Summer Planting to Grow Your Profits
Are you looking to make this summer more profitable than last? As greenhouse growers, we know that business slows way down during the summer. In our experience, the most effective way to use your summer is to prepare for the future and add new products to your offering. In this article, you’ll find product examples and growing tips to maximize your summer.
Belgian Mums
Belgian Mums are an exciting product that are easy to grow and can have a high profit margin. They are low maintenance for both you and your customer. These plants put on a show with the amount of blooms that they produce, and that can draw customers in the door.
Pre-ordering |
Pinching |
Planting |
Watering |
When pre-ordering your mums, be sure to know when you want to start seeing blooms. We have set up our website to show the different varieties of mums by their blooming period. When you know the desired flowering dates beforehand, selecting your varieties is much easier. |
Belgian Mum varieties are no-pinch garden mums. This means you don’t have to spend extra time pinching the branches back to form their growing habit. The mums are going to branch out on their own and have a natural full-flowered beauty. |
When planting in a 6-8″ pot, place one plug per pot. The roots will spread out and the mum will grow into the pot. If you are planting the plugs into a 10-12″ pot, you can plant three plugs per pot. The plugs will grow 1 1/2 inches a week. Plan for the diameter of your finished plant to be 1.5 to 2 times the pot size. |
Drip tubes work well for these plants because they keep the foliage dry. It is smart to irrigate these mums in the early morning. |
For more detailed growing instructions, visit our Belgian Mum page here.
Christmas Cactus
Christmas Cactus make a great companion plant for mums, and they provide another means of market differentiation. The Christmas Cactus is best planted in June so it will begin blooming between Thanksgiving and Christmas. These plants are easy to care for and will increase your opportunity for fall sales. We have a few tips for the most effective growing plan for Christmas Cactus.
Tip 1: Planting |
Tip 2: Growing |
Tip 3: Warning |
Plant 1 plug per 3-4″ pot.
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The Christmas Cactus grows best in a well-shaded area. Additionally, the soil should remain well drained. You don’t want to over-water these plants. |
Watch out for root rot, which is very common in the Christmas Cactus. Root rot may be caused by over-watering. Symptoms of root rot are limp leaves, dropping leaves, and soft, mushy stems. To our knowledge, no good remedy exists for severe root rot. Prevention is key. |
For more detailed growing information, visit our Christmas Cactus page.
