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August 1, 2017

Flower Farming 101: What to Grow

I made this list specifically for those of us that get what I like to call, “seed catalog syndrome.” It’s a pretty serious condition where you can’t seem to stop buying seeds. You may suffer from it if you’ve ever had the following conversations WITH YOURSELF…

“What’s 1000 more seeds?”

“It’s only 4.95. I mean, obviously I won’t buy coffee tomorrow.

Ohh pretty! Lemme just add those to my cart.

So, uh, no coffee for the next month?

Sure, I can do that.

#worthit.”

“I need ALL THE COLORS.”

“Hm…I’ve never heard of that before, but I must be gettin’ it.”

Sound familiar?

Um, yeah, you might have a problem.

This list is also for those of you that are just getting started and need to know exactly what it is you can grow and make a profit from your first year. I’ve done all the research for you so that you can spend more time weeding. You’re welcome. 😉

THE FIRST YEAR FLOWERS ULTIMATE LIST OF WHAT TO GROW

WHAT YOU GET:

  • 40 flowers that make good cuts & can be profitable in the first year of growing
  • The recommended varieties: not all flowers are the same
  • Spacing guidelines
  • When to harvest
  • Pinching recommendations
  • Netting recommendations

HOW TO USE THIS LIST:

Nothing is really concrete in flower farming. EVERYONE and their mother has differing opinions on how to space and  to-pinch or not-pinch.

The thing you need to know is this:

Given sunlight, water, and good dirt, your flowers WILL grow. And yep, some of your stems will be too short, you will have bugs, and your local florist will tell you that they don’t really compare to the flowers she can buy in.

And that’s okay.

You will learn as you go. No one knows your dirt and your weather better than you do.

Try, make mistakes, and do it differently next year. Keep notes and records and keep on keepin’ on.

Hopefully this list helps you decide what to plant and trims down your catalog time. Print it out and keep it handy!

All the best,

Sarah

P.S. Johnny’s Selected Seeds and Specialty Cut Flowers were my go-to’s in compiling this information.

40 flower varieties to grow for your cut flower farm

Achillea

Varieties: Colorado Mix, the Pearl, etc.
Spacing: 12”
Harvest: when flowers are fully formed and pollen is visible

Ageratum

Varieties: Blue Horizon, Tall Blue Planet
Spacing: 9”
Harvest: when spikes 3/4 open
Pinch: yes
Net: yes

Agrostemma

Varieties: Ocean Pearls, Purple Queen
Spacing: 6”
Harvest: when 1-2 flowers in spray are open

Amaranthus

Varieties: Coral Fountains, hot biscuit, oppeo
Spacing: 12”
Harvest: when 3/4 are open
Pinch: Yes
Net: Yes

Ammi

Varieties: Graceland, Green Mist
Spacing: 9-12”
80% are open

Artemisia

Varieties: Sweet Annie
Spacing: 12”
Harvest: once flower heads have developed or once stems are green and full

Basil

Varieties: Aromatto, Lemon, Cinnamon, African Blue, Oriental
Spacing: 8”
Harvest: when flowers begin to open
Pinch: Yes

Bells of Ireland

Spacing: 12”
Harvest: when flowers are 1/2 open
Pinch: Yes
Net: Yes

Bupleurum

Varieties: Green Gold, Griffiti
Spacing: 8-10”
Harvest: whenflower heads show color and are almost all the way open

Celosia

Varieties: Cramer’s, Chief, Pampas Plume, Spicatica, Cristata
Spacing: 9”
Harvest: when flowers along bract are completely open
Pinch: Yes, all except for bombay
Net: Yes

Centaurea

Varieties: Boy Series
Spacing: 6”
Harvest: when flowers are 1/4 – 1/2 open

Cerinthe

Varieties: Gladiator, Kiwi Blue
Spacing: 9-12”
Harvest: most stages, when flowers form

Cosmos

Varieties: Cupcake, Double Click, Sensation, Versailles
Spacing: 9”
Harvest: when buds begin to crack
Pinch: Yes
Net: yes

Cynoglossum

Varieties: Chinese Forget Me-Not, Rose Magic
Spacing: 9”
Harvest: 1/3-1/2 blooms are open

