Spring Bedding Plants, Hanging Baskets and Patio Plants

Presented by

Liz Maynard, Purdue University, and Butch Zandstra, Zandstra's Farm and Greenhouse

January 26, 2004, Indiana Horticultural Congress, Indianapolis

Flowering plants for gardens, landscapes, and containers accounted for $21.7 million, or two-thirds of the wholesale value of floriculture crops produced in Indiana in 1999. These types of crops are a common entry point for new greenhouse businesses. Growing and selling these crops occurs mostly from January through early July. Some operations extend the selling season through the summer and even into the fall. This discussion outlines the main steps in producing these crops.

The huge number of species and cultivars of plants, combined with the diversity in types of containers can make the decision of what to grow seem overwhelming. The first step is to identify the market. Your market will determine the crops and the type of containers they are sold in.

Statistics reported by the Indiana Agricultural Statistics Service provide an idea of the types of materials that are sold. Out of 1.24 million flats sold in 2002, petunias represented 19%, impatiens 17%, begonias 13%, pansies and violas 9%, marigolds 8%, vegetables 8%, seed geraniums, 1%, and all others 32%. For the 5.27 million pots sold, the picture changes because almost 50% of the pots were geraniums, from cuttings or from seed, 7% petunias, 5% new guinea impatiens, 4% pansies and violas, 2% vegetables, 1% impatiens, and 34% other crops. For the 672 thousand hanging baskets sold, geraniums from cuttings represented 12%, impatiens 12%, petunias 11%, begonias 9%, pansies and violas 5%, geranium from seed 2%, and other crops 40%.

With the market identified and the crop mix determined, the next step is to order containers, growing media, fertilizers, pesticides, and, of course, plant material. Part of the ordering process is setting delivery dates, which, especially for plant material, depend on how a crop is scheduled. We will address scheduling a little later in this article. Don't forget the points made in the earlier speakers' discussion of water, growing media and fertilizers: the alkalinity and elemental content of your water supply will influence the type of fertilizer that will be appropriate for your operation.

Plants are started from seed or from cuttings beginning in January or February. A germination room or cabinet, or a propagation bench is desirable to maintain environmental conditions at an optimum for germination or rooting and plant establishment. Operations that seed large quantities may invest in an automated seeder to reduce labor. Many producers choose to buy small plants called plugs, or rooted cuttings, rather than start their own. There are operations that specialize in the production of plugs and rooted cuttings and can deliver them on the date you specify.

The plugs or rooted cuttings are typically transplanted once into the final container: flat, small pot, large pot, or hanging basket. Transplanting is labor intensive, and even in small operations part-time employees often help with the work. Flats, pots, and baskets can be purchased already filled with growing media, and many medium-sized and larger operations take advantage of these products. Automated flat and pots fillers, and automated transplant machines are also available.

It is also possible to buy prefinished plants, that is, small plants already set into the final container. This offers a way to have a business growing-on and selling bedding plants, while not having to operate a greenhouse during the colder months and avoiding the more demanding requirements of propagation and the labor-intense job of transplanting.

Growing the crops to the point of sale requires watering, fertilizing, managing pests and diseases, and controlling plant growth. Recommendations for specific crops are available from a number of sources: books, plant and seed suppliers, trade publications.

Watering is one of the most important and time-consuming tasks. As discussed by a previous speaker, there are many options for reducing hand labor need for irrigation and it is worthwhile to find a way that works in your operation.

Fertilization requirements vary depending on a number of factors, but there must be some system for supplying nutrients to the plants. Common methods include fertilizing at every irrigation, fertilizing once a week with irrigation, or using slow-release fertilizers, often in combination with some fertilizer applied in irrigation water. It is good practice to monitor the pH and electrical conductivity (EC) of growing media during on a regular basis during the growing season. This will help to catch problems as they begin and while they are easier to manage.

It is rare that a season will go by without some sort of pest or disease problem. Keep an eye on your crop. Train your employees to do the same, and to inform you of anything that looks odd. Then follow up on what you see. Assistance with diagnosis is available from the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Lab. Recommendations for pest management are available in publications such as the "Tips on Managing Floriculture Crop Problems" from OFA, and the wall charts "Chemical Disease Controls for the Greenhouse Industry"(E-2750), and "Insect Controls for the Greenhouse Industry" (E-2696), from Michigan State University. Industry newsletters and trade magazines also frequently have updates on pest management written by Extension Specialists and professional consultants.

