Flower Farming
Flower farming is a labor-intensive endeavor, and time is a precious resource. To maximize productivity and sustainability, consider these time-saving strategies.
Optimize Every Step:
Make each action count by streamlining processes. Efficiency leads to time savings. For instance, arrange your tools within easy reach, eliminate unnecessary movements, and use ergonomic equipment.
Focus on Fewer Varieties:
Plant larger quantities of fewer flower varieties. Simplify care routines and reduce switching between different materials. By specializing in a select few, you’ll become intimately familiar with their needs, leading to better results and less time spent troubleshooting.
Direct Sowing:
When possible, directly sow crops. It’s an efficient way to grow materials without transplanting. Consider using seed tapes or blocks to speed up the process. Direct sowing minimizes root disturbance and eliminates the time-consuming step of pricking out seedlings.
Invest in Perennials and Woodies:
While annuals are productive, starting them from seed annually consumes time. Perennials and woodies require less effort. Once established, they return year after year, reducing the need for constant replanting. Think of them as long-term investments in time savings.
Batch Processing:
Complete one step for all flats before moving to the next. For instance, fill all flats with potting mix, then tamp down, water, and plant seeds. This approach minimizes mental context switching and physical movement.
Harvest Efficiently:
Instead of meticulously cutting individual stems, harvest entire stalks. Process later as needed. For example, cut the whole stalk at the base when gathering bachelor buttons. Later, you can divide it into individual stems. This method reduces repetitive movements and speeds up harvesting.
Explore Landscape Fabric or Mulch:
Some flower farmers find landscape fabric or mulch beneficial for time management. These materials suppress weeds, retain moisture, and regulate soil temperature. While installation requires an initial investment, the long-term time savings in weeding and watering can be substantial.
Grow What Sells:
Focus on materials with demand. Avoid wasting time on varieties that don’t sell well. Regularly assess your product lineup. If certain flowers consistently fly off the shelves, allocate more space and effort to grow them.
Hire Assistance:
It doesn’t have to be just field help. Some flower farmers prefer to be out in the field and doing the growing and may need help with other duties of running a business—administrative tasks, following up on business and wedding inquiries, answering emails and phone calls, updating inventory, making deliveries—all of which are important but may require too much of you as the head of the operation. Consider delegating tasks to maintain a healthy work-life balance and sustain your flower farm effectively.
