In addition to traditional flowers, farmers in Da Nang also grow many new and strangely bred flowers and ornamental plants to meet customer needs and Tet market trends. As recorded in many large flower growing areas such as Hoa Chau, Hoa Lien and Hoa Phong in Hoa Vang District, Da Nang, flower growers are busy taking care of flowers so that that they can bloom at Tet.

To meet a growing market demand, Ms. Le Anh’s flower garden has increased the number of hanging flower pots for the upcoming Tet holiday break. Photo: TRAN TRUC

Besides chrysanthemums, the main flower that accounts for a large number of the Tet flowers, flowers in mini hanging pots have been planted more than ever.

On an area of 4,000 square meters, Mr. Phan Dinh Phung, a farmer working on the Van Duong flower village, Hoa Lien Commune, Hoa Vang District, is planting more than 20,000 pots of diverse flowers such as deer eyes, begonias and sunflowers.

Mr. Phung said that he does not grow chrysanthemums like most other households in the area because he does not have experience, so he is growing new varieties with fewer risks. These flowers are sourced from the West with the characteristics of being easy to grow, less susceptible to diseases and no need for spraying.

In particular, Torenia temptation mix is the newest flower to be planted in the garden with bright colours and can be kept for a long time. They are still fresh after a month of Tet.

In addition, other types of flowers also have good sales and have been a market trend over the past 2 years.Accordingly, consumer tastes are leaning towards brightly coloured flowers such as yellow, red, purple and are characterized by long-lasting colour and freshness and the compact shape that can be placed on a table or hung, suitable for campuses and narrow spaces.

At the Go Giang flower village, Duong Lam 2 village, Hoa Phong Commune, Hoa Vang District, thousands of Tet flower pots are being diligently cared for by gardeners. In the garden of more than 1.5 hectares owned by Ms. Le Anh, there is a model of growing flowers in hanging pots using high technology and vibrant colours. To serve the increased demand of the market during Tet, her garden had to increase the number to more than 70,000 pots, an increase of 30% compared to the previous year, with more than 20 types of flowers such as petunias, apricot flowers and begonias. 

Ms. Le Anh said, “This year, I planted Korean raspberry chrysanthemums with outstanding red colour to serve customers. This is also a new type of flower in Da Nang, while it has been popular in the Western market for two years now. We have planted this type of flowers in 5,000 pots but such a number still not enough to meet customer needs. Therefore, next year, the garden is expected to increase the number and invest in a wire watering system for this type of flower. On the other hand, in today’s market, flowers in hanging pots are rapidly increasing in consumption and are loved by customers. In order for flowers to have beautiful colours and stay fresh for a long time, gardeners are required to choose high-quality flower varieties as well as master the technical process of each type. Currently, flowers of all kinds in mini hanging pots are priced ranging from VND30,000 to VND50,000/pot".

Meanwhile, in the concentrated flower production area of Duong Son Flower Production Cooperative Group located in Hoa Chau Commune, flower growers have increased the number of many types of flowers. They regularly innovate quality flower varieties such as Mokara orchids, petunia hanging flowers, roses, bougainvillea flowers, bell flowers and feng shui decorative plants.

Mr. Ly Phuoc Dang, the Head of Duong Son Flower Production Cooperative Group, informed that the group has 21 flower growers. High-tech flower growing requires farmers to have knowledge and experience in applying science and technology so that flowers grow well and bloom on the desired occasion. In this case, about 10,000 hanging flower baskets from the cooperative group will be exported to the market and in the long term, a number of new flower types will continue to be researched, tested and replicated. Thereby, new flower types will gradually replace some popular types that are no longer popular in the market.

Currently, ornamental kumquat trees in Da Nang are being supplied mainly by gardeners in Hoi An. This plant is difficult to grow successfully in Da Nang because of the weather. However, Mr. Nguyen Ba Minh, Khuong My Village, Hoa Phong Commune is known as a successful ornamental kumquat grower with a quantity of 100-150 trees over the past 5 years. This Tet season, Mr. Minh planted more than 150 ornamental kumquat trees on an area of about 500 square meters.

“Growing ornamental kumquats in Da Nang will be more difficult than in other places. If I grow them successfully, it will be a source of motivation for other famers in the city to follow. I have learned the experience of growing ornamental kumquats from relatives who are growing ornamental kumquats in Hoi An which is considered the capital of ornamental kumquats in Central Viet Nam. Because of unfavourable weather, about 30% of the total number of trees was lost. It is expected that this Tet holiday, I will supply the market with nearly 100 pots of ornamental kumquats with the highest price of VND3 million/pot," Mr. Minh said.

According to Head of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Hoa Vang District Le Dinh Ca, this year’s Tet season, chrysanthemums are still the main flower type grown locally. Along with that, the production scale of other flowers put in hanging pots has increased by 20% compared to the previous year. Specifically, there will be more than 114,000 pots of daisies, nearly 120,000 pots of other types of flowers and nearly 50,000 hanging pots of flowers. Local flower production areas supply flowers mainly to the city market and surrounding areas.

The district's agricultural sector will continue supporting seeds as well as focus on investing in infrastructure such as net houses for farmers to grow flowers.  At the same time, the district also encourages farmers to grow new types of flowers and ornamental plants suitable to the local weather and climate factors to keep up with market tastes and bring economic efficiency.

Reporting by TRAN TRUC, THANH NHAN - Translating by A.THU