Cultivation
Bed size and Preparation
Flower beds should be aligned north to south to
maximize the light penetration of the leaf and flower
canopy. The average worker has about a 60
centimetre reach, so beds shouldn’t be much wider
than one metre. Wider beds can result in missed
flowers or damage to the outside of the bed from
reaching for flower spikes in the center. Beds
shouldn’t be much longer than 30 to 35 metres (100
feet), any longer and they become difficult and
awkward to walk around. A final step is to determine
the aisle space between the rows. Wide aisles allow
for greater flexibility with equipment and an increased
ease of harvesting, but they decrease the
returns per square metre. Plant height and width
must be taken into account, or one crop could end
up shading or smothering another. Again, the
bottom line is space utilization; the yield per square
metre is important, but it is off-set by equipment
and cultural requirements. If you plan to sell through
a pick-your-own, beds should be narrower and
shorter to minimize picking damage. The aisles
should be covered in grass or bark to help keep
people’s shoes clean while they pick.
Consider installing raised beds. They may not
always be suitable for a commercial setting, but
their better drainage allows for earlier planting and
harvesting and a reduced incidence of root rot
diseases caused by poor drainage. Beds need to
be raised 10 to 15 centimetres. If you choose to go
with raised beds, make sure that you leave enough
room between them to move your equipment.
Good soil preparation is essential for long-term
perennials. Sites for beds should be ploughed to a
depth of 35 to 45 centimetres to loosen the soil prior
to bed formation. The next step is to disc or
rotovate to break-up large soil clumps and to
produce a more uniform bed. Depending upon your
soil test results, any soil amendments should be
worked in at this time. Additions of organic matter
should be worked in to a depth of 20 centimetres.
The soil can be fumigated for weed, disease, and
insect control. Be sure to follow label instructions
concerning safety, minimum and maximum soil
temperatures, time to planting, and potential crop
phytotoxicity.
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