Cut-Flower Stems & Marketable Yield per Crop
Counts gerbera
Enter plant density, area, stems per plant and a marketable percentage to get gross and marketable stems — so you can plan sales for gerbera, carnation, rose and chrysanthemum.
Project your stem yield
Next: plan packing and sales for ~10,200 grade-out stems a year from 800 plants; pre-sell bunches or contract a florist/wholesaler before peak flush.
Stems/plant/year and marketable share vary hugely by species, succession sowing and post-harvest handling; cool-store and clean cutting raise the marketable grade-out.
Cut-flower yield — key facts
- Plants
- density × area
- Gross stems
- plants × stems per plant
- Marketable stems
- gross × marketable %
- Gerbera
- ≈ 30–45 stems/plant/yr
- Carnation
- ≈ 8–15 stems/plant/yr
- Marketable %
- ≈ 80–90% under cover
- Protected cultivation
- lifts density & quality
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser; nothing uploaded
Sold by the stem — so count the saleable ones
Cut flowers earn per stem, not per plant or per kilo. So the yield that matters is plants × stems per plant per year, trimmed to the stems a buyer will actually take — the straight, long, blemish-free ones. Gross production overstates the prize; the marketable percentage brings it back to reality. Protected cultivation matters here because it lifts both planting density and the share of stems that grade as saleable.
This tool gives the plant count, gross stems, marketable stems and area from your density, stems per plant and quality. Use it to plan sales, stagger plantings to market peaks, and size a polyhouse investment. Pair it with the Flower Yield, Plant Spacing & Population and Polyhouse ROI tools for a full floriculture plan.
Count the saleable stems
Marketable %, not gross, is what earns.
Plan your sales
Stagger plantings against stem numbers.
Size the polyhouse
See the extra marketable stems under cover.
Any flower or area
Gerbera to rose, m² to hectares.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a cut-flower stem yield calculator?+
It estimates how many flower stems a cut-flower crop produces. Because gerbera, carnation, rose and chrysanthemum are sold by the stem, yield = plants × stems per plant per year. A marketable percentage then trims gross stems down to the saleable ones — the figure that actually earns money.
How is cut-flower yield calculated?+
Plants = density × area, gross stems = plants × stems per plant per year, and marketable stems = gross stems × marketable %. For example 6 gerbera plants/m² over 1000 m² is 6000 plants; at about 40 stems per plant a year that's 240,000 gross stems, and at 85% marketable roughly 204,000 saleable stems.
Why does the marketable percentage matter?+
Buyers only pay for stems that are straight, long enough, blemish-free and at the right stage. Bent, short, diseased or pest-damaged stems are culls. The marketable percentage — often 80–90% under good protected cultivation, lower in the open — is what separates gross production from the stems you can actually invoice.
How many stems does each crop give per plant?+
It varies with crop and conditions: gerbera around 30–45 stems per plant a year, carnation roughly 8–15, greenhouse rose about 100–200 stems per m² per year, and chrysanthemum typically one flush of stems per planting. Enter the stems-per-plant figure for your variety and growing system.
How does protected cultivation change yield?+
A polyhouse or shade net lifts both planting density and quality: plants are spaced tighter, stems grow straighter and longer with fewer weather blemishes, and the season extends. That raises stems per plant and the marketable percentage together — which is why most premium cut-flower production is under cover.
What planting density should I use?+
Use your crop's recommended density: gerbera around 6–7 plants/m², carnation 25–35 plants/m² in beds, greenhouse rose by bush spacing, chrysanthemum 30–60 plants/m² depending on pinching. The calculator multiplies density by area, so enter the density your spacing plan gives — see the Plant Spacing & Population tool to derive it.
Can I use this to plan sales and revenue?+
Yes — marketable stems times your average price per stem is your gross revenue, and you can stagger plantings against the stem numbers to hit market peaks. Combine it with the Polyhouse ROI Calculator to weigh the investment in protected cultivation against the extra marketable stems it delivers.
Does it work for any flower or area unit?+
Yes — it suits gerbera, carnation, rose, chrysanthemum and other stem-sold flowers; just enter the right density, stems per plant and marketable percentage. Area can be in m², acres, hectares, bigha or guntha, so it fits a small polyhouse bay or a full field.
Are the figures precise?+
They are sound planning figures. Real stem counts move with variety, light, temperature, nutrition, pest and disease pressure and grading standards. Track actual stems per plant and your true marketable percentage over a cycle, then feed those back in to sharpen the next plan.