High Tunnel Cut Flowers

High Tunnel
Cut Flower Production for
Local Market Sales
Annual Cut
Flowers
Penn State High Tunnel Research
and Education Facility
Rock Springs, PA
(~ 10 Miles west of University Park Campus)
Why Grow Flowers in High Tunnels?
Keep rain and wind off delicate petals!
Get in earlier and stay in later in the season
Can harvest rain or shine
Longer stem length due to less stress (wind)
Overall much better quality
Who are the People in Your
Neighborhood? Where to sell your flowers…
Farmers Markets/Road
Side Stand
Restaurants/Caterers
„
„
Table décor
Edible flowers for
garnishes, salads and deserts
Local Retail shops
„
„
„
Grocery Store
Florist
Bakery
Weddings
Funerals
Parties
Churches
Hotels/ B&B’s
Have a specialty!
„
„
„
„
Local
Fresh
Native Species
Low/No Pesticide use
ESATABLISH
RELATIONSHIPS!
Find a niche
Be creative
Don’t limit yourself
Ask around – What
are people looking
for?
Encourage them to
pass the information
onto the customer
“We are proud to
purchase flowers from
XYZ Farm, Local
Town PA…”
In General…..
Every Year at the High Tunnel Facility:
Lisianthus
Spring Cut Flowers
Fall Cut Flowers
Sunflowers
Bulbs – Dahlias and Gladiolas (1/2 a tunnel)
Miscellaneous Landscape Plants
Lisianthus
Lisianthus Trials
2003-2007
„ Mulch color
„ Shade Cloth
„ Varieties
„ Yield
„ Stem Length
„ Average number
stem/plant
„
Lisianthus Trials
2003
2 High Tunnels
Mulch Colors:
„
Silver and Blue
30% Shade Cloth
vs. Full Sun
Varieties:
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Echo ‘Light Blue’
Flamenco ‘Lime’
Flamenco ‘Blue Rim’
Heidi ‘White’
2004
3 High Tunnels
Mulch Colors:
„
White, Black, Silver and
Blue
Varieties:
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Laguna ‘Peach’
Malibu ‘Blue Blush’
Catalina ‘Yellow’
Balboa ‘Rose’
Lisianthus Harvest Data
June - November 2004
1235
average number
20.0
15.0
1200
1031
903
958
1000
800
600
10.0
400
5.0
200
0
0.0
Laguna Peach
Malibu Blue Blush
Average number stems/plant
Catalina Yellow
Average stem length (in)
Balboa Rose
Total stems harvested
Totals and averages from 3 High Tunnels : 4 rows @ 30
ft/tunnel : 8 inch double row spacing ~ 1080 plants
total stems harvested
1400
25.0
Quick Economics…
Wholesale market Lisianthus go for about $1 per stem
From data; 903+1235+1031+958=4127 stems (3 high tunnels,
4 rows each @ 8 inch double rows)
$4127 from ~1080 plants
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At what cost?
Seed is expensive – need heated greenhouse
Difficult to start/very slow growth
Plugs are expensive/must buy in large quantities
Lisianthus Mulch Trial 2004
number of harvested
stems
300
250
200
150
100
50
Laguna Peach
Malibu Blue Blush
Catalina Yellow
silver
blue
w hite
black
silver
blue
w hite
black
silver
blue
w hite
black
silver
blue
w hite
black
0
Balboa Rose
Lisianthus variety and mulch color
Tunnel 2B
Tunnel 2C
Tunnel 2D
Totals from 3 High Tunnels: 1 with Black &White Mulch, 2
with Blue & Silver
Lisianthus Trials
2005
1 High Tunnel
Mulch Colors:
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Blue and Black
Varieties
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Ventura ‘Peach’
Avila ‘Deep Rose’
Balboa ‘Yellow’
Balboa ‘Purple’
2006
1 High Tunnel
Mulch Colors:
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Blue and Black
Varieties:
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Laguna ‘Green’
Ventura ‘Peach’
Echo ‘Lavender’
Avila ‘Deep Rose’
Balboa ‘Yellow’
Lisianthus Harvest Data
June - October 2005
25
300
282
256
252
250
221
217
15
200
188
166
150
139
10
100
5
Ave. stems harvested
Ave. stem length (in)
20
50
0
0
Avila Deep Rose
Black Mulch (ave length)
Ventura Peach
Balboa Yellow
Blue Mulch (ave length)
Balboa Purple
Black Mulch (stems)
Blue Mulch (stems)
Total and average from 1 High Tunnel : 6 inch single row :
60 plants/variety
2006 Spring Cut Flowers
Snapdragon “Rocket Mix”
Zinnia “Benary’s Giant
Mix” & “Carrousel Mix”
Bupleurum ‘Green Gold’
Talinum (Jewels of Opal)
“Kingswood Gold”
China Aster “Unicum
Mix”
Heliotrope ‘Marine’
Eucalyptus “Silver
Drop”
Calendula “Alpha” &
“Antares Flashback”
Statice “Pacific Mix” &
“Sunset Mix”
Had great potential, but is too cold sensitive!
Damaged by our cooler at 40-45o F
Heliotrope “Marine”
2006 Fall Cut Flowers
Scabiosa (Pincushion Flower)
‘Black Knight’
Ornamental Grass ‘Ruby
Silk’ and ‘Lime Light Spray
Millet’
Celosia ‘Pampas Plume’
Statice “Pacific Mix” &
“Sunset Mix”
Snapdragons ‘Rocket Mix’
Sunflowers
2003 Varieties:
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Apricot Twist
Italian White
Ring of Fire
Soraya
Prado Red
2005 Varieties:
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2004 Varieties:
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Sunbright Lemon Aura
Peach Passion
Sunbright Supreme
Sunrich Gold
2006 Varieties: (with Cornell)
Sunbright Supreme
Sunrich Gold
Sunrich Lemon
Autunm Beauty
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Sunbright Supreme
Sunrich Gold
ProCut Yellow Lite
ProCut Lemon
Dahlias and Gladiolas
Karma Varieties
Cactus Dahlias
new in ’06
Mixed Gladiolas
Peacock Orchids
Lagoon (purple)
„ Amanda (light purple)
„ Fuchsinia (bright pink)
„ Serena (white)
______________________
’04 ’05 and ‘06
„
Dug up and replanted – this is
their 3rd year in production
Stored in 40-45 degree cooler
in moist potting soil
Grown in past, may not trial again
in future…
Yarrow (does not
need high tunnel)
Eryngium, Sea
Holly (scary)
Salvia (petal shatter)
Cosmos (weak petal,
damage easily)
Calendula (only as
edible flower)
Scabiosa (wiry stem)
Miscellaneous Landscape Plants….
Sedum
Yarrow
Blackberry Lily
Sage (long stem)
Caryopteris
Fennel and Dill seed heads
Asparagus Fern
Mixed Bouquets
at the
Penn State
Cellar Market
Questions?
~ Thank you ~
Catie Rasmussen
[email protected]