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Growing your own cut flowers in Canada can provide you with an abundance of beautiful, fragrant blooms for your home, as well as extra blooms to sell or give away to friends and family.
The following are some general pointers that can be helpful when starting a garden for cut flowers in Canada:
- Make a decision regarding a location: Look around your backyard for a spot that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight every day and pick that spot. It is essential that the ground be rich in nutrients and have good drainage.
- Choose different kinds of flowers. In Canada, some of the most well-liked types of cut flowers are zinnias, cosmos, dahlias, sunflowers, and gladioli. Keep an eye out for these characteristics in the type of variety you choose.
- Stem Length Is Key: Stems that are relatively long If the flower has a longer stem, it will be easier to arrange in a variety of ways.
- Selecting Cultivars with a Long Flowering Time: look for cultivars that have a history of being vigorous growers and possess a long flowering time.
- Resistance to disease: To lessen the likelihood that they will become infected, it is important to choose cultivars that have a high level of resistance to common diseases such as powdery mildew.
Because certain types of flowers are better able to withstand colder temperatures than others, it is possible to cultivate them in Canada. - Make sure the ground is prepared: You need to get rid of any weeds and trash in the area where you plan to plant your cut flowers. Compost is an excellent organic matter that can be added to soil in order to boost its fertility.
Seed Starting – In Waves
When planting the seeds or seedlings, make sure to follow the instructions that are provided on the seed packets or on the labels of the nursery. Be sure the plants are spaced far enough apart to allow for adequate circulation of air around them.
Most flowers will need to be started indoors using the wave method to provide continual blooms. This means starting seeds several times during the season 2-4 weeks apart from each other.
Stem Support for Straighter Stems
Some types of cut flowers, such as sunflowers and dahlias, need to have their stems supported in order to prevent them from toppling over. This support can be provided by using stakes or cages as a framework.
Fertilizer
Through consistent watering and fertilization, the soil should be kept consistently moist without becoming soaked. Fertilize the soil every two to three weeks with a water-soluble fertilizer that has a ratio of 5-1-2.
Dead Heading
The process of routinely removing spent flowers from a plant in order to encourage the development of new flowers is referred to as deadheading. Furthermore, this will assist in preventing the production of seeds, which could divert energy away from the production of blooms.
When the blooms have reached their full potential and opened all the way, it is time to harvest them and cut them. If you want the flowers to remain beautiful for a longer period of time, make sure to cut them in the morning or evening, when the humidity is lower. This will allow the flowers to retain their freshness for a longer period of time.
The following is a list of well-known varieties of cut flowers that are capable of being grown in Canada:
- Zinnias: Because they have long stems and come in a variety of colours, zinnias are great for cutting and arranging in floral arrangements. In addition to this, they have an extended period of blooming and are not as susceptible to disease.
- Cosmos: These flowers, known as cosmos, have enormous blooms that resemble daisies and delicate leaves that resemble ferns. They have a lengthy stem, are able to tolerate dry conditions, and come in a variety of colours, including pink, white, red, and orange.
- Dahlias: are well-known for having large, eye-catching blooms, and they are available in a wide range of colours and forms. In spite of the fact that they have lengthy stems that can be utilised for cutting, they will require support in order to avoid toppling over.
- Sunflowers: are easily recognisable flowers due to their tall stems and enormous, yellow, daisy-like blooms. Sunflowers are native to North America. The enormous flowers are wonderful for cutting and arranging, in addition to being very easy to cultivate.
- Gladioli: are plants that have large flowers that resemble trumpets and grow atop tall spikes. They are offered in a wide range of colours, including white, pink, red, and purple, amongst others. They last a long time in vases and make excellent cut flowers.
- Larkspur: flowers are prized for their long spikes of bell-shaped, delicate blossoms in pink, blue, and white hues. Larkspur flowers can grow to be quite majestic and quite tall.
- Peonies: are hardy perennials that live for a long time and produce enormous, fragrant flowers in a variety of colours, including pink, white, and red. Peonies thrive in the cooler environment that is typical of Canada.
- Iris: plants are easily identifiable by the towering spikes of broad, vividly coloured blooms that they produce. They can be purchased in a range of colours, including blue, purple, yellow, and white, amongst others. The foliage, in and of itself, is quite lovely and takes the form of a sword. These plants are highly prized for the delicately ruffled flowers that bloom on them as well as the sweet fragrance that they emit. Because they have long stems and a variety of colours, they are perfect for cutting and arranging in a variety of ways.
- Greenery: from surrounding trees & shrubs
This list does not contain all of the possibilities for gardening with cut flowers; it is only a sampling of those that are available. In addition to that, it will be dependent on the climate and other conditions that prevail during the growing season.
