Test Growing - Marketing Specialty Woody Cutflowers

2003 Annual Report for FS03-164

Project Type: Farmer/Rancher
Funds awarded in 2003: $8,555.00
Projected End Date: 12/31/2005
Region: Southern
State: North Carolina
Principal Investigator:
Susan Wright Cochran
Shady Grove Gardens & Nursery

Test Growing - Marketing Specialty Woody Cutflowers

Summary

In the search for alternatives to tobacco, this farmer plans to grow woody cut flowers on her steep, marginal and rocky land. Her experience has shown her that specialty woody cut flowers can be grown organically with less energy and labor input than other cut flowers. She now intends to determine whether intensive cultivation of cut flowers is a profitable venture and, if so, which varieties can be grown using environmentally sustainable (and one would imagine organic) practices. She will determine prices, volume and marketability of these crops.

From her experience, she intends to work with the varieties of woody cut flowers such as weigela, winterberry, hollies, lilacs, caryopteris, beautyberries, snowberries, pink clethra, viburnums, hydrangeas, hypericum and physocarpus. In addition, she intends to try woody cut flowers she hasn’t worked with before. These are golden winterberry hollies, bridal veil spirea, which hazel, pussy willows, red twig dogwoods and new varieties of physocarpus and snowberries. She will grow these with cover crops and then test market the flowers.