Ray is expanding his established florist, garden center, and greenhouse business by adding a cut-flower operation and increasing his current mist-propagation system for vegetable transplants and flower plug production. For the cut flowers, he constructed eight no-till raised beds, a 40-foot by 80-foot dahlia production space, and a 40-foot by 80-foot perennial garden for the cultivation of peony, lily, tulip, and daffodil bulbs.
Upgrades to the propagation area will include the addition of tables with overhead timer-controlled misters and root-zone hot water heating. To accommodate the expected additional workload, Ray will move two part-time employees to full-time positions. Being able to market his flowers as “locally grown” will enable him to tap into new markets.
For more information:
WNC AgOptions
wncagoptions.org