs in greenhouse production have forced some growers to change crops or move production to warmer climates. Many flowers are grown overseas or in Central America and shipped via air travel to the United States. The number of imported flowers has steadily risen every year. The North American Free Trade Agreement and the devaluing of the American dollar will affect import numbers, but they are expected to rise. Wholesale flowers reach the retail customer in one of three ways:
MARKETING Cut flowers are retailed many different ways. Traditionally cut flowers have been retailed by florists, garden centers and nurseries. Many supermarket chains now retail cut flowers. Other methods of selling flowers include farmers' markets, roadside stands and pick-your-own operations. Smaller growers often sell directly to the customer whereas large growers are more apt to sell to wholesalers and mass market outlets. Smaller producers often fit into market niches that large growers are not filling. Such market niches include native cut flowers, native dried plant material, exotic flowers, local markets, etc. Before any cut flower production can start, markets need to be researched and established. Varieties need to be selected to meet the market demand. Smaller local growers may have a market advantage over large growers when growing delicate flowers that do not transport well, or where transportation costs are high. Examples include snapdragons, native cut flowers, delphiniums and sweet peas. Defining market demand and exploiting any market advantage gives growers an edge over the competition. PRODUCTION What to produce is decided by market research and production factors of the growing area. Possible crops include traditional cut flowers, cut foliage greens used for filler in bouquets, native cut flower plants and dried cut flowers/greens. Some cut flowers can also be dried, offering more marketing advantages. Growing a variety of cut flowers harvested throughout the season is usually more profitable than specializing in one variety. Other physical factors such as growing methods, climate, soil conditions, water quality, labor, distance to market and capital available should also be considered when deciding on the varieties to be grown. 1. GROWING METHODS: There are three main growing methods used to produce cut flowers. Greenhouses, shade houses and field beds are all used to produce flowers. Some flowers are usually greenhouse grown and some are grown outdoors. Other growers combine all methods to produce flowers. Northern areas of the United States will need heated greenhouses for production, but Florida growers may only need a shade house. Field beds are used for outdoor production of flowers. A walk-in cooler and grading area will be needed for grading and storage of harvested flowers. 2. CLIMATE: The local climate affects all three methods of flower growing. Heating costs during winter cut into profits of northern greenhouse growers. Crops grown at cooler temperatures should be considered. Other greenhouse crops such as carnations may need to be cooled for optimum growing conditions. Last frost and first frost dates affect field growing of cut flowers. Production plans and scheduling revolve around these dates. Cut flowers grow best in full sun. Prevailing winds should also be considered when growing in fields or greenhouses. Irrigation will be necessary in dry climates. 3. SOIL CONDITIONS: Cut flowers grow best in deep, well-drained soil. Flowers can be grown in benches or in soil beds in greenhouses. Field-grown flowers are also normally raised in beds. Beds should be raised four to six inches for better drainage and oriented north-south for maximum light absorption. Normal flower-growing bed dimensions are 3 1/2 feet wide and 125 feet long. These dimensions vary by grower and with the available land area. Soil type, soil pH, nutrient availability and soil texture are all critical in growing quality flowers. Soils should be tested prior to production. Recommended soil pH for most field-grown flowers is 6.5 to 7.0. Fertilizers should be added and tilled in according to soil test results. Good soil drainage is also critical. Organic matter should be added and worked into the beds. 4. WATER QUALITY: Quality water is required for all types of cut flower production. Water should be tested prior to production. 5. LABOR: Cut flower production is very labor-intensive. Much of the production costs are labor-related. A quality labor pool will be necessary. 6. DISTANCE TO MARKET: Transportation costs will affect profitability. Growers closer to the market will have market advantage over other growers. 7. AVAILABLE CAPITAL: Will affect all aspects of production! Plan before producing. FIELD PRODUCTION It is recommended that field production be limited to one to three acres for the small farmer. Cut flowers are normally raised in beds described under Soil Conditions. Perennial weeds should be eliminated prior to forming beds. Planting dates depend on last frost date, type of transplant (i.e. annual, biennial, perennial, seed, bulb) and harvest period. Several plantings may be necessary to supply blooms from June through November. Cut flower cultivars are different than those developed for bedding plants. Cut flower types are normally larger with longer stems. Planting densities vary depending on the type of crop raised in the bed. As with any other crop, the flower beds need to be monitored for weeds, insects, disease and soil moisture content. Irrigation is recommended, and often nutrients are added to the irrigation water. Overhead irrigation can cause flower damage and contribute to disease problems, so many growers use drip irrigation. Most cut flower varieties will need some kind of flower support to reduce stem breakage and to keep flowers out of the soil. Most often four-inch metal or nylon mesh is used, but some crops such as delphinium may need individual stakes. GREENHOUSE PRODUCTION Many cut flowers are produced in greenhouses. Poly-covered houses are most