As opposed to vegetables, flowers often require rich soil that drains easily for proper growth. Furthermore, full sun conditions must also exist in order for these blooms to flourish and reach full maturity.
Plan ahead by selecting where and how large you will create a cut flower garden, marking its space with string or flags. Most flowers thrive best in an weed-free environment.
Choose to harvest your flowers early in the morning when they are fully hydrated, using sharp, clean gardening shears to harvest.
Location
Cut flower gardens should ideally receive at least six hours of sun per day, with as much morning sunlight as possible – morning sunlight offers all of the same advantages without the added heat that makes growing flowers difficult.
Once the ground is workable in early spring, amend your planting beds with plenty of organic matter for improved water retention and drainage. Dig out any existing grass to create clean edges around each bed so weeds won’t compete with new crops for nutrients and moisture.
Plant annual and perennial seeds or seedlings according to their optimal spacing requirements. For instance, tall annuals such as sunflowers and zinnias should be placed towards the back of your garden bed while medium-sized varieties should be scattered evenly through its center, with shorter stature varieties being kept towards its front edge for easy selection each week. This ensures you have plenty of stems on which you can build bouquets each week!
Soil
No matter if you plant in the ground or containers, having rich and nourishing soil is key for successful flower blooms. Prior to planting or adding compost every other year to maintain healthy and fertile garden beds.
For an optimal cut flower garden, group together flowers with similar growing requirements so you can provide each one exactly what it needs. This will prevent plants from competing against one another for water and sunlight and may help minimize weed growth.
Some annual cut flower varieties, like sunflowers and zinnias, require stakes or trellises as they grow tall. Vining plants like sweet peas or climbing nasturtiums benefit from regular pinching to encourage branching and longer stems. When planting your cutting garden, arrange tall plants such as sunflowers at the back, medium-sized flowers such as zinnias in the middle, and short-stature blooms like sweet peas at the front for optimal growth.
Water
Water is essential in cultivating a successful cut flower garden. Keep a bucket of clean, fresh water handy so that harvested stems can be immediately placed in it after cutting to prevent them from quickly wilting and fading away.
As a beginner in cut flower gardening, consider starting off simple by selecting an array of annuals such as zinnias, marigolds and sunflowers that can easily be managed and harvested in rows for easy maintenance and harvesting. Taller varieties like celosia can benefit from being pinched back occasionally to encourage branching for fuller blooms with longer stems.
Plant both perennial and annual flowers to provide yourself with an assortment of colors, heights and textures for floral arrangements. Aim to select an evenly balanced mixture between perennials and annuals when it comes to bloom times and growth habits of each variety. Water your flowers regularly – especially after sowing or transplanting them – until their full growth cycles have finished and then apply slow-release fertilizers such as liquid seaweed emulsion each week as a further boost.
Sunlight
Cut flower gardens require both soil and sunlight for optimal success, with annuals needing six or more hours of sun daily in order to thrive. It’s essential that your site receives enough sunlight before making plans for planting activities in this space.
Zinnias and celosia should be pinched back after reaching 10-12 inches tall to encourage branching and produce longer stems, an advantage in cut flower gardens.
Consider planting cut flowers in raised beds for optimal production, giving you greater control of soil type and health, leading to better plant production. Furthermore, raised beds make weed control much simpler than regular garden beds. Finally, ensure regular fertilization during the growing season using an organic product like fish emulsion or compost tea fertilizer.