Between 1990 and 1996, sales for cut flowers like daisies increased by $95 million, providing ample business opportunity for those with daisy growers education and training. Not just anyone can hop on the bandwagon and succeed as one of America's many daisy growers, but by focusing on the right information, your bulk daisies business can thrive.
There are a number of ways to learn how to grow and sell daisies in bulk. Ideally, you'll use them all, increasing your chances of success by becoming more knowledgeable than your competitors. These opportunities for education include:
1. Getting a formal horticulture education, with an emphasis on growing bulk daisies,
2. Studying tutorials with information about daisies,
3. And joining organizations for daisy growers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Acquire information about daisies through reliable tutorials

Whether you want to sell wholesale gerbera daisies or common daisies, there is a vast number of websites and books with tips and tutorials about daisy growing. To ensure you learn only the most reliable techniques, look for information from seed companies or noted experts in the field before you purchase daisy materials.

I recommend: Main Street Seed and Supply offers brief but pertinent information about growing daisies from seed, typical of the sort of tutorials offered by seed companies. Daisy Paradise also offers botanical information about daisies, propagation methods and more.

Join organizations for horticulturists and those selling retail and wholesale daisies

Among the many gardening and plant associations found in the United States, there are a few focusing on cut flowers like daisies. Whether you wish to sell or buy daisies in bulk, joining such groups allows for ongoing education, access to the latest information about new hybrids and training in the newest propagation and growing methods.

I recommend: The Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers offers training, ongoing education and promotion for those who grow daisies and other cut flowers. The California Cut Flower Commission is an educational and marketing group for daisy and other cut flower growers.

Seek formal daisy growers education and training

Although a college degree isn't necessary in order to successfully grow and sell daisies, it can be extremely helpful. Many colleges throughout the United States offer horticulture classes and degrees, and many distance learning colleges provide courses in all aspects of horticulture, including raising perennials like daisies. Some even offer classes in how to grow and buy daisies wholesale.

I recommend: Cornell University's Department of Horticulture offers distance training in a number of areas, including propagation and organic gardening. ACS Distance Education provides a wide variety of horticulture classes, including those focusing on perennials like daisies, wholesale nursery, propagation and plant protection.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you grow or buy daisies, you'll most often hear the flower referred to by this common name. However, other common names for 'Bellis perennis' include bruisewort and brainwort.

Daisies are one of the most popular flowers in the US, often considered the "happiest" flower. They are requested for weddings, proms and other events as well as general flower giving, thanks to their casual and nostalgic nature, ability to blend with just about any other flower and ease of matching them to any color scheme. Daisy growers offer bulk daisies, wholesale daisies and wholesale Gerbera daisies, giving you a range of daisy options for your floral business.

Choose from miniature daisies or full-sized blooms in multiple colors, including the brilliant Gerberas (a member of the daisy family). To find the best daisy growers and purchase the daisy varieties most popular with your customers, you should:

1. Survey your customers about the sizes and colors of daisy they prefer to help you determine which ones to offer in your floral shop.

2. Purchase daisies or daisy seed from a reputable daisy grower that offers quick service and quality guarantees.

3. Ask for wholesale daisy flowers, shipping discounts and other deals to save money and in turn pass the savings on to your customers.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Decide on varieties and colors before you buy daisies

Before looking for a daisy grower, you should narrow down the varieties of daisies you want to offer. If you want to leave your options open, find a daisy grower with several varieties and a quick shipping policy to get you custom orders fast. If you have the room or a greenhouse, consider ordering daisy seeds and growing them yourself.

I recommend: Check out the Society of American Florists to find out the latest trends in daisies, including colors, breeds, arrangements. Meet growers of a wide range of flowers at the Society's annual conference. Visit the Flower Expert for the most popular varieties of daisies and the meanings of the different colors.

Buy daisies from a reputable daisy grower

When looking for a daisy supplier, find one with a large variety of daisies that are fresh cut. You want a grower who has been in the business awhile and can offer solid references. If you are looking for custom daisies, find a company offering genetically modified daisies for decorative purposes only, not edible.

