South Africa: Busiest time of the year for rose growers

Murambi Roses on the Wild Coast Jikeleza Route, with more than 70000 rose bushes in their greenhouses, is your go-to place whenever you need flowers. “I have a passion for gardening, and once I saw that my outdoor roses were in demand, I expanded to greenhouse growing,” said owner Barbara Allen. With Valentine’s Day approaching, the demand for roses is climbing fast. Allen says this is the busiest time of the year for her. “We began picking last week on Saturday and have 9000 roses to date. We have to pick 3000 or 4000 more before Valentine’s Day.”

But these beautiful flowers don’t just arrive by themselves. The preparation of roses takes time and effort from many workers. They are sensitive to their conditions and taking care of them is a 24/7 business, with a computer-controlled fertilising system working around the clock.

Summer is the best time for them to grow, so during winter Murambi workers focus on cleaning and maintenance. “The ideal temperature for the roses to grow is 25ºC; they have to be irrigated eight times a day,” said Allen. Once grown, they are cut from the stem, just before they fully blossom. Once the thorns are removed the roses are stored at 2ºC until delivery to customers.

Allen says Murambi Roses not only delivers to the doorsteps of East London consumers but to destination addresses as far as Queenstown and Transkei. “I never get tired of roses; they are a beautiful creation,” she said.

Source: dispatch.co.za