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Comprehensive Guide to Field-Grown Cut Flower Production

Learn about year-round production of field-grown cut flowers from early spring to winter, marketing channels, site selection, production systems, soil preparation, plant spacing, and other essential cultural practices. Discover popular annual and perennial specialty cut flowers for your production.

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Comprehensive Guide to Field-Grown Cut Flower Production

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  1. Field Grown Cut FlowerYear-round production • Early spring – woody trees, shrubs, vines and bulbs • Mid spring – Perennials and biennials • Summer – Annuals, perennials and woody • Fall – perennials, woody plants with berries and decorative fruits • Winter – woody plants with decorative stems

  2. Marketing Channels • Local, niche markets • Local florists or other retailers • Direct marketing – farmers’ markets, bucket shops, pick-your-own, subscription selling • Wholesale markets • Mixture of markets • Fresh vs. dried product

  3. Site Selection • Sunny location • Flat land • Well-drained soil • Accessible at all times even after rain • Water for irrigation • Post harvest requirements • Air circulation but protection from excessive winds

  4. Years ago florists grew their own product, so there was a great variety of products. Now florists are clamoring for fresh, hard-to-find, hard-to-ship items.

  5. Production Systems • Row system wide enough for tiller or tractor • 2.5 – 4 foot wide beds with 2 or more rows of plants within each bed • Raised beds 2-8 inches • Mulched to reduce weeds and water loss • Support provided by plastic mesh and t-posts spaced in pairs every 20-30 feet • Aisles to allow movement between beds

  6. Soil Preparation • Soil test • Adjust pH • Provide nutrients • Add organic matter • Plant a cover crop • Legume cover crops fix nitrogen

  7. Field Establishment • Direct sow • Purchase or grow transplants • Bigger plugs are better • Divisions and rooted cuttings • Bulbs, tubers, corms and tuberous roots

  8. Plant Spacing • Tight = increases yield and profit per square foot and increase stem length • but decreases yield per plant and air circulation • 4 X 4 to 18 X 18 inches for annuals • 12 X 12 to 24 X 24 inches for perennials • 2 to 6 feet for woody shrubs and trees

  9. Other Cultural Needs • Irrigation with drip tape • Weed control • Timing • Hand weeding • Mechanical cultivation • Flame weeding • Herbicides pre and post emergent • Mulches • Fall and winter preparation

  10. Annual Specialty Cut Flowers • Ageratum houstonianum ‘Blue Horizon’ • Celosia spicata ‘Flamingo Feather’ • Centaurea cyanus ‘Polka Dot Mix’ • Cosmos bipinnatus ’Early Wonder’ • Craspedia globosa

  11. Annual Specialty Cut Flowers • Helianthus annuus ‘ Sunrich Lemon’ • Limonium sinuatum ‘Pastel Shades’ • Salvia farinacea ‘ Victoria’ • Scabiosa atropurpurea ‘Olympian hybrid’ • Verbena benariensis • Zinnia elegans ‘Ruffles’

  12. Perennial Specialty Cut Flowers • Achillea filipendulina ‘Cloth of Gold’ • Echinacea purpurea ‘Magnus’ • Geum quellyon ‘Mrs. Bradshaw Imp.’ • Liatris spicata • Physostegia purpurea

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