With the big demand for all kinds of flowers nowadays, there is a growing need for commercial flower gardens. Flowers have been used as decoration throughout Europe and Asia for many centuries. Recently, there’s been a growing interest in cut flowers and growers began commercial flower production to meet this demand. Before you start such a business, there are plenty of factors to consider. You can use as cut flowers or foliage all of the following: perennials, annuals, bulbs and woody plants. Cut flowers are sold at wholesale markets, roadside stands, at farmers’ markets and by retail florists. Other markets for cut flowers include hotels, restaurants, grocery stores and shops. Any commercial grower needs to consider many things and careful plan the work. The climatic conditions, the growth period and the pest formations are all important sides of growing flowers. Annual flowers finish their life cycle within one growing season, whereas perennials and bulbs die after one growing season and continue growing in spring. Woody plants survive winter too. The production, pest control and harvest for these sorts are different.
Factors to consider when growing a commercial flower garden
• The commercial flower garden will need enough water supply, adequate amounts of sunlight, and the necessary fertile soil. The lack of these essentials will affect the plants’ health.
• The flower garden should be watered frequently during dry periods.
• Bulbs need to be planted at the correct depth.
• Do not make heaps of soil around the stem, because when water is draining off it will cause the stem to rot.
• You could mix annuals and perennials.
• Garden insects such as beetles, butterflies and bees are not a threat, as they fertilize the plants, transferring pollen between plants.
• 80% of the flowers you grow rely on insects to survive.
• Apply a liquid fertilizer when the plants flower to keep them blooming for a longer period.
Essentials for Commercial Growing of Flowers:
Know the market: The more knowledge you have of the market and your options, the easier it will be to get on with the work and succeed.
Select the crops: Keep in mind the factors affecting growing and selecting crops which you can plant on a larger scale. If your target market is a retail florist, the plants should ideally have long stems. The minimum length of the flowers’ stems is 18 inches. Here are the characteristics of the perfect crop: easy harvesting, vase life of up to 10 days or more, high production per square foot, etc.
Information about flowering plants in a commercial garden:
Annuals: Usually their blooming season is longer than that of perennials. Annuals allow the grower to produce the most popular flowers. With new crops grown every new season, pest and disease problems are rare. One disadvantage is the investment in planting every season.
Perennials: You don’t need to plant perennials each year. However, the soil preparation is a critical moment. Being more permanent, insect problems are frequent. Another disadvantage is that their blooming season is shorter.
Bulbs: Bulbous plants can be planted closely as they don’t branch and require less space. This leads to higher production per square foot. For cut flowers, bulbs are planted every year. In gardens, however, they can be left for more than one year. They allow easy harvest and bring in bigger production.
Woody plants: One of their advantages is that the grower can harvest and use them during different stages. Depending on the season one can harvest various productions. Woody plants have a long life and require less pest management.
