Practical Horticulture Meets Smart Market Decisions at Huhu Gardens

Season 3 Episode 1: In this episode of Flower Farming in New Zealand, Jo Robinson chats with Mike Foster from Huhu Gardens in Huntly, a grower who has built a successful flower business by combining practical horticulture knowledge with smart market decisions.Mike shares his journey from nursery work and dairy farming to commercial flower farming, explains how his unique microclimate influences what he grows, and dives deep into practical production strategies for ranunculus, anemones, hydrangeas, and marigolds.The conversation covers everything from greenhouse design and plant spacing to selling through wholesalers, giving listeners real-world insights into running a profitable flower farm in New Zealand.Whether you're a new grower, an experienced flower farmer, or simply love learning about how flowers are produced, this episode is packed with valuable advice.In This Episode Jo and Mike discuss:How Huhu Gardens got its memorable nameMike’s journey from nursery growing to milking 800 cows to running a flower farmTransitioning from export hydrangeas to selling foliage locallyWhy ranunculus and anemones are valuable early-season cropsThe tunnel house setup that produces longer, high-quality stemsGrowing marigolds for the wholesale marketSelling flowers through wholesalers vs auctionsManaging quality control and reputation in the flower marketWhy foliage can sometimes be more profitable than flowersGrowing in a warm Huntly microclimate (with bananas and citrus!)The importance of volume, consistency, and market demandWhy new flower farmers should talk to wholesalers before plantingLessons learned from 20+ years in the flower industryEpisode Chapters00:00 Introduction00:02 Meet Mike Foster from Huhu Gardens02:50 From nursery work to dairy farming to flower farming04:00 Early crops: callas, statice, and hydrangeas05:00 Growing ranunculus and anemones in tunnels07:00 Plant spacing and production volumes10:00 Tunnel house design and microclimate mesh13:00 Seasonal crop schedule at Huhu Gardens15:00 Growing the Coco series marigolds16:40 Hydrangeas: export markets and shifting to foliage19:00 Selling through wholesalers vs auctions21:00 Maintaining quality and grower reputation24:00 Hydrangea production and shade growing28:00 Chiller management and flower storage30:00 Rainfall and climate differences across NZ33:00 Summer weather challenges and storms36:00 Growing gypsophila and amaranthus40:00 Ranunculus production tips and disease management44:00 Using shade cloth in tunnels46:00 Advice for new flower farmers50:00 Lessons from decades in flower farming54:00 Growing lavender and enjoying the farmAbout the PodcastFlower Farming in New Zealand explores the realities of growing flowers commercially across New Zealand’s diverse climates. Hosted by Jo Robinson, the podcast features growers, florists, and industry experts sharing practical advice and real experiences.________________________________________🌷 Follow & ListenIf you enjoy the episode:Follow the podcast on SpotifySubscribe on YouTubeShare with another flower growerConnect with Our Sponsors: Freshcut Flower Wholesalers. Follow them on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/freshcutflowerwholesalers/Support Our Work!Don’t forget, if you like the way we are connecting the NZ Flower Farming Community, you can support our work by:· Advertising in an episode· Sponsoring an episode or a season or you can · Buy us a Coffee (make a donation) following this link ⁠https://coff.ee/flowerfarmersinnz⁠Music Credit: Credit for some of the music in this episode goes to Shane Ivers - Happy Clappy Ukulele Key words:#flowerfarminginNZ#nzflowergrowers#nzflorists#sustainablefloristry#sustainableflowerfarming