Commercial Cut Flower Production: Equipment Big and Small

Depending on their situation and resources, cut flower growers use a variety of 'store bought' and 'make-your-own' tools, equipment, and structures to produce their crops.

Bill Harlan at Belvedere Farm in Harford County uses this
board system to get the glass mason jars safely to market.

At the Weaver’s Farm, they use fiberglass stakes to
support their cut flower netting. The ones shown here
are U-shaped which provide better support, but are also
more expensive than the L-shaped stakes.

Planter water wheel used by Ron Peterman at Long Season
Statice Farm to make holes in plastic

          
           Mechanical dibble made by John Prouty, Wise
           Acres Farm, for making planting holes in the black
           plastic.


John Prouty set up this waist level bucket cleaning
station by the barn.

More growers like Dave Dowling, Farmhouse Flowers and
Plants (out of business), are producing some crops in high
tunnels in order to start production earlier in the spring and
extend the season later in the fall.

Dave Dowling produces Hydrangea 'Limelight' under
shadecloth to increase the intensity of the green color.

Judy and John Mast, Suttler Post Farm, use this planter
to get their plants and some water into the ground
for their field cut flower production.

Getting ready for a cut flower field trial at the University of
Maryland Research Center in Ellicott City. Dave Clement drives
the tractor pulling the plastic layer and bed maker machine
behind. Stanton Gill keeps the plastic in place at the end of the row.

Bert Klotz, The Farms at Ellis Bay in Wicomico
County, puts his Imants rotary deep spade to
work during a tour in 2007: