DAHLIA ACADEMY
Growing dahlias for profit doesn't have to be a frustrating experience
Stop playing the dahlia growing game on hard mode and join dahlia hybridizer and flower farmer LeeAnn Huber of Coseytown Flowers to get equipped with the scientific insights and evidence-based solutions you need in the first course designed specifically for your needs and pain points as a monetized grower.
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| • | Monetizing Dahlias: Growing for Profit is about identifying and confidently addressing the challenges and opportunities faced when cultivating dahlias as a field-grown crop. We focus on the management practices, problem solving techniques and product recommendations best suited to your situation - growing dahlias for profit! While sales, marketing and business admin are all important factors for a sound business, please note that our focus here is on production topics and the growing season! |
| "Coseytown's Monetizing Dahlias series packs a serious informational punch. Condensed, convenient and straightforward, it's the perfect resource for anyone looking to expand their dahlia growing knowledge. The course walks you through how to set yourself up for planting, growing and harvesting success while troubleshooting along the way. As a seasoned flower farmer with lots of practical and coursework experience, investing in the Monetizing Dahlias series was one of the best investments I've made." -Amanda Green | Yonderyear Farm |
What's Included...
| • | A streaming video series with over four hours of on-point instruction on key growing topics that will directly impact your bottom line - all delivered by a skilled educator, full-time monetized grower, seasoned dahlia expert and your trusted resource, LeeAnn Huber of Coseytown Flowers |
| • | Downloadable Handouts + Resource Lists covering dozens of products, tools and knowledge resources that we rely on in our own operation. |
| • | Answers to common questions posed by real growers like you. |
| "LeeAnn is the dahlia expert I turn to when I have dahlia issues. Her high standards in hybridizing, plant health and virus testing have all built my trust in her. Add to that her honesty, approachability and 'real-life' solutions -- I would absolutely recommend her as a resource for all things dahlia. If you're serious about growing dahlias, this is the course to take. 10/10 recommendation." -Erin Simmons | Handpicked Homestead |
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Who It's For:
| • | This course was made specifically for monetized growers, irrespective of years of experience or operational scale, who value their time and want to prioritize investing in the health, growth and success of their crops and their business. If you grow dahlias in the field for profit, this course is for you. And what you'll learn here can be applied or readily adapted to the benefit of your other ornamental crops too! |
| "This series was jam packed with so much information and was worth its weight in gold! I have had my fair share of struggles and the info in this course helped my entire farm not just my dahlias. I am so glad I invested into learning from LeeAnn! She is a wealth of knowledge and the education I learned about caring for my dahlias has saved me years of figuring the management out on my own. " -Belinda Briscoe | The Wildflower Cottage "The Monetizing Dahlias series by LeeAnn Huber of Coseytown Flowers was FABULOUS!!!!! I have been growing dahlias en masse for eight years and gained very valuable information from this course. Each lesson was thoughtfully presented with great scientifically based information. I would highly recommend this series to both the novice and the experienced grower! Thank you LeeAnn for sharing your wealth of knowledge surrounding growing dahlias!" -Brenda Depew | Mrs. D's Dahlias "Coseytown's Monetizing Dahlias series is chock full of information. The amazing thing about this series is that it is beneficial not only for growing dahlias but for growing any kind of crop. The information was presented logically, with great visuals, and in a format that the novice could readily understand." -Holly Norton | Fernstrom Fields |
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| • | Studious gardeners and enthusiastic learners with a few seasons of relevant growing experience will also find plenty of useful knowledge they can adapt to their own context. Please note that basic floriculture knowledge is assumed and topics like landscape gardening and container growing are not covered. |
“LeeAnn’s Monetizing Dahlias course is exceptional. I have pages of notes! The information that I learned about dahlia nutrition definitely saved my dahlias late in the season this year. LeeAnn shares tricks about weeding and pests that I will for sure implement in my field next year. Her resource links are a wealth of information, along with her own personal research that she shares about what dahlias need. I would recommend this course to every single dahlia grower. Thanks LeeAnn!"
- Autry Cataldo | Little Flower Farm
“If this is the beginning of Coseytown's Dahlia Academy, I'm onboard. Whether you are growing for profit or a dahlia geek growing for pleasure, I'd recommend these courses. LeeAnn is a pleasant presenter to listen to, and knowledgeable in her field (pardon the pun!) on a number of levels. LeeAnn is an experienced grower with a broad knowledge base and education -- and a wide variety of life and business experience. If you are serious about learning and willing to put your brain to work, this is for you."
