"Almost earned enough for a Zhiguli in Soviet times." Pensioner talks about his flower business

Mikhail Korshak and his tulips

His granddaughter Irina helps the founder of the family business with online communication and also promotes the tulips on social media. This is the sixth flower season for the Gomel residents, but in fact, the story began in the eighties of the last century.

"I developed my own algorithm that allows harvesting up to 5,000 flowers per season"

— Tell us, when did you decide to get into floriculture?

— Back in 1983, I first tried to grow a flower. I heard the technology from an agronomist friend. I bought bulbs from him, I don't even remember the exact quantity now. And the flower grew, but it was of poor quality: it was faded because there wasn't enough light. The exact cultivation technology was unknown to me at that time, as there was no internet where one could look up nuances of working with bulbs. So I was happy even with that success, that the flowers grew at all.

The second year, I bought more bulbs. In my mother-in-law's garden, I built a small greenhouse and installed a stove in it. More flowers grew. I even managed to sell them well.

I almost earned enough for a Zhiguli, which at that time cost about 5 thousand rubles. So my income nearly reached that amount.

Only I and one other man traded tulips at the market. Back then, there were no drivers or sellers; we did everything ourselves. We would take out a small suitcase and sell quickly, and people in line would simply ask for more flowers. Tulips were considered a rarity and were in high demand. During one such trade, the secretary of my party organization noticed me and said:

— Petrovich, what are you doing?

— Selling flowers, why?

— What? You're a communist!

At that time, I worked as a foreman at a factory, I was a young specialist. A colleague told me it was speculation. If I were growing cucumbers, that would be a completely different matter! Something similar happened with my wife. Her colleagues from the design institute where she worked at the time saw her, and for some reason, she also felt ashamed. After these events and two seasons, we gave up growing tulips.

Павялічыць

In retirement, I decided to recall the technology, which I improved by studying information online. Over six years, I developed my own algorithm that allows harvesting up to 5,000 flowers per season.

My wife, son, and daughter help me, as do my granddaughter and grandson. I invite everyone who is free. They are also interested, because Grandpa is generous and always rewards them. It's difficult to manage growing even three thousand pieces alone, let alone selling them. My wife and I always trade together at the "Chernigovsky" market, where customers already know us well. People like our flowers, their quality, and also their colors. Our tulips are always fresh. I have refined the technology so much that the flowers grow just in time for the holiday and are ready for cutting exactly by Women's Day, March 8th.

Павялічыць

— What are the approximate costs for purchasing bulbs?

— We looked at the price of bulbs on a marketplace and roughly calculated the amount needed for purchasing. By the way, most often, one bulb lives for one year and produces one flower. 10 pieces cost a little more than 30 rubles. If we imagine that the growing conditions will be ideal and every flower sprouts, then for 5 thousand tulips, bulbs need to be purchased for at least 15 thousand rubles.

Павялічыць

— And what are the risks involved in the flower growing process?

— All floriculturists who grow tulips take some degree of risk. Defects exist in any case, even at the stage of bulb selection. For each variety, there's a certain percentage of culling.

At the second stage, defects appear after planting: some flowers don't sprout.

The third stage is during levitation (active flower growth). Topping (a flower disease) can occur if you miss the soil moisture. If there's not enough light, the flower will be excessively elongated and faded. If the temperature regime is violated, the tulip will be short. There are many diseases, and if affected by them, the flower is no longer considered a variety and goes to waste. Among my fellow floriculturists, losses sometimes reach 25%, which affects the final result.

Павялічыць

— Do you aim to scale your business?

— Life will show how things develop. There are many circumstances that currently prevent me from thinking about expanding the business. First, the purchase of bulbs. The quality of goods from suppliers has significantly deteriorated; the bulbs have become smaller. Since last year, their cost has almost doubled. I understand the suppliers: these are logistics costs, because direct delivery to Belarus is not possible, and how they transport them is their business.

Also, from this year, for those who produce or resell flowers, the amount of the trade tax came as a very unexpected surprise. In previous years, it was like this: if you traded for up to 15 days, the tax amount was 50%. Now, the tax is paid 100% for the month, plus its size has increased. In previous years, it was 153 rubles in Gomel (we paid only 75 rubles), and this season it's 173 rubles, which must be paid in full.

Павялічыць

Petrovich's Test for Flower Freshness

— How to properly choose a fresh flower when buying?

— From my experience at the market, I've noticed that the average buyer chooses a tulip based on its color scheme and the large size of its "glass" (bud).

Buying a flower with a large "glass" is a mistake!

A large "glass" (bud) is grown from a large bulb, and this is rare. Most likely, it will be large because the flower has grown a long time ago: it has already managed to open and close. Thus, it has gained its strength and transferred it to the "glass". The longevity of such a tulip is 2-3 days. Any flower that has not yet opened will have a small to medium-sized "glass". And if it stands in a vase, it will gain its strength after about three days.

I conducted an experiment with our tulips that remained after sale. They lasted a minimum of 10 days. This is provided that the flower is not exposed to sunlight and the water is changed to cold daily.

Petrovich's Test: Take the flower by its stem and observe how it behaves in a horizontal position. If the tulip traveled from overseas countries or was stored for a long time, it will bend in this position. This means it is not fresh or not sufficiently hydrated.

Павялічыць

Granddaughter Irina: "300 thousand people supported Grandpa on one social network"

— I handle promotion on social media because I work in that field, and I also help with packaging bouquets. This season, we first shared our story on Threads (previously we only used Instagram). We didn't think this network would resonate so much. But people, rather, supported and promoted Petrovich, rather than helping to sell flowers.

You can order cut flowers, store them for a month before the holiday, and simply resell them. We, however, buy bulbs, which we clean, plant, and grow the flowers ourselves. These are completely different expenses: water, light, fertilizers, equipment, and, of course, Grandpa's efforts. He's not a young boy anymore. He used to be able to run out to the greenhouse at night in winter to check the temperature and adjust the airflow. Now, due to his age, he decided to grow flowers in his basement, which simplified the task a bit.

My grandpa also grows vegetables, fruits, and berries for our whole family. You should see the size of the strawberries — they're like a fist! He's a jack-of-all-trades: he built the greenhouse himself, easily solves household issues. Grandpa isn't afraid of work; he loves it very much, and I admire and am proud of him.

• 2
• 0
• 0
• 1
• 0
• 0
• 0
• 1