WildFlowers Australia - For new growers
Getting into wildflower growing
Things you should know
The Wildflower Industry is located throughout regional Australia and many organisations contribute their skills to assisting those looking into setting up a new business venture.
WildFlowers Australia has prepared the general outline 'Getting into wildflower growing - things you should know' which runs you through the basics and provides links to additional sources of information.
There is also a comprehensive guide that walks you through all the research and considerations required before you put a plant in the ground. ‘Getting started in wildflower production – how to grow Australian and South African species for the cut flower market’ is published by the RIRDC. This provides a wealth of information for would-be and new commercial growers of Australian and South African wildflowers. It provides advice aimed at assisting potential wildflower growers to make a realistic assessment of their capacity to enter the industry and be successful. It also provides information on all aspects of setting up a plantation and then the growing, harvesting and postharvest handling of wildflowers (flowers and foliage from native Australian and South African species).
Available as a free download or printed copies available to buy - 
Download From Agrifutures
‘Getting started in wildflower production – how to grow Australian and South African species for the cut flower market’, by Bettina Gollnow, with contributions from industry experts Ross Worrall, Jonathan Lidbetter, Len Tesoriero, David Wood and Bill Yiasoumi. 155 pages.
Contents:
Chapter 1. Introduction
Chapter 2. Is growing wildflowers commercially for you?—a questionnaire
Chapter 3. How plants grow
Chapter 4. Growing Australian native flowers
Chapter 5. Crop snapshots—Australian native species grown commercially in NSW
Chapter 6. Growing proteas and other South African species commercially
Chapter 7. Doing a feasibility study
Chapter 8. Business planning and the costs and economics of growing wildflowers
Chapter 9. Selling your flowers
Chapter 10. Choosing a site for your plantation
Chapter 11. Sourcing plants and seeds
Chapter 12. Setting up your plantation
Chapter 13. Maintaining your crop
Chapter 14. Harvest and postharvest handling
Chapter 15. Recommended reading and sources of information
Chapter 16. Government and industry contacts, consultants & other sources of assistance
Getting into wildflower growing v. 5 2016.pdf
'Tool kit'
A diverse range of tools and publications is available to help new growers develop their wildflower business plan.
New growers (and established growers too) can use them to improve the quality and yield of their crops, improve market presentation and assess and improve their farm and business plans, leading to improved profitability by maximising returns from the current plantation and investment in infrastructure.
The tools and links to them are available at: for-growers-and-value-chain-members/industry-tool-kit-
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Proposed 'getting started' conference
The first conference of this type held in NSW in 2012 was voted a success. Participants welcomed the opportunity to learn new information, build connections with other industry members and see working wildflower farms through a one day conference. Newly established growers and people interested in finding out more about the industry gave positive feedback like:
* ‘As a result of attending, I feel enthusiastic and excited about what can be achieved by growing wildflowers commercially’
and
* ‘Yes, the day provided a great outline of both the good and the bad aspects of commercial growing’’.
WildFlowers Australia invites you to register your interest in a future conference.
The program will give you an overview of what’s involved in setting up a commercial wildflower plantation, what sort of information you need to gather, what the options for your new business are, as well as the basics of managing your new wildflower production area. There will also be visits to established wildflower farms, allowing you to see a range of different wildflower crops in production.
Please register your interest by emailing management@wildflowersaustralia.com.au