Ready, Set, Roses!

Have you been thinking about adding roses into your crop plan but think “I can’t grow them here”? Are you intimidated by all the advice out there that makes growing roses seem like a PhD level project? Are you an avid rose gardener and looking for to make your cut roses last longer? Or maybe you’re wondering how to start selling your roses to your local florists?

You’re in the right place.

I’ve built my business proving that you CAN:

  • Grow beautiful, florist quality cut roses on the east coast

  • Operate a small-scale cut rose business that produces thousands of stems AND is profitable. (I grow on 1,000 square feet!)

  • Successfully supply local florists with a product they can’t get elsewhere

Launching Fall 2023

Ready, Set, Roses is based on the following curriculum:

MODULE 1

The Basics of Roses

Learn about:

  • History of the rose and cut rose production in the US

  • Biology of roses. Roses are plants too!

  • Types of roses and how the differences affect performance in the garden. Understanding heat & cold tolerance.

  • Understanding how roses are grown & sold. Grafted vs own-root. Bare root vs potted. Grades & bands. Learn the lingo & know what you grow!

  • Variety selection for cut flowers & external resources for this

  • Highlights of roses & regenerative ag/ natural gardening.

  • A foundation of gardening or cut flower farming will make this module more meaningful - we skip some of the basics!


MODULE 2

Planning & Planting Your Cut Rose Corner

Learn about:

  • Laying out your growing space

  • Optimizing solar exposures vs optimizing available real estate - make shade work for you!

  • Understanding the reality of small space growing vs supplier warranties and how that affects plant spacing

  • Using your unique location to optimize production timing - take the summer off! Hit major flower holidays! Learn the rules of your region and roll with it.

  • Sourcing & suppliers

  • Spring vs Fall Planting overview and how to prepare planting areas.

  • First year winterizing

  • Advice on how to make it through your first year



MODULE 3

Care & Maintenance For Production

Learn about:

  • Water - pick your own irrigation

  • Fertilizing & all its forms. Why it’s important regardless of your soil tests

  • Managing stem length & harvest timing with disbudding

  • Pest Management

  • Disease Management

  • Natural touch - mulching & underplanting



MODULE 4

Harvest and Post-Harvest Care

Learn about:

  • Optimal Harvest Stage

  • In-field harvest process

  • Post-Harvest Processing & Care

  • Cold Storage & all it’s variations

  • Preparing for delivery (wrapping & sorting)




MODULE 5

Getting Your Roses Out into the World!

Learn about:

  • Identify your target market (events, markets, media, etc)

  • How to organize & market a small availability list

  • Your availability, harvest & delivery timelines

  • Customer education

  • Quality controls & feedback

  • Pricing & Profits with a perennial crop

  • Alternate sales outlets