Ms. Le Thi Hien stands beside a flower garden where buds are forming. Photo: DANG LINH
At 7 a.m., while dew still clung to the leaves, Mrs. Le Thi Hien, a resident of An Khuong hamlet, Chau Thanh commune, began watering her flower garden. Thousands of pots of marigolds, sunflowers, and chrysanthemums were neatly arranged, their plants growing lush and green, with newly sprouted, round buds. Mrs. Hien said that she waters for about an hour each morning, takes a break at noon, and checks around in the afternoon, watering any pots that are dry. "Right now, the flowers are forming buds; we have to keep the plants healthy and the buds round so they will bloom beautifully around the 27th or 28th of Tet," Mrs. Hien said, adjusting a marigold pot that had tilted at the base.
Besides her 5 acres of rice paddies, this Tet holiday, Mrs. Hien planted 150 pots of sunflower chrysanthemums, 550 pots of marigolds (3 plants per pot), 400 pots of morning glory and diamond chrysanthemums, and about 2,800 pots of marigolds, a small amount of each to make them easier to sell. “Customers now like variety. Older people prefer traditional marigolds, while younger people like diamond chrysanthemums and sunflower chrysanthemums because they look neat and have bright colors. By planting many varieties, customers have something to choose from, making it easier to sell. Some of the flowers are cut and sold from the 15th day of the 12th lunar month to help cover the cost of fertilizer and pesticides,” Mrs. Hien said.
For many years, An Khuong hamlet has been the Tet flower hub of An Giang province. Every Tet holiday, the hamlet's residents supply the market with over 250,000 baskets of various flowers. Popular varieties include sunflowers, marigolds, chrysanthemums, lucky bamboo, and various ornamental chrysanthemums. Thanks to this diverse selection, An Khuong flowers are sold not only within the hamlet but also in district and provincial markets, as well as neighboring areas.
Not far from Mrs. Hien's house, Ms. Dao My Duyen's flower garden is also lush and green, with newly sprouted buds neatly arranged. This year, she planted several hundred pots of lucky bamboo, rough-leaved chrysanthemums, and about 8,000 pots of marigolds. Notably, she and her husband created a highlight by planting marigolds with seven stems in a large pot. "A pot with seven stems looks full and elegant, and lasts longer because all the stems are carefully tended. Customers really like this type, especially businesses or those who place them in front of their shops," Ms. Duyen said.
According to Ms. Duyen, input costs have increased by about 20% this year. “DAP is now around 1.4 million VND/bag, compared to only 1.1 million VND last year. Potassium has also gone up to 750,000 VND/bag. Growing medium, plastic pots, and seeds have all increased accordingly. Farmers in the hamlet anticipate having to slightly increase flower prices to make a profit,” Ms. Duyen said.
The price of common marigolds last year was around 60,000 VND per pot, but this year it could go up to 80,000 - 90,000 VND per pot. Large pots with paired plants are expected to cost around 600,000 VND, while pots with 7 plants will cost more depending on size and pot shape. As for chrysanthemums, wholesale prices are around 60,000 VND per pair, but due to unpredictable weather, out of 200 pots she planted, only about 100 survived. Many customers bought the flowers when they were still budding. "They buy them early to take care of them, as a hobby. Selling early helps avoid having too much stock closer to Tet, reducing pressure," Ms. Duyen said.
In Long Thanh commune, the atmosphere of flower cultivation is equally bustling. Besides traditional marigolds, Mr. and Mrs. Dao Canh Bich are also growing 5,000 pots of red chrysanthemums this year, a new variety they're trying for the first time. "If you keep growing the same old varieties, customers get bored. We have to innovate; something new will pique people's curiosity and make them come to our garden to see," Mr. Bich shared. To ensure the chrysanthemums thrive, he uses electric lights at night to regulate the plants' photoperiod. "Red chrysanthemums need stable light. Using lights helps the plants grow evenly and buds appear at the right time. The flowers are just forming buds now, and they look good; they'll be beautiful when they bloom for Tet," Mr. Bich explained.
According to flower growers, diversifying varieties is not only for easier sales but also a way to reduce risk. When the weather is unpredictable or one type of flower has problems, there are still other varieties to compensate. Diversifying the types, pot sizes, and sales methods—from selling early when the flowers are still buds to selling when they are in full bloom—helps to create a more flexible cash flow.
DANG LINH
Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/da-dang-giong-hoa-tet-a475029.html
Comment (0)