Plan to attend the New England Greenhouse Conference or a similar program. See the list of educational programs. This will provide an opportunity to network with growers and product suppliers.
Another source of information is through The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASCFG). This is a national organization which addresses all aspects of the cut flower business. It is a network for resources and information for growing and marketing flowers. They have an annual conference and distribute a membership directory and a very informative quarterly magazine called "The Cut Flower Quarterly".
Q. What's a good reference book on cut flower production?
") document.write(""Specialty Cut Flowers" by Allan Armitage and Judy Laushman is a great reference book on growing annual, perennial, bulbous, and woody species for commercial cut flower production, including propagation and growing-on methods, environmental factors, yield in the field, greenhouse forcing, stage of harvest, postharvest handling, and pests and diseases. This book along with others are available from the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers.
Q. Where can I find sources of plugs and seeds?
") document.write("Two sources would be membership links on the Massachusetts Flower Growers Association and The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers websites.
Q. How do I take a soil sample for testing and where can I get it tested?
") document.write("Information on taking a soil sample and sending it to the University of Massachusetts soil test lab is available from the webpage.
Q. Where can I find information on pest and weed management for cut flowers?
") document.write("The University of Massachusetts Extension Floriculture website has fact sheets.
Q. I am a commercial cut flower grower. Where can I have a plant specimen diagnosed?
") document.write("If you do not know the general cause of the problem, contact the University of Massachusetts diagnostic lab or an Extension Specialist, University of Massachusetts Extension Floriculture Program.
If you think that the problem may be caused by disease, then plant specimens can be directly sent or hand delivered to the University of Massachusetts diagnostic lab. Always contact the lab first, to see if sending a specimen is necessary, or to inform the lab that one is being sent. There is a fee for diagnostics.
For more information on diagnostics and sending a sample, visit University of Massachusetts Extension diagnostics webpage.
Q. How do I harvest and preserve cut flowers?
") document.write("The UMass Extension Floriculture website has several fact sheets. Also, see the references with links at the bottom of the fact sheets.
Q. How do I determine wholesale prices of cut flowers?
") document.write("The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service publishes reports on ornamental crops every week. These reports give demand, supply, and price of cut flowers in several important markets in the U.S. including Boston. See their web site for more information.
Q. Where can I get more info on cut flower production?
") document.write("