Nghia Dan farmers busy with Tet flower season

Mr. Nguyen Anh Quyet in Hamlet 8, Nghia Hoi Commune has over 10 years of experience growing Tet flowers. With 5 sao of land converted from rice cultivation, he grows 50,000 - 60,000 chrysanthemums of all kinds, earning an income of 80 - 100 million VND/Tet crop, much higher than growing rice.

As an experienced flower grower, Mr. Quyet grows flowers all year round, 3 to 4 crops to sell on full moon days and holidays; for Tet, he pays special attention to care, catching pests, spraying root and branch stimulants and warming the flowers so they bloom on time.

Mr. Quyet shared that this year, the prolonged cold and rain has affected the growth of the flowers, making the quality of the plants not as good as in previous years. However, with careful investment, his flowers have grown evenly, more assured than some other households.

Gardeners are busy taking care of flowers to supply them in time for Tet. Photo: Minh Thai

Currently, the entire Nghia Hoi commune has 1.5 hectares of Tet flower growing area; in addition to chrysanthemums, people also grow gladiolus, gerbera, roses... to serve Tet. According to Mr. Dau Khac Long - Chairman of Nghia Hoi Commune People's Committee, the demand for Tet flowers in the commune is very large, most gardeners sell as much as they grow, without worrying about unsold goods. Growing flowers brings in 3-4 times more income than other crops, so people are very excited.

If in previous years, the focus on growing flowers for Tet sale was only scattered in some communes such as Nghia Hoi, Nghia Binh, Nghia Khanh..., this year, most communes in Nghia Dan district grow flowers; on average, each commune has about 4 - 5 sao, mainly Da Lat chrysanthemums, Hanoi chrysanthemums... because these are the types of flowers favored by the market.

Most flower growers consider this time, flower care is very important, depending on the growing time to take care of the flowers so they bloom in time for Tet.

Some flower areas bloom early to serve the full moon and first day of the lunar month. Photo: Bich Hang

According to Ms. Nguyen Thi Oanh in Hong Khanh hamlet, Nghia Khanh commune, every day she listens to weather forecast information to be proactive in taking care of flowers. If it is warm and sunny, she must cover to slow down the growth rate; if it is cold, she must cover and turn on electricity to promote rapid growth. Particularly,For chrysanthemums, you must regularly check the growth rate and regularly pinch the tops so that the plant develops many branches.

Observing the way people plant and care for flowers, we can see their ingenuity. Flower growing requires meticulousness, diligence and is quite hard work. However, the economic value that farmers bring in compensates for their hardships when planting and caring for flowers.

Currently, according to flower sellers in Nghia Dan, they still have to import large quantities from other localities, while transporting flowers often causes them to break or be crushed, so it is necessary to have enough flowers in the area to meet consumer demand.