009: Succession Planting: Timing Your Seed Starts Right

Learn Cut Flower Growing | Lessons from a seasoned farmer

In this episode, we are going through the critical steps of starting seeds and planning for a garden that dazzles from spring to fall. This is a goldmine for flower aficionados eager to refine their timing techniques and ensure a steady flow of blossoms to market. Discover how leveraging agricultural week numbers can sharpen your scheduling and why a spreadsheet might become your new best friend for keeping track of your floral contenders.

We'll dissect seeding schedules for both hoop house and field plantings, with hands-on guidance for calculating the perfect seed-starting dates. Sunflowers serve as our prime example, but we'll also explore the day-length sensitivities of other species and their quirky blooming behaviors. I'll share information on nurturing perennials like lilies, which promise not just seasonal charm but also long-term bounty, and give a nod to the early-season Dahlia growers while weighing their cut flower potential.

Adaptability is the name of the game in this episode, as we embrace multiple seeding schedules to combat the whims of Mother Nature and keep your flower farm flourishing.

In this episode, you will hear:

• Understanding agricultural week numbers for effective seed starting and planting schedules.

• Utilizing tools like Excel for tracking and organizing floral varieties and bloom times.

• Planning around key dates such as the last frost for heat-loving plants and an earlier date for cool-weather flowers.

• Techniques for succession planting to ensure continuous bloom in hoop houses and fields.

• Day-length sensitivities affecting blooming patterns of different flower species.

• Strategies for growing perennials like lilies for both immediate and long-term harvests.

• Adapting to outdoor growing conditions and embracing multiple seeding schedules for a profitable flower farm.

Resources from this Episode

• Freebie: Learn the secret to Cut and Come Again Flowers - https://www.learncutflowergrowing.com/cut-and-come-again-flowers

Follow and Review:

We’d love for you to follow us if you haven’t yet. Click that purple '+' in the top right corner of your Apple Podcasts app. We’d love it even more if you could drop a review or 5-star rating over on Apple Podcasts. Simply select “Ratings and Reviews” and “Write a Review” then a quick line with your favorite part of the episode. It only takes a second and it helps spread the word about the podcast.

Episode Credits

If you like this podcast and are thinking of creating your own, consider talking to my producer, Emerald City Productions. They helped me grow and produce the podcast you are listening to right now. Find out more at https://emeraldcitypro.com. Let them know we sent you.