Site, Soil and Medium, Climatic Requirements of Cut Flowers

Site. In selecting a site for cut flower production the following factors should be considered;

1. Varieties to grow. The choice of the variety to grow is very important factor in site selection. There are varieties which can be grown in a small area even without good soil as long as there is sufficient sunlight. Orchids, for instance, are raised in a different medium and can survive without soil.
2. Topography of the land. Cut flower whether grown in beds, in pots, or in other medium should be located in a flat land with a gentle slope. This will provide good drainage especially during rainy season.
3. Accessibility to good roads. The site must be located in a place where there are good transportation facilities so that marketing of flowers and purchasing needed materials will not hamper production. If possible, the plantation must be located near highways.
4. Far from sources of harmful chemicals. Several flowering plants are very sensitive. They have tissues that can easily be damaged or destroyed.
5. Wind breaks. Wind breaks like ipil-ipil and madre cacao should be provided around the cut flower plantation to protect the flower from strong winds.
6. Availability of Sunlight. the area or site to be selected for cut flower production whether in beds or in pots should have sufficient light.
7. Size of production or plantation. In site selection, the size of production should also be given consideration.
8. Adequate water supply. All varieties of cut flower need sufficient amount of water for existence specially during the early stages of growth. The site of cut flower production should be therefore located near adequate water supply.

Soil type and medium. In growing cut flowers, the soil type should be properly selected to ensure good production. Soil can be categorized into two types, namely, light and heavy soils. Light soils are easier to cultivate than heavy soils.

For cut flower production, the best type of soil is sandy loam and silty loam which is fertile enough to promote healthy growth. Cut flower except orchids are primarily raised in the fields. However, some farmer raise cut flowers using greenhouse especially when they growing varieties that are out of season.. in the greenhouse method, the raiser makes use of improvised beds, pots, and other similar containers which has its advantages.

The medium for orchids and anthurium differs from other varieties of cut flowers. These plants thrive best in a root medium such as coconut husk, sugarcane bagasse, rice hull, and charcoal or a combination of these materials. Some successful raisers use charcoal as root medium and have found it to be the most effective.
Orchids can also be grown in barks and in fern trees as their medium. This requires more frequent fertilization, however, as compared to those raised in pots and grown in shades.

Climate. The climatic requirements of different varieties of cut flower vary. some varieties of orchids and anthurium can be grown in warm places while other thrive well in cool temperate regions. Although the climatic requirement for different varieties of cut flowers vary, they can be raised in any place provided that adaptation measures are practiced. Adaptation can be done by hardening and accumulation.