Growing Strategy

1
Growing Strategy

• Buy in finished material
• Ready to sell
• Manage your space
• Meet demands

2
Growing Strategy

• Greenhouse space
• Types of facilities
• Labor for transplanting
• Quality of plugs available
• Other crops being grown

3
Growing Strategy Ex. Petunia
Seedlings
Transplants
Seedlings to a 4 pot
Germination
4 wks
14 wks
Plugs (512s)
Transplants
6 wks
8 wks
Prefinished
Plants
8 wks
5 - 6 wks
4
Scheduling The Target Date??

• For sale when spring breaks
• - Sequential plantings
• Fate determined by weekends
• Large number of turns
• Quick turns

5
TurnsMultiple use of same space

• Example 3,000 s.f. in impatiens finished in 608
  flats 2,160 flats
• Production period Feb. 1 to June 1
• Decide between two plug sizes
• 512s or 288s??

6
Maximum Turns with 512 Plugs
512s Turn 1 Turn 2 Turn 3 Turn 4
Plant 2/1 3/15 NA NA
Ship 3/15 4/26 NA NA
Total flats 2,160 4,320 NA NA
Profit/flat 1.11 1.11 NA NA
7
Maximum Turns with 288 Plugs
288s Turn 1 Turn 2 Turn 3 Turn 4
Plant 2/1 3/1 3/29 4/26
Ship 3/1 3/29 4/26 5/24
Total flats 2,160 4,320 6,480 8,640
Profit/flat 0.67 0.67 0.67 0.67
8
Impatiens -- Net Profit??

• 512s
• 4,320 flats at 1.11 4,795.20
• 288s
• 8,640 flats at 0.67 5,788.80
• Examine your market
• Calculate your costs

9
Resources

• Ohio Florist Association TIPS Guides
• Bedding Plants
• Geraniums
• Garden mums
• Specialty potted crops
• http//www.ofa.org
• OFA 1-614-487-1117

10
Cut Flowers

• Long term
• Constant care
• Scheduling

11
Flowering Potted Crops

• Long term
• Flowering
• Scheduling

12
Forcing

• Growing plant out of its natural season
• Must know and apply proper triggers
• Crops manipulated near season
• Poinsettias, bedding plants, garden mums
• Crops forced year round
• Pot mums, azaleas, roses, cut flowers

13
Chrysanthemum Production
14
Pot Mum Production -- General

• Year-round sales
• 1997 Production
• 27.7 million pots
• 82.8 million
• wholesale value
• 3 month crop
• Many flower types and colors
• Many plant forms

15
Plant production

• Propagation
• Terminal cuttings
• Rooted and unrooted cuttings
• Environment
• High humidity
• Bottom heat
• 1500 ppm IBA
• Root in 2 wk

W. Fonteno