What Do I Need To Do To Prepare For My Cut Flowers?
Q: What kind of flowers do you have at your plant sale?
A: I grow a lot of different varieties of cut flower plugs or seedlings, such as zinnias, cosmos, snapdragons, celosia, lisianthus, ageratum, marigolds, ammi, statice, strawflower, and more.
Q: How do I plant my fresh-cut flower garden plants?
A: To plant a fresh-cut flower plant, first choose a suitable location for your garden, ideally in a spot that gets plenty of sunlight. Then, follow the instructions included in to prepare the soil and plant the young plants. Water them regularly, and soon you'll have a beautiful flower garden!
Q: When should I plant my cut flower plants?
A: The best time to plant your fresh-cut flower garden will depend on when your last frost is. In West Michigan, it is not usually until the end of May. Many of the varieties in the box do NOT like cold weather or cold soil. This will give your plants the best chance to grow and thrive. I typically wait until Memorial Day or later to plant my heat-loving cut flowers. They do better when the weather is stable and often grow better than the ones I try to plant out earlier. We want nighttime temps that are consistently in the 50s.
Q: What do I need?
A: Sun, soil, and water. Plus a few bonus items.
Sun: Six to eight hours of sun every day. If I had to pick morning or afternoon sun, I’d pick afternoon sun.
Soil: In the ground, in a pot, or in a raised bed, it doesn’t matter. You just need some soil with life in it, and you’ll be good to go.
Water: Right after you plant, water daily for at least a week. Your plants need to settle in and get cozy. After that, water when needed.
A good hoe. I love my stir-up hoe. It’s my go-to for weeding around my plants as they grow.
Snips, rubber bands, buckets, and vases for when your flowers start blooming. This is the fun part. You can find many fun vases at thrift stores. So now you have a reason to go thrifting.
Q: How long does it take for the cut flowers to bloom?
A: The time it takes for the flowers in a fresh-cut flower plant to bloom will depend on the specific plants you ordered, as well as the growing conditions. Some flowers may bloom within a few weeks, while others may take several months to reach their full potential. An example: lisianthus is a slow flower. She likes to take her sweet ol’ time to bloom, but once she starts, she lasts a long, long time.
A note about lisianthus. Don’t panic if your lisianthus doesn’t look like it’s growing. They like to grow their root system before they put on green growth and flowers. Just be patient and keep lisianthus watered and weeded.
Q: Can I grow my flowers in a raised bed? What if it's not very deep? How deep does it need to be?
A: Yes, you can. Many people prefer growing in raised beds. I would say a minimum of eight inches deep should be sufficient. Make sure you fill your bed with good-quality raised-bed garden soil. I don’t recommend the bags from the big box store. Dairy doo makes a great mix, and if you're local to West Michigan, particularly the Hudsonville area, Best Bark and Stone has a great garden soil.
Q: Can I plant my fresh-cut flower garden in a container?
A: Yes, you can plant your fresh-cut flower garden box in a container if you don't have space for a traditional garden. Just make sure the container is large enough to accommodate the plants and that it has adequate drainage. Several large pots would work as well.
Q: How much space do I need for a fresh-cut flower garden?
A: I would plan on a minimum of 32 square feet. 45 to 50 square feet is ideal. This size is totally manageable but also gives you a ton of flowers. Enough for all your tables, coffee tables, and your friends as well.
Q. Do you include growing instructions with your cut flower garden plants?
A: Yes, you get detailed growing instructions, tips on where and how to plant, how to grow, how to harvest, etc.… I am also available as a resource for any questions or concerns you have throughout the season. A great resource is my Facebook group: The Gardener’s Nook. I am building a great resource of info there.
Q. I only have an overhead sprinkler for watering. Will that be okay?
A: Yes. I currently only water overhead.
There are pros and cons to both, but what’s the most important thing about watering is that you do it. If your sprinklers water your grass and your flowers, then that’s amazing.
Just one point about underground sprinklers. Make sure they are watering your flowers deeply. Check the time that it runs in your garden. You might need to supplement with a deep watering if your underground sprinkler doesn’t run long enough.
The best way to see if your garden needs water is to stick your finger in the soil. If the top two inches are dry, it’s probably time to give it a good watering. That can be deceiving with underground sprinkling because the water might not be getting deep into the soil. Just keep an eye on it.
Q: How do I keep my plants from flopping over?
A: I use a netting called Hortinova. You can usually find it at any garden store or big-box store, or order it online. I put it up shortly after I plant my plants. They grow through the grids, and the grids keep the stems upright. A good thunderstorm can easily topple all your flowers over, and that’s a big bummer. So I highly recommend putting up the netting or using stakes and string to keep your flowers upright.
Q: What about deer?
A: Yes, deer will eat some of your plants. You are going to need to protect them if you have deer who love to munch in your garden. I am not an expert in this area. It’s a great question for my Facebook group: The Gardener’s Nook, or Google some ideas to help keep deer out. Deer repellent sprays work, but you do have to be consistent in applying them.
So, if you're ready to start picking your own fresh, beautiful flowers each week from your very own garden, then grabbing your plants is the perfect place to start. Order your cut flower plants, or join the waitlist today and get ready to experience the joy of fresh, fragrant blooms all season long!
