10th September 2023
This time last month I was bemoaning the fact that it had rained and rained for days on end, now we're in early September and we're in the middle of a heat wave. These extremes in weather haven't been ideal for cut flower growing - I had a lovely crop of autumn sown hardy annual which flowered in the spring and early summer, I then lost a lot of half-hardies to slugs during the summer and this combined with the lack of sun led to a slim pickings in July and August. Now everything has picked up a pace and plants are starting to flower so hopefully we are all starting to enjoy the fruits of our labour once again,
In this Sowing & Growing Update I have focused purely on the seeds we sowed for the 2023 season (i.e. the seeds sown between August 2022 and May 2023). I will be starting a new set of Sowing & Growing Updates for the seeds we are sowing from August 2023 onwards for the 2024 season, which will be with you w/c 12.9.2023.
In the first section of this update I have included some information on maintenance of your patch and then some advice around cutting & conditioning your flowers. In the second section there's a feature on each seed that we've sown and is grouped by the month the seeds were included in our Cut Flower Patch seed boxes. For the purposes of comparison, for each plant I specify the number of weeks since sowing as I am aware that not everyone is sowing their seeds at exactly the same time. I have also indicated in which week the crop of a particular flower came to end (The Final Cut) and I removed the plants from my patch. However I have left in the information about 'When to Pick' as I know we can all be on slightly different timescales depending on when we sowed the seeds and the area of the country we live in. The photographs were taken on or around the day of writing this blog.
Maintenance
Watering
During this hot spell it is essential to keep your plants well watered. It is better to give your plants a good soak occasionally rather than little and often, as, with the latter, the water often just evaporates and doesn't reach the roots.
Water early in the morning or evening and water around the roots as this is the most efficient use of water.
For more information on watering your patch, check out this blog https://www.thecutflowerpatch.co.uk/post/top-tips-for-watering-your-cut-flower-patch
Support
Providing some form of support for your cut flower patch is important as it will need protecting from the wind and rain. However even if your patch is in a sheltered spot many of the flowers will grow very tall and the stems snap easily. Last year I left it too late to add supports to many of my plants and I promised myself I wouldn't make the same mistake this year, I've had a slightly better year in that regard but could do better. There's always next year!
Probably the most popular and effective method for supporting cut flowers is to stretch jute netting over your patch at around 45cm high, you might find this Sarah Raven video useful if this is something you are considering for your patch.
As my cut flower patch is in the front garden I want something that is more pleasing to the eye so I simply use canes and a plastic gardening ties which seems to do the trick. Sweet peas need more of a structure using either a wigwam or tepee of bamboo, hazel or willow secured tightly with twine.
Feeding
Certain flowers (I have indicated which ones alongside each entry below) will benefit from feeding every two weeks or so. A diluted liquid tomato feed or comfrey feed is ideal for cut flowers. I've got lots on comfrey growing on my allotment, in fact it's a bit of a problem, there's far too much of it, but that's another story. I made a liquid comfrey feed by stewing the leaves but it smelt revolting. So now I simply chop up some leaves and add them to planting hole.
Weeding
Yes, I'm afraid so, inevitably you will need to do some weeding.
Cutting and conditioning your flowers
Funnily enough when I first created a cut flower patch in my garden, the thing I found most difficult was cutting and harvesting the flowers. I was so use to growing flowers in the garden and watching them come and go each year, cutting them before they had reached their prime, seemed counter-intuitive. As a result I often left it too late to cut the flowers as many flowers are better cut when they are just starting to flower rather than in full bloom. However I'm over that now as I soon realised that it's pure joy to have flowers in the house that I had grown myself and, also, having enough to share with family, friends and neighbours.
When to pick
For maximum vase life some flowers are better picked before they bloom. I cut the poppy opposite when I could just see the colour of the petals peeking though and within 15 minutes of being inside and in water it had flowered.
To help to work out what to pick and when, I have added a 'When to pick' section to each flower entry below.
