The Roots of Valentine’s
We all know the end product of Valentine’s Day – a bundle of fresh
roses and a beaming recipient. Unfortunately, sometimes the process of
getting to that final stage can be pretty hectic and frenzied, not only
for florists but also for the people in charge of producing the product.
We all know the end product of Valentine’s Day – a bundle of fresh roses and a beaming recipient. Unfortunately, sometimes the process of getting to that final stage can be pretty hectic and frenzied, not only for florists but also for the people in charge of producing the product.
In many ways, the grower experience on Valentine’s Day is much like that of the florists. The occasion can mean long hours and extra staff so that the grower operation can process the excess amount of flowers needed.
At Rosa Flora Growers in Dunnville, Ont., Jay Vanderhoeven, a grower with the company, says the planning for Valentine’s begins in October. This is when the farm decides how much and what colours they will grow for the coming year. In order to predict which hues consumers will be demanding, Vanderhoeven says they talk to Rosa Flora’s sales staff, who are consistently monitoring the consumer trends in the floral industry.
By the time November hits, the pruning and pinching begins on the Valentine’s blooms. Pinching removes a potentially good bud that would flower by the end of December or late January. It makes room so that a new shoot can grow and can flower in approximately six weeks.
At Rosa Flora Growers, they produce approximately one million blooms for the holiday and this includes roses, alstromeria, mini gerberas, large gerberas and snapdragons. With each variety Vanderhoeven says there’s a specific time period during which the flower must be pruned and harvest. The different varieties all vary from between 40 to 50 days and through experience, the growers at Rosa Flora know what to expect with each flower.
The next step in the greenhouse is to give the flowers extra lighting during the dark and dreary days of November and December. “It’s the time of year when it’s the worst time to grow a flower,” says Vanderhoeven. A rose may only take 30 days to grow in the summer, but requires between 50 to 70 days during the winter months. Vanderhoeven says lighting is one of the important things when it comes to maintaining the quality of a rose. “Natural sunshine is the biggest factor. A bright winter is a wonderful thing,” says Vanderhoeven. The greenhouse temperatures are also very closely monitored so that the flush (the entire rose crop) all comes in at the same time. At Rosa Flora Growers, Vander-hoeven says they try to map out the growing period precisely so they aren’t forcing the roses to grow by manipulating the temperature.
After the New Year, when everyone else is winding down from holiday festivities, growers are working hard to make sure they produce a quality Valentine’s crop. This is also the time when florists begin to place their orders with their wholesalers. By the first of February, Vanderhoeven says Rosa Flora Growers are trying hard to pre-sell their flowers. “This really reduces the amount of stress,” he says. The company tries to encourage florists to indicate on time, what their order will be and what varieties and colours they are looking for. As much as florists wish their customers would order early, the growers are hoping for the same.
Vanderhoeven says that the farm’s busiest days will be Feb. 8 and 9. This is when the growers are moving frantically to get all their product out to the wholesaler so blooms can, in turn, be ready for florists. “The shipping is nuts,” says Vanderhoeven of the process that is needed to move the product. Timing is everything – if the roses ship too early, the vase life will be compromised and if they go out too late, the roses will miss Valentine’s Day altogether.
By the time the actual holiday rolls around, the grower industry is breathing a sigh of relief. They’ve worked hard to produce a quality product that will be sent out to loved ones across the country. “We put a tremendous amount of attention on growing a good quality flower when nothing is in our favour,” says Vanderhoeven. “We are fighting against the forces of nature – the temperature is low, the light is low – and that’s the biggest challenge for us.”
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