Horticulture Principles and Practices

to more than four-fold in standard carnations. The popular species (and many others) are
predominantly grown in greenhouses for best quality. Greenhouse production of cut
flowers has been discussed previously. Herbaceous plants used for cut flowers are mostly
annuals and require planting each season and proper maintenance to ensure high-quality
products. Once established, woody plants have the advantage of being perennial and
require relatively less maintenance in production as sources of cut flowers. A significant
disadvantage in using woody plant species for cut flowers is that they require several
years to grow to the stage where they are usable. Species and even cultivars within
species differ in vase life (the duration of time within which a cut flower retains its
desirable qualities before deteriorating), the equivalent of shelf life for perishable garden
products.
Vase Life
The duration of time in
which a cut flower retains
its desirable qualities while
on display in a vase.
24.2 CULTURE
24.2.1 GROWING SCHEDULE
Cultural procedures for cut flowers are the same as described for the production of
garden plants in the landscape. The profitability of the enterprise depends on increasing
production efficiency to reduce production costs. In field production, effective scheduling
of production activities coupled with sound irrigation and fertilizer management are
needed for efficient production.
Plants grown for cut flowers require good management in cultivation to produce
healthy, disease-free, vigorous plants and durable cut flowers. Since flowers are expected
to live for a period after being detached from the parent plants and deprived of new nutrients,
it is critical that plants for cut flowers be cultivated with care so that at the time of
harvesting the detached portion has appreciable nutritional reserves to depend on for
some time. Malnourished plants produce poor quality cut flowers with short vase lives.
For high carbohydrate levels, cut flowers need a good fertilizer program in cultivation,
proper temperature and light (quality and intensity), and adequate moisture. Diseases
and pests should be effectively controlled since they not only reduce the value of products
but also accelerate deterioration and reduce the longevity of cut flowers.
Because species bloom at different times and have different degrees of temperature
adaptation, the gardener can maintain a nearly year-round active cutting garden through
judicious selection of plants. One such growing schedule is described in Figure 24–1.
The strategy is to select plants that will provide continuous blooms in the garden.
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
FIGURE 24-1 A growing
schedule for cut flowers.
Daffodils
Narcissus
Larkspur
Cosmos
Bachelor buttons
Marigold
Zinnia
Dahlias
Ornamental grasses
Gladiolus
24.2 Culture 683