Our top tips for picking and conditioning cut flowers
Cut your flowers early morning or evening as they will be under less stress
After picking your flowers put them in a bucket of water. They will benefit from spending a few hours, or overnight, somewhere cool and out of sunlight
Cut long stems but leave some stem so new flowers can develop
Always cut a flower stem above a leaf joint so new growth can form
Use secateurs or flower snips to cut, and keep them clean and sharp
Enjoy every moment!
The August Seed Box - Corncockle, Cornflower, Iceland Poppy, Nigella, Larkspur
Corncockle
Classification: hardy annual
To feed or not to feed: not necessary
Pinch out: no
Over the next month: I picked my last corncockle flowers at around week 46, dug up the old plants and put them into the compost bin.
When to pick: I tend to pick corncockle when it first flowers and I cut above a leaf joint towards the base of the stem (but try not to remove the whole stem from the plant so new stems and flowers can develop). I usually cut some stems that are in flower and some that are still in bud. For general advice on cutting flowers please see the section above 'Cutting & Conditioning'.
Cornflower
Classification: hardy annual
To feed or not to feed: not necessary
Pinch out: yes when about 15cm tall.
Over the next month: I picked my last cornflower at around week 48, dug up the old plants and put them into the compost bin.
When to pick: Pick them when the colour starts to show on the buds. Cornflowers need to be cut constantly if you want them to flower continually. If you pick them too early the flowers may not open, if you harvest them when fully open, they will only last a few days in the vase.
Iceland Poppy
Classification: hardy annual
To feed or not to feed: not necessary
Pinch out: no
Over the next month: My Icelandic Poppies have had a bumper year, I must have picked at least 10 poppy flowers, if not more, from each plant. Reluctantly I called time on my poppies at around week 46 and pulled up the last of the plants.
When to pick: For maximum vase life pick poppies when the floral casing has started to split and the first petals are visible. If you wish you can gently pull away the casing as the bud starts to open.
Nigella
Classification: hardy annual
To feed or not to feed: do not feed
Pinch out: no
Over the next month: I picked the last of the nigella and removed the plants from my cut flower patch at around week 50.
If you'd like to save some nigella seeds for planting next year collect the pods as they turn brown, leaving a bit of stalk so they can be tipped upside down making it easier for the pod to shed seeds. The pods will naturally start to split when ripe. Seeds are best stored in a paper envelope to keep them dry.
When to pick: Nigella should be picked when the petals start to unfurl.
Larkspur
Classification: hardy annual
To feed or not to feed: not necessary
Pinch out: yes, pinch out the growing tips when around 10cm tall
Over the next month: After a great flowering season my larkspur came to an end and I removed the plants from my patch a few weeks ago..
When to pick: For the longest vase life pick when the lower flowers first open.
The September Seed Box - Scabiosa, Snapdragon, Ammi Majus, Calendula, Orlaya
Scabiosa - Week 52
Classification: hardy annual
To feed or not to feed: not necessary
Pinch out: no
Over the next month: My scabiosa are still flowering but they are now coming to an end, withing the next week or two I will dig up the plants and add them to my compost bin.
When to pick: Scabiosa can be picked at any stage, the flower buds look great in a floral arrangement but please be aware they may not fully open if picked at this stage.
Snapdragon (Rocket Mixed)- Week 52
Classification: half-hardy annual
To feed or not to feed: not necessary
Pinch out: yes, pinch out the growing tips when they have four sets of true leaves
Over the next month: I've been cutting dozens and dozens of lovely tall snapdraons for several weeks now but I can see the crop is coming to an end. I suspect that by the end of September they will be over and I will remove them from my patch.
When to pick; When two thirds of the flowers are open.
Ammi Majus
Classification: hardy annual
To feed or not to feed: not necessary
Pinch out: no
Over the next month: I picked the last of the ammi majus this week, they definitely earned their space in my patch this year providing lots of fillers for the vase.
When to pick: When one third of the flowers on an umbel are open.
Calendula
