four Regenerative agriculture principles for the cut flower garden

Minimize soil disturbance
- No-Till soil prep - Why is Tilling So Bad?
- Leave roots of dead plants in tact at end of season / Practice “chop n drop” - Fertilizing and ‘The Law of Return’
- Learn how to deal with weeds organically, without tilling, here
Maximize crop diversity
- Incorporate a wide variety of plants that will feed a wide variety of soil microbes (lots of different plant families)
- Always plant natives to increase biodiversity and feed local wildlife! (see favorite natives list below)
Keep the soil covered
- When the soil is covered, microbes are protected, moisture is conserved, soil is protected from harsh rain/wind erosion/drying out from hot sun (which dehydrates soil life)
- Use mulch! Wood mulches are preferred for perennial plantings only. Annual plantings can get a thick layer of compost or chopped leaves on top of the beds. I underseed tall crops (tomatoes, dahlias) with sweet alyssum as a living mulch.
Maintain living roots year-round
- Living roots feed soil microbes over the winter. Roots also hold soil in place and prevent erosion after snowmelt.
- Plant perennials, especially in sloped areas, to hold soil in place. Use clovers or other groundcover as living pathways in your garden. I seed Dutch White Clover in the spring in my pathways. Nadino clover is also lovely — it grows in thicker but gets a bit taller than the Dutch White.
- Incorporate cover crops where you can. Great cover crops for small gardens are: Buckwheat (seed in hot summer), Crimson Clover, Field Peas or Hairy Vetch (all three of those you should seed in Sept and they will overwinter for a beautiful spring show). I like cover crop seeds from Outside Pride.

Soil Preparation resources

Logan Labs Soil Test - Quick turnaround test - Standard Soil Analysis Test for $25
Garden Fork for No-Till Preparation

The 5 things I always use in my flower beds:

Good Source of Compost - Learn all about compost here and why it’s the best amendment for your cut flower garden
Gypsum (Calcium sulfate) - breaks up clay soil overtime, will increase stem strength and allow adequate water/nutrient uptake
Kelp Meal & Alfalfa Meal - Apply liberally to top of beds in spring, follow package instructions
Mycorrhizal Fungi Inoculant - Add to rootballs of plants before planting. Inoculates soil with living mycorrhizal fungi to form invaluable synergistic relationship with plant roots.

favorite cut flowers for full season color

ANNUALS

Spring - Feverfew, Larkspur,

Summer - Cosmos, Celosia, Zinnias (Benary Giant/Oklahoma/Queen Series), Strawflower ‘Silvery Rose’, Statice, Gomphrena, Marigolds (Mission Giant Yellow or Chedi), Basil (Cinnamon, Aromatto, Dark Opal)

Late Summer/Fall - Dahlias, Lisianthus, Amaranth… and all of the above that is still blooming!

PERENNIALS

Spring - Specialty Narcissus, Hyacinths, Peonies

Summer - Yarrow, Echinacea, Phlox, Lavender (Grosso), Delphinium, Digitalis, Spirea, Alliums, Rudbeckia ‘Sahara’, Salvia ‘Caradonna,’ Asclepias tuberosa, Raspberry for foliage, Lemon Balm, Sage, Oregano, Penstemon digitalis

Late Summer/Fall - Hydrangea, Butterfly Bush, fall foliages (Ninebark, Viburnum, Smokebush, Dogwood)

native plants to incorporate in your garden

Yarrow, Echinacea purpurea, Milkweed (Asclepias spp.), Elderberry shrub, Ninebark shrub, native Asters, native Goldenrod, New York Ironweed, Mountain Mint, Winterberry shrub, Serviceberry/Juneberry shrub, native Dogwoods

Growing Cut Flower Best Practices

Spacing is generally 9” for every type of flower — Dahlias are 12” or 18” depending on how much space you have. Lisianthus can be planted as close as 3” apart. Follow recommended guidelines for spacing of shrubs on plant tags.

Watering is necessary. 2 inches of rain per week is needed for healthy growth and nutrient intake. Supplement during drought conditions with drip irrigation or sprinklers.

Fertilizing is optional but will increase the health and blooms of your plants if done correctly. It is easy to overdo nitrogen fertilizers. I “fertilize” my farm with my own homemade compost & comfrey tea every two weeks during the growing season. This adds valuable microbial life to the soil and ramps up nutrient production naturally. I recommend you side dress your plants with Kelp Meal every 4 weeks.

Harvesting will keep your cut & come again flowers chugging out blooms! Harvest using CLEAN snips directly into a CLEAN bucket of CLEAN water. There are two things that decrease the life of a cut flower super quickly: bacteria and hot air. So harvest early in the morning before your garden gets hit with the sun. Let the cuts condition in water for at least 2 hours before arranging. Flower food solution is optional. It does make the flowers last longer, but in my opinion, is an unnecessary input for homegrown arrangements.

Winterizing - Learn how to put your garden to bed at the end of the season

Buckwheat cover crop seeded mid-June to improve soil tilth, add soil organic matter, and suppress weeds

favorite TOOLS & Garden supplies

A.M. Leonard Soil Knife & Sheath - My number one gardening tool I always have on me. I use this knife in lieu of a trowel. It has been going strong for 8 years through heavy use. The serrated edge allows you to cut roots under the soil line. It’s a tool I could never do without.

Stirrup/Scuffle Hoe - My favorite method of weeding large areas is using the stirrup hoe. The open metal end shifts as you run it back and forth just beneath the soil line, uprooting weeds as you go. No need to bend down!

Farm Fork - I love this little fork for incorporating a new layer of compost onto my garden beds in the spring. Also great for turning your compost pile and digging dahlias at the end of the season.

Dibber - Favorite planting tool to create a nice deep hole to pop plugs in the garden bed.

Drip Irrigation Kits - I buy drip irrigation supplies from Dripworks. You can opt to use flexible soaker hoses instead.

Irrigation Timer - If you have a large garden with drip hoses or drip irrigation, automating it with a timer is the easiest way to set yourself up! This Orbit timer is the one I use on my farm. A single valve timer would work well in any backyard garden.