Controlling plant growth is perhaps the aspect of growing these crops that will be most foreign to people who have experience with growing vegetables, fruit or field crops. Those who produce vegetable transplants will be familiar with this issue, however. As with transplants, with ornamentals the biggest and lushest plant is not always the most desirable. We want plants to have sturdy stems, in many cases numerous branches, and lots of flowers, some open at the time of sale. A compact, bushy and dark green plant is usually more attractive to the consumer than a leggy, pale green plant with no flowers.

A number of environmental and cultural practices influence plant growth. Plants grown under low light levels will be leggier, have fewer branches, and develop more slowly. Light levels in the greenhouse are largely influenced by the amount of sunshine, which we can't control, but are also reduced by shade from the greenhouse structure and from plants either above or next to the crop. Fertilization is something we can control and it pays to learn what your crops need and make sure they get it. Plant growth can be slowed by limiting water. Many bedding plant producers find this a useful way to help keep plants from growing too large, especially if poor weather slows sales. The average temperature influences the rate of plant development, but the difference between day and night temperature (DIF) influences the amount of stem elongation and therefore the height of plants. When the daytime temperature is at or below the night temperature, plant stems do not lengthen as much. A similar effect can be produced if, for the first few hours of the day, the temperature is at or below the night temperature. Producers with systems that can be programmed to provide DIF or a morning temperature dip find this a useful tool for managing height in some crops. Physical pinching has long been used to promote branching, especially in crops in hanging baskets. These days chemical pinching is being used more.

Plant growth regulators are another tool widely used in the industry. These materials are applied as a spray or a drench one or more times during the season. It takes time to learn how to use them and misuse can make a crop unsalable. The anti-gibberellins reduce stem elongation by counteracting the effect of the natural gibberellic acids found in the plant. They can also cause reduced leaf size and darker green leaves, and sometimes delay flowering. Products in this category include A-Rest, B-Nine, Cycocel, Bonzi, and Sumagic. The ethylene-producing material in the product Florel causes bud and flower abortion and promotes branching. It can replace manual pinching in some crops.

Growth regulators are regulated as pesticides by the EPA, so instructions for use are listed on the label. However, the label often does not have adequate instructions for all crops and cultivars, so it is necessary to review cultural guidelines for specific crops and refer to publications such as the "Tips" book mentioned above, newsletters, and Extension publications. As in all areas of production, keeping detailed notes about what you do and what the results are will make it easier to learn from your own experience.

An important aspect of successful bedding plant production is having the crops ready for sale at the proper time. This requires detailed scheduling. When the sales period, cultivar, growth temperature, and container size are known, it is possible to refer to published material to find out how long it should take to grow the crop from transplant or from seed. For some species the photoperiod (daylength) will also influence the time to bloom and so that will need to be taken into consideration. Growth regulators or pinching can also delay bloom, so their use should be figured into the schedule. The main point is to time planting of the crop based on how long it will take to grow it and when it is to be sold.

Retail operations often sell right out of the greenhouse. In some operations customers are free to roam throughout the operation, in others just part is open to the public. Many operations make use of outside sales areas. An attractive environment will draw customers, and display gardens or planters will give them ideas about how to use plants. Signs describing plant material and its growing requirements help customers decide what to purchase.

Wholesale operations will need to invest in racks or other transport systems for shipping. Prior to shipping, plants can be toned by reducing night temperature, fertilizer, and frequency of irrigation.

Whatever your market is, don't expect to sell everything as planned. Have a back-up plan. Weather during the selling season has a tremendous impact on sales. Rainy cold weekends in May can severely reduce demand. It is possible to hold some crops for a while, but at some point they will need to go out the door.

Soon after the season is over, review your notes from the year. Take note of what worked and what didn't; what sold and what didn't. If you have wholesale customers, this is a good time to check in with them to see how things worked out for them. Use this information to plan for changes for the next growing season. Before you know it, it will be time to place orders for next year.