Beautiful chrysanthemums are a favorite for floral arrangements since they are available in a wide range of hues. We’ll explore the steps involved in growing these flowers on a farm for profit in this article. We’ll explore the growing process from the peat mixture to the final product and everything in between.
Peat Mixture
The first step in growing chrysanthemums is creating the peat mixture. Peat is a type of soil that is formed from partially decayed vegetation. It is an excellent medium for growing plants because it is rich in nutrients and holds water well. At the farm, the peat is stored under cover and kept constantly wet. Regular sprayings are very important because peat can’t be re-wet once it dries out.
Automated machines are filled with the peat which gets pressed into cubes with pre-made holes in the center. These blocks have a texture very similar to cooked brownies. The cubes are loaded into trays before moving on to the next step.
Chrysanthemum Cuttings
Chrysanthemum cuttings are kept in cold rooms before they are stuck in the blocks. These cuttings are often grown in tissue culture and imported for cut flower purposes. The bunches of cuttings are dipped into powdered routine hormones and then stuck into pre-made holes. By having these holes pre-punched, the damage caused to the stem during the sticking process will be reduced.
Greenhouse Growth
The trays full of cuttings are wrapped in a thick plastic covering and kept in a greenhouse. This helps create a humid micro-environment around the cuttings, preventing wilting and promoting root growth. In just a couple of days, the first roots start to appear. As the cuttings grow, new sets of leaves develop.
At this stage, the plastic covering is removed to help the cuttings acclimatize before they are transferred to the growing greenhouse. In the growing greenhouse, the cuttings and the peat blocks are simply laid on top of the floor. The nutrient and water supply is so perfectly controlled the cuttings do not need to be planted in the soil at all. As they grow, wired support is continually moved up along the stem to prevent bending.
Temperature and Lighting Control
The greenhouse is equipped with rows of fans along the back wall, which keeps the flowers cool in the heat of the summer. They suck the cool air created at the opposite end of the greenhouse, keeping the plants free from heat-induced stress. The wet wall is made of honeycombed cellulose, and water drips down the wall cooling the surrounding air, which can then be drawn across the flowers by fans on the opposite side.
Overhead, there are lights and shade cloth which can be used to extend or shorten day lengths to elicit an appropriate response in the plants. The yellow tags are sticky traps used to limit pest infestations. These measures ensure that the plants are in optimal conditions for growth.
Harvesting and Preparation
After a couple of months, the flowers have budded up and are almost ready for cutting. Once the flowers are harvested, they can be prepared for the market. First, the stems are evenly trimmed.
This flower farm adds value to its flowers by dyeing them. The flower bunches are placed into water containing a food-safe dye. You can see how the flowers at the end of the line are more saturated as they stay in the dye longer. The dye can create some of the most beautiful hues in the chrysanthemum flowers.
Flowers with bigger heads are harvested while the buds are still closed. The heads are then wrapped in a protective covering
Harvesting and Processing the Cut Flowers
Once the chrysanthemums are ready for harvest, it’s time to prepare them for the markets. The first step is to evenly trim the stems to the appropriate length. This is a critical step, as it ensures that the flowers will have a uniform appearance once they are sold to consumers.
Next, the flowers are dyed to add value to the product. The flower bunches are placed into water containing a food-safe dye, which can create some of the most beautiful hues in the chrysanthemum flowers. As the flowers sit in the dye, the petals absorb the color and become more vibrant. You can see how the flowers at the end of the line are more saturated as they stay in the dye longer.
After the dyeing process is complete, the flowers are ready to be wrapped in protective coverings. This ensures that the flowers will be in peak condition when they reach the market. It’s essential that the rooms used for this process be kept as cold as possible to maximize flower quality.
Finally, the flowers are wrapped in bouquets and packaged for local shopping markets. These flowers may well have been grown at the farm we’ve been exploring in this video.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at how a commercial farm grows chrysanthemum-cut flowers. As you can see, the procedure is quite complex and needs a great lot of care and consideration.
Every stage of the procedure, from the peat mixture used to develop the cuttings to the greenhouse climate where the blooms are raised to maturity, is planned to guarantee the finest quality final result.
We advise you to keep looking into and supporting local flower farms if you’re curious to learn more about the cut flower business. By doing so, you can help support the livelihoods of hardworking farmers and enjoy the beauty of fresh, locally grown flowers.
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