Beginner’s guide to growing cut flowers

SALT LAKE CITY — There aren’t many locally grown cut flowers in Utah, but there are ways you can grow them. 

Laura Wright, a horticulturist with Sunshine Gardens at Cherry Hill Farms, shared her experience with growing cut flowers, along with some beginner-friendly tips for those who want to give it a try.

 

“Flower farming is just so unique because every flower has its own differences. You’re not just mastering one crop. You have to learn all of them,” said Wright. “Some have to be grown by seed. Some are transplants, some are bulbs. So it’s just a lot, a big learning curve.”

What to know

To be successful with growing cut flowers, you have to take part in succession planting. This means you’re not just planting once, you’re planting throughout the year to get blooms the whole season.

Wright said there’s a lot of weeding that comes with her flower farm. She said a drip system helps reduce that because the water goes exactly where you want it to go.

Selecting cut flowers

There are many cut flowers that you can grow straight from seed and put in your flower beds. Some examples include zinnias, celosia, and cosmos. Once you make a cut on these, they will bloom again, said Wright.

“Try to have a variety of a selection, too, because you don’t just want focal flowers. You have to have some supporting blooms and greenery.”

When selecting the seeds, Wright said to avoid the bedding plant varieties. The ideal height for cut flowers is 18 inches minimum.

Read more from the KSL Greenhouse show:

• Winter gardening technique: Forcing bulbs to bloom indoors
• How to successfully care for an amaryllis
• Preparing for garden season: Seed catalogs 101

KSL Greenhouse is on every Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. You can also find more gardening info at our linktr.ee.