Delphinium

Varieties: Belladonna, Magic Fountains
Spacing: 9”
Harvest: 1/4-1/3 of blooms on the stem are open
Pinch: Yes
Net: Yes

Dianthus

Varieties: Amazon, Electron,  (both FYF)
Spacing: 6”
Harvest: when flowers are 10% open
Net: Yes

Dusty Miller

Varieties: Circadians, New Look
Spacing: 9”
Harvest: when stems are hard and woody

Eucalyptus

Varieties: Lemon Bush, Silver Drop, Silver Dollar
Spacing: 12”
Harvest: after stems mature and leaves feel leathery
Pinch: Yes

Euphorbia

Varieties: Mountain Snow
Spacing: 6-9”
Harvest: before flowers are fully open but when bracts are colored

Godetia (clarkia)

Varieties: Grace Series
Spacing: 4-5” unpinched, 20-24” pinched
Harvest: when first flowers on the stem are open

Gomphrena

Varieties: Audrey, QIS Series, Strawberry Fields
Spacing: 6-9”
Harvest: when flowers are in color and partially open

Flowering Kale

Varieties:Crane Series
Spacing: 6”
Harvest: when flowers are colored and 6”
Net: Yes

Lisianthus

Varieties: Arena, Doublini, Echo, Miriachi
Spacing: 6”
Harvest: when one or more flowers on the stem are open, they will not continue to open once cut
Net: Yes

Larkspur

Varieties: QIS, Giant Imperial, Messenger
Spacing: 4-6”
Harvest: when 1/4 to 1/2 of the flowers are open on the stem

Marigold

Varieties: Jedi
Spacing: 8”
Harvest: when flowers open
Pinch: Yes

Matricaria

Varieties: Magic, Tetra, Ultra
Spacing: 8”
Harvest: when flower cluster is mostly open
Net: Yes

Millet

Varieties: Lime Light, Purple Majesty, etc.
Spacing: 1/2”
Harvest: when fully open

Nigella

Varieties: Albion, Cramer’s, Miss Jekyll, etc.a
Spacing: 6”
Harvest: when buds are fully colored but before petals have separated completely from the center

Orlaya

Varieties: White Finch
Spacing: 9”
Harvest: when 80% are open

Poppies

Varieties: Champagne Bubbles, Colibri
Spacing: 6”
Harvest: When buds begin to crack, sear stems with heat

Rudbeckia

Varieties: Prairie Sun, Tribola, Indian Summer
Spacing: 12”
Harvest: when flowers are all the way open


Scabiosa (annual)

Varieties: Pincushion, Stelatta
Spacing:9”
Harvest: When the canter flower just starts to unfurl

Scabiosa (perennial)

Varieties: Fama
Spacing: 12”
Harvest: bud to half open

Shiso (Perilla)

Varieties: Britton, Red, Green
Spacing: 12”
Harvest: when stems are mature

Snapdragon

Varieties: Chantilly, Madam Butterfly, Opus, Rocket
Spacing: 9”
Harvest: when the bottom 1/3-1/2 blooms are open
Net: Yes

Statice

Varieties: Fortress, QIS, Pastel Shades, etc.
Spacing: 9”
Harvest: When you can see the white of the individual flowers
Net: Yes

Stock

Varieties: Cheerful, Katz, Iron
Spacing: 6”
Harvest: When 1/2 the flowers are open on the inflorescence
Net: Yes

Sunflowers

Varieties: Pro Cut, Vincent, etc.
Spacing: 6” (9” branching: pananche, lemon starburst, chocolate)
Harvest; When petals begin to lift
Net: Yes

Sweet Peas

Varieties: Elegance, Spencer
Spacing: 6-8”
Harvest: When stems reach 12” and 2-3 flowers start to color
Pinch: Yes

Zinnias

Varieties: Benary’s Giant, Oklahoma, Persian Carpet, Queen Red Lime
Spacing: 12”
Harvest: when stems harden and flower heads no longer flop
Pinch: Yes
Net: Yes

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Hi, I'm Sarah! I'm all about helping other newbie flower farmers start a farm that works for them.

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