- Ann Kersh | The Little Flower Growers
“The Monetizing Dahlias series introduced me to methods of managing my dahlia field I wasn’t yet familiar with and made me re-evaluate some of the ones I already use. The course presented actionable strategies to improve the health and productivity of my dahlias as soon as this season and into the years beyond. I believe these steps will make a big difference in my dahlia growing and I appreciate LeeAnn sharing her wealth of knowledge with the dahlia community! I can't wait for the next series of courses!"
- Kristin Starin | Starlit Dahlias
What We're About
Farming is all about growth, and we're here to meet you where you're at on the journey. We believe real transformation is achieved through continual growth in knowledge and practice and aren't about dispensing one-size-fits-all prescriptions or what-works-for-us advice as gospel. We're in to partnering rather than patronizing, and assisting rather than admonishing, because when you have Coseytown in your corner
You're in a Safe Place to Grow!
More On What's Covered:
| > | Pest Management: Thrips Thrips continue to be the pest with the most economic damage. From loss of saleable blooms, to being the main vector of virus transmission, having a pest management plan to control thrips is an absolute MUST. We start with an overview of the elements of comprehensive pest management and then take a deep dive on thrips. Master this and you'll be able to ready and able to apply the management concepts learned here into effectively managing other insect pests too. If you don’t have a plan, or it needs an overhaul, it’s time to get this started. |
| > | Weed Management and Field Infrastructure How many times have you wanted to quit farming in August? Go ahead, be honest; I’ll raise my hand too. You want to maximize profitability during peak cut flower season and lower your labor during these hot months, and having a suitable system in place will lead to a much better bloom harvest season. This will not only improve stem and bloom quality, but will also impact tuber growth as well. Set yourself up for success now. |
| > | Disease Management: Fungus and Mildew Prevention Late-season months are routinely the highest grossing sales months for fresh cut dahlias (hello weddings!), but fungal diseases will sneak in like a party crasher and quickly corrupt the quality of your crop. However, you want to act earlier in the season to maintain bloom quality and profitability later on in the fall. It's time to UNINVITE these (not) fun-guys from the party. |
| > | Dahlia Nutrition Chances are your plants need some groceries... and getting the right balance of both macro and micro nutrients present and available to them is critical to the health and development of thriving dahlias. Feed these profitable workhorses right so they produce abundant blooms and ample tubers and they'll make a impact on your bottom line too! |
Course Outline
Pest Management: Thrips
- Pest Management 101
- The Thrip Life Cycle
- Thrip Damage Identification
- Virus Transmission
- Monitoring & Management
- Control Options
Weed Management and Field Infrastructure
- 100% Defensive Mode
- Best Case vs. Real Life
- Weed Management 201
- Dahlia Support Options
- Drip Irrigation
- Planning Next Season
Disease Management: Fungus and Mildew Prevention
- Common Fungal Diseases
- Powdery Mildew
- Botrytis
- Fungicide Resistance
- Control Options
- Management Priorities
Dahlia Nutrition
- Macro and Micro Nutrients
- Reading a Soil Test
- What Do Dahlias Need?
- Fertilization Options
- Nutrient Deficiency or Disease?
Meet Your Instructor
LeeAnn Huber of Coseytown Flowers is a dahlia hybridizer, educator, flower farmer and entrepreneur. LeeAnn's passion for lifelong learning and applying evidenced based approaches in an agricultural context is embodied in her daily mantra ‘Every day is a school day!’ LeeAnn can be found sharing her expertise on all things dahlias across a variety of venues including as a guest educator with internationally renowned Longwood Gardens, as a subject matter expert and thought leader on various floriculture channels and podcasts, and through Coseytown Flowers website, social channels and educational offerings.
LeeAnn, who’s agricultural heritage spans many generations in the mid-Atlantic region, was raised on a beef cattle farm specializing in cattle breeding. LeeAnn graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Animal Sciences and International Agriculture before starting a successful career in Sales and Marketing.
Following her promotion to motherhood, LeeAnn left the corporate world and formally incorporated Coseytown Flowers in 2015, turning a hobbyist’s daydream into a full-time business.
Located among the gently rolling hills of Greencastle, PA, dahlias were a focal point for Coseytown’s local cut flower sales from the beginning and it wasn’t long before LeeAnn began a hybridization program to cultivate her own line of dahlias bred specifically for cut flower production - Coseytown Cut Flower Dahlias - which are sold throughout the United States and Canada.
