Farmers in Quynh Luu district diligently sow Tet flowers

At night in Hong Phu flower village, Quynh Hong commune, the electric lights brightly illuminate the entire area. Along with that, people take advantage of the time to go to the fields to sow and take care of Tet flowers. Under the light of electric bulbs, Mrs. Ho Thi Hang in Hamlet 3, Quynh Hong commune, is focusing on sowing 7,000 yellow chrysanthemums.

Mrs. Hang said, "Annually, when the end of the 9th month of the lunar year approaches, our family starts sowing Tet flowers. In recent days, the daytime weather has been sunny, which is not very favorable for sowing. Therefore, taking advantage of the night, I go to the fields to sow and take care of the flowers, ensuring they take root quickly. In 3 days, our family has planted 3,000 chrysanthemums plants, and the remaining 4,000 will be completed in the coming days. For the newly planted flower beds, we often water them and use covers to shield them from the sun to prevent the flowers from wilting. After 3 - 3.5 months of planting, we will be able to harvest the flowers."

According to flower-growing households, this year the price of flower seeds has decreased, so people in the area are excitedly expanding their planting areas. Last year, each flower seedling was priced at VND 530, but this year it has dropped to VND 400 each.

Mrs. Tran Thi Quang, a flower-grower in Hong Phu village, Quynh Hong commune, shared that this year her family planted 10,000 seedlings of chrysanthemums, and the amount spent was VND 4 million, which is VND 1.3 million less than last year. Due to the reduced seed prices, people in the region are all expanding their planting areas. In addition, many households have also brought in various other flower varieties such as lilies, orchids, and various colored daisies.

Based on the experience of the locals, in recent years, after sowing flowers for 3 - 5 days, they start to hang electric bulbs to stimulate the desired growth of the flowers. This method also provides warmth to the flowers when the weather turns cold. Once the flowers have grown well, people stop using the light bulbs.

Mr. Ho Huu Khang, a flower grower in Hong Phu village, Quynh Hong commune, said, "For this flower crop, our family planted 10,000 seedlings of yellow chrysanthemums. After sowing for 3 days, we hung electric bulbs all over the fields to provide light and stimulate flower growth. The amount spent on electric bulbs was about VND 3 million, and if stored well, they can be used for many crops.

"Experience over the past years has shown that using electric bulbs for lighting helps the flowers grow well, with fewer pests and larger blooms. When the flowers reach the budding stage, we stop using the lights so that the flowers bloom right in time for Tet. According to weather forecasts, this year's cold weather is expected to arrive later, so it's likely that households will stop using the lights sooner than in previous years," Mr. Khang shared.

Hong Phu flower village currently has more than 200 flower-growing households, of which 130 households specialize in flower cultivation. Entering this flower season, people are preparing conditions for land, seeds, and techniques, while introducing new flower varieties to increase their value, such as lilies, tulips, roses, marigolds, and azaleas.

Mr. Le Sy Thanh - Chairman of the People's Committee of Quynh Hong Commune (Quynh Luu) shared: The profession of flower cultivation in the locality has existed for a long time. From just a few households growing flowers, it has now developed to hundreds of households. In particular, the experience of flower cultivation among the locals has also been enhanced by applying scientific and technical advances to production. From the flower cultivation profession, each year the locals earn from VND 50 - 100 million.

Currently, Quynh Luu district has over 12 hectares of flower-growing areas concentrated in Quynh Bang, Quynh Hong, Quynh Chau, An Hoa... Every Tet holiday season, millions of flower roots of various types are supplied to the market from this area, bringing in high income for the local people.

Viet Hung