Cut Flower Production

Overview

Cut flower growing has experienced rapid expansion in recent decades, resulting in increased demand for training in the skills and knowledge required by this industry in increasingly affluent countries. Learn all about it with the Cut Flower Production course from Warnborough College.

Course aims

• Describe the botanical mechanisms involved in the process of flower initiation for different plant genera.

• Explain the effect of carbon dioxide enrichment on flowering for a specified plant species.

• Determine the factors causing aging of flowers in different genera of commercially grown cut flowers.

• Compare three different treatments to preserve cut flowers after harvest, including: Glycerine, Drying, Pressing.

• Determine procedures to produce cut flowers out of season for different cut flower species.

• Compile a resource file of different sources of information regarding commercial cut flower varieties, including: Publications, Suppliers of seed and/or planting stock, Industry associations, Relevant government contacts.

• Describe herbaceous perennials suitable to cut flower growing in a specific locality.

• Describe annuals and biennials suitable to flower growing in a specific locality.

• Describe bulbs, corms, rhizomes or tubers suitable for cut flower growing in a specific locality.

• Describe plant varieties commonly used as fillers in the floristry trade.

• Differentiate between twenty different plant varieties suitable as cut flowers, including: Family, genus, species & variety name (if applicable), a description of the physical characteristics of the plant, a flower description, flowering season and length of flowering.

• Develop criteria for the selection of plant varieties to be grown as cut flower crops on a specified property.

• Determine Australian native plants with potential as a cut flower crop in a specific locality.

• Determine different exotic plants with potential as cut flower crops in a specific locality.

• Explain the success of specified Australian plant varieties as cut flowers.

• Describe different plant varieties suited to grow as cut flowers, including; Family, genus, species & variety name (if applicable) a description of the physical characteristics of the plant: flower description, flowering season and length of flowering.