common, but any type of greenhouse can be used. Southern greenhouses will need cooling equipment while northern houses will need a source of heat. Most northern greenhouses use a double layer of poly with air between to help cut heating costs. Flowers can be grown in benches (i.e. carnations) or in growing beds. If growing beds will be used, the soil type, depth and pH will be very important. If potted plants or farm crops were raised there earlier, the soil may be contaminated with herbicides. Growing beds should be tested and prepared as described for outdoor beds. (See Soil Conditions.) Most indoor beds are edged with sideboards to help improve drainage and growth. Some growers sterilize beds between crops with a soil fumigant. Shade cloth, heating cables in the beds, and supplemental lighting may be needed depending on the crop grown. Most cut flower crops will need some support netting. Fertilizer injectors are commonly used to inject soluble fertilizer into the irrigation water. Insect, weed and disease control are also critical components of successful greenhouse operation. Cut flower prices fluctuate by season and/or holiday so flower harvest should be scheduled accordingly. HARVEST AND HANDLING Flowers are a fragile and very perishable crop. Correct post-harvest care and conditioning can prolong bloom time. Clippers or shears and all containers for holding flowers should be clean and sterilized with bleach frequently. Bacteria can build up and cause flower wilting and petal drop. Ethylene gas, produced by ripening fruit or vegetables, also speeds up flowering. Do not store flowers with fruit or vegetables. Flowers should be harvested early in the day at the proper stage of flower development. Some flowers are harvested just as they open. Others are harvested when a third of the flowers are open, such as statice and gladiolus. Still others are harvested when the flower has fully opened. After cutting, the stems should be placed in buckets filled with warm water, 100 degrees F., to which flower preservative has been added. Stem length should be as long as possible. Lower leaves should be stripped off before placing the stem in the water. Other procedures need to be used for woody plants, hollow-stemmed flowers and flowers with milky sap. Stems should be allowed to take up water two to three hours, then placed in a 40 F cooler for later grading and storage. Flowers are graded by stem length and bunched by weight in one- to two-pound bunches. Some are also graded by stem count depending on flower type. Proper flower grades and stem counts should be decided on prior to flower delivery to the wholesaler or retailer. Final shipping is usually done in refrigerated cardboard boxes. EXERCISES: 1. Determine the local retail outlets for fresh cut and dried flowers. 2. Interview a floral store manager or a supermarket floral department manager. Try to determine where the flowers were grown and how they were delivered to the retail shop. Ask if any of the cut flowers were grown locally. 3. As a class project, track the prices of certain cut flowers over a period of several months. Try to include a holiday in this time interval. INTERNET RESOURCES:
** University of Vermont Extension - Perennials for Cut Flowers
** Growing and Marketing Cut Flowers
** USDA - Agricultural Marketing Service - Boston Ornamental Terminal Prices TEST: 1. Cut flowers can be defined as plants grown and sold in pots. TRUE or FALSE? 2. Demand for fresh cut flowers is met by __________ and __________ flowers. 3. Name three ways cut flowers are retailed to consumers. 4. What should be done before any flowers are produced? 5. Name three growing methods used to produce cut flowers.
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TEACHER'S GUIDE
HT011 The Basics of Cut Flower ProductionOBJECTIVE: Introduce students to the fresh cut flower trade and briefly discuss growing methods and marketing. PREPARATION: Review the lesson. Identify local retail outlets for fresh cut flowers and dried plant material. Locate local flower growers. IMPORTANT TERMS: cut flower, foliage greens, market niche, market advantage, flower wholesaler, flower shipper, flower broker, greenhouse, shade house, field bed, soil fumigant, fertilizer injector, support netting, cooler, flower conditioning, flower preservative. EXTENSION: Invite a local flower grower in for a class discussion. Discuss cut flower varieties, growing methods and marketing of the product. Other interesting topics of discussion could be weed control, insect control, labor requirements and post-harvest flower conditioning. EXERCISE ANSWERS: 1. Will vary area by area. Try to include local direct marketing producers as well. 2. Answers will vary. Students should realize the flower market is worldwide, but there is room for local growers in market niches. 3. Flower prices fluctuate. Often prices peak near important holidays. Also, flower varieties available at any time fluctuate. INTERNET RESOURCES:
** University of Vermont Extension - Perennials for Cut Flowers
** Growing and Marketing Cut Flowers
** USDA - Agricultural Marketing Service - Boston Ornamental Terminal Prices TEST KEY: 1. Cut flowers can be defined as plants grown and sold in pots. TRUE or FALSE? FALSE; the definition is for potted plants. 2. Demand for fresh cut flowers is met by domestic and imported flowers. 3. Name three ways cut flowers are retailed to consumers. Supermarket floral department, floral shops, farm markets, local greenhouses, nurseries, garden centers, pick your own, roadside stands. 4. What should be done before any flowers are produced? Market research to determine market demand and help identify any market advantage you may have. 5. Name three growing methods used to produce cut flowers. Greenhouse, shade houses, field (or field bed) growing. CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS:
Across: 2. Frost, 6. Ethylene, 8. Imported, 9. Cooler, 10. Sun, 13. Fumigant, 15. California, 16. Greens.
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