Growing Zinnias and Dahlias

Written by Jessica Davies

I am a seasoned veggie farmer, but I am certainly not a seasoned flower farmer. However, growing and processing cut flowers is something that I am trying to learn more about during my down time. Last year, I was working as an apprentice at Amber Waves Farm in Amagansett, NY. Amber Waves Farm focused on growing vegetables, flowers and grain. During my apprenticeship I worked mostly with veggies, but for two weeks I had the opportunity to learn about growing cut flowers. I received hands on experience seeding, growing, harvesting and processing cut flowers. Although my two week experience was short and limited, I soaked up every bit of information and became absolutely obsessed with cut flowers. There’s something magical about working with cut flowers; picking them first thing in the morning while the sun is still low, being surrounded by vibrant and unique beauty, and meditatively making floral arrangements in the afternoon - it was a practice that felt peaceful to me. I also began to feel inspired and challenged again. That’s not to say that I didn’t feel inspired by growing vegetables, but I did reach a point during the season where I felt as though I wasn’t necessarily learning anything new. My love for growing great veggies will always remain, but flowers are simply unexplored territory for me. Offering organic beauty with customers, rather than organic nourishment is a different but satisfying way of feeding a persons soul.

For those who don’t know, I have an art and design background. For the majority of my childhood and teenage life, I always thought that I would pursue some sort of artistic career. And in some ways, I believe that I am achieving that through farming. Working with cut flowers not only resonates with my artistic brain, but it reignited my fire and passion for art and design.

While riding the wave of my new flower farming obsession, I began to do more research. I stumbled across a documentary series titled ‘Growing Floret’. This series inspired me, to my core, instantly. Growing Floret is a four-part series that follows flower farmer and seed breeder, Erin Benzakein, through her journey of growing her farm. Each episode is centered around a specific season and explores what it takes to grow a creative business. When I found out that Erin sells her flower seeds online, I knew that I had to get my hands on them for Adama Farm. 

I was able to purchase zinnia and dahlia seeds for Adama Farms first growing season. Flowers were never part of my veggie-focused crop plan for the season, but I was determined to incorporate them somehow. Growing cut flowers on a small production scale, with little flower experience was a risk. But it was a risk that excited me. 

ZINNIAS:

I learned that zinnias attract beneficial insects and repel harmful insects that might harm my crops. With this information, I decided to plant zinnias along the edge of the farm, as a protective border for my vegetable crops. Zinnias are one of the easiest cut flowers to grow and are great for beginners and they have proven to be reliable and prolific producers. 

I seeded the zinnias in the spring, and planted them in the field once all danger of frost was behind us. Zinnias resent cold weather and prefer to be planted after things have warmed up a bit. Before planting in the field, I generously fertilized and composted the flower bed with an organic fertilizer and organic sifted compost. For plant spacing, I did three rows in my 40in bed, 9-12 inches apart. I didn’t have irrigation set up for these flowers for a very long time, so I resorted to hand watering each individual plant in the beginning. When the plants reached 8 to 12 inches tall, I pinched them just above a set of leaves. Pinching will signal the plant to send multiple stems from below where the cut was made. This means more blooms! To tell when a zinnia is ready to harvest, I resort to the “wiggle test”. I simply grab the stem at the base and wiggle the stem. If the flower flops around, it is not ready to cut. If the stem is stiff, it is ready to cut. 

Overall, the zinnias have performed beautifully, despite lack of water in its early stages. I have been cutting the zinnias for market bouquets and display arrangements. 

DAHLIAS:

Dahlias are a more complex flower to grow, but I was determined to grow dahlias from seed this year. Dahlias aren’t typically grown by seed. In fact, they’re usually grown by planting a tuber. But one of the most exciting discoveries I learned was how new dahlia varieties are created. Dahlias grown from seed offer something that’s never existed before. Meaning, if I find a dahlia I love that was grown from seed, I get to name it and save the tubers for the following year for planting. The tubers grow under the soil and will give you an exact clone of the flower when planted the following year. Tubers also multiply; so year after year I will be accumulating more and more dahlia tubers for planting. 

I seeded the dahlias in my greenhouse about 7 weeks before I wanted to plant them out. After seeding, I placed the trays on heat mats. Dahlias prefer an extra bit of warmth for germination. I waited for all danger of frost to pass before planting the dahlias outside in a raised bed. To prepare the raised bed, I applied a good amount of organic sifted compost, organic potting soil and organic fertilizer. I spaced the dahlias 12 inches apart. Similarly to the zinnias, I pinched the plant once they grew to about 8-12 inches tall. 

The dahlias bloomed later than the zinnias and more sporadically, but wow, they are beautiful! As I continue to discover more varieties that I love, I will flag the flower, dig up the tuber at the end of the season, preserve the tuber and plant the tuber the following year. I learned from Erin that Dahlias grown from seed produce miniature clumps of tubers that are often not big enough to divide, so it’s best to store them together in a bag with peat moss or vermiculite in a cool place that doesn’t freeze. 

If you haven’t grown dahlias from seed, I recommend it! It is a very exciting experience to discover new flower varieties.