Ginny Rosenkranz
University of Maryland Cooperative Extension, PO Box 1836, Salisbury, MD 21802

Abstract. The purpose of this study was to determine the growth of annual flowers to produce an edible flower crop on straw mulch in 2005 and black and silver plastic in 2006. The field had been planted in buckwheat and cow peas the previous summer to raise the organic matter and the availability of residual nitrogen, and was planted in a winter cover crop as well. The field was fertilized with organic chicken manure pellets from Perdue according to soil test results. The first year the flowers were grown in two to six inches of straw as a weed barrier with drip irrigation tape for a water source. The flowers were harvested once a week for a month. The second year the same annual flowering plants were planted in raised beds on black and silver plastic with trickle tape for a water source. These flowers were harvested twice a week for a month. The data was compiled and analyzed in an excel program. The results showed that the number and quality of edible flowers grown on the black and silver plastic was higher than those grown on the straw mulch.

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