Specialty Cut Flowers: The Production of Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, and Woody Plants for Fresh and Dried Cut Flowers

587 Pages·2003·10.61 MB·English

by  Allan M. Armitage

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SPECIALTY CUT FLOWERS
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SPECIALTY CUT FLOWERS
The Production of Annuals, Perennials, Bulbs, and
Woody Plants for Fresh and Dried Cut Flowers
Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged
Allan M. Armitage and Judy M. Laushman
Illustrations by Patti Dugan
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Timber Press S
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Portland • Cambridge M
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Photographs by Allan M. Armitage unless otherwise noted.
Frontispiece (Gypsophila paniculata ‘Bristol Fairy’) and all other illustrations by
Patti Dugan
2235 Azalea Drive
Roswell, GA 30075
770.643.8986
email [email protected]
Copyright © Allan M. Armitage 2003. All rights reserved.
First edition published 1993.
Published in 2003 by
Timber Press, Inc.
TJ The Haseltine Building 2 Station Road
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19 133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450 Swavesey
-4-2 Portland, Oregon 97204 U.S.A. Cambridge CB4 5QJ, U.K.
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IM Printed in China by Imago
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B Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
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S Armitage, A. M. (Allan M.)
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c Specialty cut flowers : the production of annuals, perennials, bulbs, and
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lty woody plants for fresh and dried cut flowers / Allan M. Armitage and Judy
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u M. Laushman; illustrations by Patti Dugan.
t F
lo p. cm.
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e Includes bibliographical references (p. ).
rs
W ISBN 0-88192-579-9
6
”X 1. Floriculture. 2. Cut flower industry. 3. Cut flowers. 4. Cut flowers—
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9 Postharvest technology. 5. Floriculture—United States. 6. Cut flower
” 17 industry—United States. I. Laushman, Judy M. II. Title.
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0 SB405 .A68 2003
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h 635.9'66—dc21
ite A 2002073256
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To my wife, Susan, who constantly strives for perfection in
everything she attempts. She is my role model.
—A.M.A.
In memory of my mom, Catherine Brennan Marriott; and
with gratitude and love to Roger, Dan, and Katie for their
support, patience, and unique humor.
—J.M.L.
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CONTENTS
Preface 9
Acknowledgments 12
Introduction 15
Postharvest Care 20
Drying and Preserving 30
Cut Flowers: Achilleato Zinnia 35
References 553
Appendix I. Stage of Harvest 559
Appendix II. Additional Plants Suitable for Cut Flower Production 565
Appendix III. Useful Conversions 571
U.S. Department of Agriculture Hardiness Zone Map 572
Index of Botanical Names 573
Index of Common Names 581 nta
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PREFACE
The first edition of Specialty Cut Flowersarrived on book stands in 1993 and
immediately became a highly popular book on the subject. A good deal has
changed since the first edition, including the emergence of additional crops in
the cut flower market and the decline of others. The world has seen new leaders,
breakthroughs in medicine and science, boom and bust of economic indicators,
conflicts, peace, and unimagined visions of terrorism. Through all these events,
people went about their business. Companies emerged and others failed, money
was made and life savings were lost. The cut flower business was no exception.
Florida and California are home to major flower farms, and a scattering of
farms greater than 50 acres can be found in various other states; but large grow-
ing facilities are mainly found overseas. The dominance of the overseas grower
has had an interesting effect on the cut flower market in America. Certainly,
American growers cannot compete in the rose, carnation, and mum markets, nta
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nor are staples like baby’s breath easy to grow profitably. These flowers are such g
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commodity items, it is difficult to be profitable, regardless of where or how these F
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plants are grown. But while the bulk of flowers still arrives from overseas, Amer-
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ican growers have filled in many of the gaps because they are able to serve small hite
markets and to capitalize on the issues of freshness and diversity of material. W
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Markets are always changing, but as long as the consumer wants the product, 12
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there are enough outlets for everyone. 75
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The marketing of flowers has changed. The traditional route of grower to 9”
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wholesaler to retailer continues to be the highway for large numbers of cut X
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stems; however, smaller and equally efficient avenues have reemerged. The small W
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grower has made a huge comeback, supporting farmers’ markets in many small er
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towns and large cities. Fl
When the first edition was written, specialty cut flowers were just beginning Cut
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to be recognized as “real” crops, not just flunkies of the Big 3—roses, carnations, alt
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and mums. Today, the trend toward specialty crops is even stronger because of e
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the willingness of the market to try unusual material and the willingness of 9
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growers to provide it. For example, marginal crops like verbena and cardoon are 0
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found as cut stems; florists are offering dodecatheon, Chinese forget-me-nots, TP
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and weed-like plants like chenopodium, atriplex, and even Johnson grass. And S
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who would have thought that vegetables like okra, artichoke, ornamental kale, M
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