I recommend: Emerald Farms, Inc. offers some of the most beautiful daisy varieties and colors available, including the ever popular Gerberas. They not only ship them directly to you quickly, they also offer advanced standing orders for the next year's available daisies. Buy daisies online at Wedding Flower Shop, a member of the Society of American Florists (SAF), and have them shipped directly to your shop from their farms.

Ask for wholesale daisies, shipping discounts and other deals to save money

Don't be afraid to ask for discounts or buy daisies in bulk through a wholesale daisy grower. You should be entitled to discounts if the daisies are not fresh cut, if it's the end of the season, if you are purchasing a large quantity or if you offer to pick up the daisies instead of have them delivered.

I recommend: Agrotropical offers a large variety of wholesale flowers in every style and color, including daisies. You can ensure they are fresh because they are shipped directly from the farm to your business. The Grower's Box offers wholesale daisies in bulk to save you the most money per stem.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Daisies are incredibly versatile and popular. If you have the space, order extras to feature in your coolers for 'grab-and-go' customers who are in a hurry or for those quick, last minute arrangements. Encourage customers looking for a casual yet thoughtful and old-fashioned bouquet to grab a bunch of daisies from your cooler and tie them with a simple ribbon.

Daisies are those long-stemmed flowers that bloom best between the spring and the fall seasons. Daisy growers can choose from multiple seed varieties to plant in flower beds or in trays if growing indoors. Daisies stand out as "cheerful" flowers, thanks to their bold and bright white, yellow, orange, purple, red and pink petal colors. Their colors add value to any garden or floral arrangement, and ease of planting makes daisies a perfect crop for beginning daisy growers to try.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Shasta, Painted, Black-Eyed Susan and African daisies

Although several varieties of daisies exist, the Shasta, Painted, African and Black-Eyed Susan are the most popular daisies to grow. Shasta daisies have white petals with yellow centers. Painted daisies are either pink, yellow, red, white, orange or purple with yellow centers. African daisies come in orange, yellow and white shades with dark brown centers. The Black-Eyed Susan is identified by its yellow flowers and domed, brown center.

I recommend: Review the differences among the Shasta, African, Painted and Black-Eyed Susan daisies at TheFlowerExpert. Garden Guides also features information about the most common daisies.

Hardy perennials

While some daisies, such as the African variety, are annuals, most other daisies are perennials. Perennials bloom, or renew, for three seasons or more once they are planted.

I recommend: Heritage Perennials provides basic information about long-lasting perennials, such as daisies. Perennials are listed by their genus names. The University of Illinois Extension features a guide to planting and caring for perennials, such as the Black-Eyed Susan.

Broadcast seeding

Daisies can be planted by scattering seed into the soil, also known as broadcast seeding. Broadcast seeding involves scattering plant seeds over a large space by hand or by using equipment such as a spreader. Daisy seeds should appear as clumps in a flowerbed, or if starting indoors, be planted in flower trays or pots.

I recommend: Horizon Seeding explains the broadcast seeding method on its website. Find further information on broadcast seeding techniques at Ecosystem Restoration.

Full sun

Daisies and other perennials must be planted in full sun, which simply means the seeds must be placed in direct sunlight in order for the flowers to grow.

I recommend: Gardening-tips-perennials.com advises on the best times for perennials to get sunlight, as well as how to care for them by maintaining proper soil and moisture content. Tips on light, watering, soil draining and spacing can also be found at Gorge Top Gardens.

Phosphorus

Some gardening experts recommend applying nutrient-rich fertilizers to ensure healthy daisy blooms. Most daisy growers use phosphorus-based fertilizers to promote flower growth.

I recommend: Gardening-Advisor discusses the differences between phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium fertilizers for flowers. Clean Air Gardening also features articles on phosphorus and other types of fertilizers.

Hardiness zones

Daisy growers should determine their area's hardiness zones before planting flowers. The hardiness zone refers to a plant or flower's ability to survive in specific geographic locations and weather conditions. On average, daisies and other perennials usually grow in zones 3 through 11, or in cool to warm temperatures.

I recommend: The United States National Arboretum, in association with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents a color-coded map of plant hardiness zones, according to region.