What I learned this year
What I learned this year. Well I learned a lot this year…..The 2nd year of growing flowers went by like the first. In a blur. Yes a total blur. Tho I felt I had a slightly better grip on what I was doing, it went just as fast.
flowers in Delano Minnesota
Growing flowers
Growing flowers is so rewarding. You buy the seeds, plant them, nurture them, transplant them, watch them grow and tada a beautiful flower. Well growing flowers for selling or for making bouquets is just that but on a much , much larger scale.
One of the most important things from what I learned this year is…..I need to plant more flowers and succession plant them. That means I need to do at least 2 plantings if not 3 a few weeks apart from one the other. This will enable me to have plenty of blooms when I need them.
Gardening for kids
Harvesting flowers
Harvesting flowers to sell is a little different then just harvesting for yourself. I need to know when to harvest the little guys at the right point. Not to early, not to late. Harvesting flowers at their optimal point is key for longer lasting blooms. Some flowers need harvesting before all the petals open and some….yes you guessed it, not until all the petals have opened.
growing flowers from seed
Growing flowers from seed
This year I grew 95% of my flowers from seed. Growing flowers from seed is another learning curve. What I learned this year from growing from seed is patience, calculations and failures.
- Plant seeds according to blooming times
- follow packet directions for light exposure
- learn how to water the seeds
- check on them at least every other day
- rotate the trays
- keep the soil slightly moist
- 16 hours of light per day when growing
- buy potting soil in bulk……small bags do not go far
- use a worksheet for scheduling sowing times
locally grown flowers in Minnesota
locally grown cut flowers
Easy flowers to grow
There are several cut flowers that are easy cut flowers to grow. One of my favorite has turned out to be statice and strawflower. These actually fall into the category of everlastings….(more on that in the new year) They have done well for me from seed.
Other flowers that are easy to grow
- marigolds
- snapdragons
- statice
- dahlia
- strawflower
- zinnia
Here is a previous flower farming update.
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As the year comes to a close I will continue to review what worked and what did not. I have a few different ideas that I am working on for next year.
Stop by My Etsy Shop to see some of my dried flowers.