Is growing Flowers Easy?

14 years ago

That was a little joke. However, I am interested in starting to grow flowers for fresh cut production. My family currently owns a very successful florist which has been in operation for over 50 years, with three greenhouses. Two of these are being used for retail sales of plants (which we purchase ready for sale from other growers), and the third greenhouse is not in use. Each of these greenhouses are 6,000 sq. feet and glass roof. Unfortunately the 3rd greenhouse, which I plan to use probably doesn't have operational heating or cooling since it's been years since they have been used. The original owners grew plants in there over 20 years ago.

I am guessing that our florist can use 1/4 of what is grown in there, and I could sell the rest to other florist friends. Another compelling thing is that we already have the greenhouse there and empty (except the bedding tables). If things went well with the growing, I could even clear one more of the greenhouses, and grow in there as well. We have plenty of labor that wouldn't take long to train for simple tasks, but I will do alot myself. Also, I have found a good source for plugs, but haven't found out the price yet.

A few questions:

How many 6" or 8" plants can I fit in the greenhouse? or per square foot?

Does anyone have a source for a good cooling and heating company. Do people still use swamp coolers?

How much should I plan on spending on this equipment?

How do I know how much I need to grow to break even or make money?

Is glass roof still ideal for greenhouses?

Im sure there will many more questions to follow, but any help now is appreciated.

Here is a link that might be useful: Visser's Florist & Greenhouses

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Comments (2)

tommyk
14 years ago
Growing cutflowers in a greenhouse is entirely different than growing outdoors, especially if you growing year-round.

Proper temperature, soil nutrients, ventilation, pest control, watering, and supplemental lighting are critical.

There are various web sites, university sites and local extension services that can assist you.

I would stick to growing outdoors, but there's money to be made if you can grow in a greenhouse and provide cutflowers "out of season" . . . however it takes experience, knowledge, and time to produce quality and quantity.

I would stick to plastic . . . much cheaper, although you have to replace it every 4-6 years.
nana8
14 years ago
It may be easier to contact Ball Seed Co. or one of the "Big Boys" to help you with a setup. What type of house will you be growing in. Does it have a retractable roof like the Crevo houses? I am sure that your customers would love to have some locally grown tall snaps available to them year round. Good luck in your venture.
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Is growing Flowers Easy?

Comments (2)

tommyk

nana8

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