Nutrient Management for Field Flowers and Greenhouse Crops

Click here to view UMass Extension's nutrient management guidelines and BMPs for other agricultural commodities and green industries.

Resources on this page may be used by cut flower growers (in-ground production) subject to the 330 CMR 31.00 Plant Nutrient Application Requirements for Agricultural Land and Land Not Used for Agricultural Purposes.
More information about complying with this regulation is available from
Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.

Field-Grown Cut Flowers

Nutrient Management Planning

Field production of cut flowers, particularly annuals, requires many of the same soil fertility management practices as production of vegetables and other outdoor crops. The main goal is to maintain proper fertility to produce a good yield of high quality flowers for summer sales. Another goal is to maintain soil health and avoid environmental contamination by using fertilizers responsibly. The University of Massachusetts is currently developing nutrient management templates for vegetable farmers. Currently, templates are available throught the University of Vermont: Vegetable Nutrient Management Planning.

Guidelines for Field-Grown Cut Flowers

The fact sheet: Soil Fertility for Field-Grown Cut Flowers provides guidelines for soil testing, adjusting the pH and fertilizing annuals and perennials grown as cut flowers.

Best Management Practices

The Cultural Practices section of the New England Vegetable Management Guide (http://nevegetable.org/) includes: Fundamentals of Soil Fertility, Plant Nutrients, Guidelines for Organic Fertilization, Soil Health, Soil Testing and Nutrient Management Regulations. These resources will be helpful for field-grown cut flower production.

Greenhouse Crops Grown in Containers

Nutrient Management Planning

Note: Greenhouse production in pots/containers are not subject to the 330 CMR 31.00 Plant Nutrient Application Requirements for Agricultural Land and Land Not Used for Agricultural Purposes.

Development and implementation of a nutrient management plan is critical to the proper management of greenhouse crops with environmental protection and enhancement as priorities. The following are UMass, Amherst, Extension Greenhouse Crops and Floriculture Program resources that can be used to develop and implement an environmentally responsible nutrient management plan for greenhouse crops grown in containers.

Best Management Practices for Greenhouse Crops Grown in Containers

Greenhouse Best Management Practices Manual
https://ag.umass.edu/greenhouse-floriculture/greenhouse-best-management-practices-bmp-manual#

Best Management Practices (BMPs) are guidelines intended to enable agricultural production in a profitable, environmentally-sensitive and sustainable manner. BMPs are not meant to be regulatory. Each greenhouse operation and site is different and may require special practices. BMPs are meant to provide guidance as to practices that can be implemented in Massachusetts greenhouses.

Specific sections of the Best Management Practices for Greenhouse Crops guide that pertain to nutrient management:

Other UMass Extension Fact Sheets on Plant Nutrition for Greenhouse Crops

https://ag.umass.edu/greenhouse-floriculture/fact-sheets/plant-nutrition