Utilizing Drought Tolerant Shrubs on Sloped, Marginal Land to Develop Specialty Cut Flower Products In Western Oregon

Commodities

Practices

• Crop Production: drought tolerance, pollinator habitat, varieties and cultivars

Specialty cut flower growers in the Pacific Northwest face significant challenges. The weather is getting hotter and drier. Water rights are required for commercial production, yet they are expensive and rare to acquire. Prime farmland is unaffordable. Farmers need ways to increase their offerings and income during the non-productive months. There is a lack of local floral and foliage produced between the first and last frost, and demand outweighs supply. Forists must rely on imports, taking money from the local economy.

Drought-tolerant, evergreen shrubs could be part of the solution for specialty cut flower farms and florists in the Pacific Northwest. By exploring Mediterranean-adapted species such as Grevilleas, Leptospermum, alongside Arctostaphylos, and olives, this research project aims to identify the best varieties for our region and local markets. These plants require little to no water or fertilizer inputs; they appreciate sharp drainage, making them suitable for sloped land that would be considered unusable for row crops. Many bloom during winter when little else is available from farms except those with expensive, climate-controlled, technology-intensive greenhouse operations. These low-maintenance plants stave off erosion by stabilizing hillsides and can provide farmers with additional off-season income. Furthermore, the winter blooms support native hummingbirds and other pollinators in lean nectar times.

However, these plants are not widely available for purchase at wholesale prices or in quantities suitable for commercial scale. Therefore, as part of this research, an exploration of propagation by rooting cuttings and experimentation with layering techniques to grow stock will serve as a potential avenue to reduce the start-up costs of adding these crops to a farmer's roster.

Field days will be conducted with stakeholders to collect data on preferences. Conference presentations and articles drafted for submission to trade magazines, along with social media posts, will be used to disseminate information to farmers.

This proposal will explore the use of marginal, sloped land for growing shrubs that do not require summer irrigation and can provide blooming specialty cut flower products in the winter season and unique foliage at other times of the year. This research will provide data for an emergent market of beautiful, unique, specialty cut flowers and foliage.

Project's Research and Education Objectives:

Determine suitable varieties of hardy gevilleas, arctostaphylus, and leptospermum for the Pacific Northwest.

Determine any notable differences in spring vs fall plantings

Determine any notable differences in plants that receive establishment water and those that get none

Measure growth rate, length of time to bloom, time required to reach harvestable stage, and yields

Bring stakeholders to the farm to survey preferences of leaf shapes, bloom color, bunch size, and pricing

Note the number and types of pollinators and animal species supported by these plants.

Explore propagation techniques of rooting cuttings and layering, and ascertain the success rates for each technique

Conduct time studies to track all efforts related to the project to determine the profitability margin

Predict the time it would take to make a profit

Share techniques and findings with farmers and florists via trade organization presentations, conferences, articles, and a social media series