What should growers consider before choosing a variety?
When you have paid attention to the market, location, disease susceptibility and vase life have been considered. The following additional actions should be taken by the grower: soil testing, water test, rainfall amount measurement, temperature measurements and consideration of variety trials and data available on a given variety of interest plays a very important role.
Market
Flower business just like any other business starts from the customers’ end; this involves a detailed research by the grower to understand and decide if he/she will grow for premium or retail markets. Premium markets focus on the auctions and high-end florists and their requirements differ from those in retail. For instance, premium markets need a 5cm head size flower and above while retail markets demand 4 cm and above.
Demand is another factor to consider when it comes to the market, which variety is in high demand? Are customers looking for a big headed pink or a big headed white? Once you get such information you will make the right decision on the variety to grow since you are in this to earn a livelihood. You cannot take the auction as the dumping site; that’s the mistake which will wreck you out of business sooner than you anticipated. Wherever markets you are growing for, they all do have their needs, work with the customers’ needs before selecting a variety.
Location
When it comes to flowers, location matters a lot; are you growing at a lower altitude or higher altitude environment. Every variety performs differently at both altitudes. Once you understand the needs of your customers, this will guide you in choosing the right variety which will provide appropriate head size and length in the altitude you are growing in. High altitudes normally produce the big head size of 5cm and above and taller length of up to 60 cm while lower altitudes generate flowers of 4cm and a length of 40-50 cm.
Breeding process caters for all types of altitudes; growers should rely heavily on breeding process usually strives to attain 14 days minimum for vaselife in any variety. How does a variety behave during shipping? Does it survive the process well to the end consumer point? Without a vase life edge in a variety, investment in it will be doomed to cause huge losses.
Flo
Growing Capacity wers are living things as we all know and its prone to ageing, one of the ageing hormones in flowers is ethylene which causes scent. Flowers which produce less ethylene and exhibit less scent tend to last longer than the latter and guarantees reliable vase life.
Growers should assess their capability to grow given varieties, in as much this factor lies towards the breeder before choosing to allow a grower to grow their variety; the grower should ensure that he/she has the right capacity to grow the flowers following all the required standards. Flower business is capital intensive and without competent investment; quality and quantity will be compromised and these put any investor out of the game in flower business within a very short period.
You need to consider your expertise; do you have competent professional staff that will help you in your quest? Normally before we issue a variety to a grower we have to confirm that indeed you possess the right capacity before growing a variety to enhance and build the name of such a variety.
Additional Information
When you have paid attention to the market, location, disease susceptibility and vase life have been considered. The following additional actions should be taken by the grower: soil testing, water test, rainfall amount measurement, temperature measurements and consideration of variety trials and data available on a given variety of interest plays a very important role. Shortcuts are wrong and a killer in flower business, I will insist that you give a substantial attention to details at all times for your flower business to stand the test of the times.
