growing · February · 1 min read
Top Tips for a Cutting Patch
The shortest, bossiest advice you'll read on planning a first cutting patch. Start here, then layer in the nuance.
Our top tips for having your own cutting patch — drawn directly from the pages of my book Seed to Vase.
If you're just starting out, here's the shortest, bossiest advice I can give you:
1. Start smaller than you think you should
Most people go too big in year one. A productive 3m × 5m patch will give you more blooms than you can pick. A 20m patch will give you weeds.
2. Pick ten varieties, not fifty
Ten generous, productive varieties done well will out-produce fifty things you sow once and never pick. My top-ten for beginners is in this post.
3. Plan in succession
Sow the same thing three or four times, two to three weeks apart. That's how you extend the season from weeks to months.
4. Grow what you actually want to pick
If you don't love it, you won't cut it. If you don't cut it, the plant stops making new flowers. Pick what you love and pick it often.
5. Support goes in BEFORE the plants need it
Cornflowers, dahlias, larkspur, sweet peas — all of them flop without help. Stake early.
6. Cut early in the morning
Flowers hold their hydration better cut before 9am. Use a clean bucket of fresh cold water. Condition in a cool room for at least two hours before you arrange.
🌱 Want to go deeper? Each February I run a free Cut Flower Challenge — three live masterclasses to help you plan your patch for the year. Join the free challenge or grab a copy of Seed to Vase, the book that started it all.
For hands-on support through a full growing year, have a look at the Seed to Vase course or The Best Bunch Membership.
