We care for our plants from the beginning. We carefully graft the selected varieties in our “maternity”, where new plants thrive during their first weeks. Larger plants are then transferred into one of our greenhouses, which possess the micro-climate required by each variety.
Our roses are planted in our network of greenhouses. We follow variety-specific conditions such as plant density, soil humidity and composition, and pinching requirements very strictly. Our soil is naturally rich in nutrients and is constantly being supplemented with organic materials- primarily produced in-situ by recycling all foliage remains through our humus and composting systems. Sophisticated equipment measures humidity and nutrient content. A central computer then sends the appropriate dose of the required compounds to each bed through hydro-compensated hoses.
All of our greenhouses are equipped with thermostats and heaters that control the interior’s temperature and relative humidity. This improves our product’s quality and impedes the blackening of petals (especially in red varieties). Our expert staff cuts the roses in the field according to each customer's requirements. These roses receive an immediate hydration treatment in the greenhouse with cold water (pH 4-5) to avoid stress on the stems and flowers.
Small rolling highway cars smoothly get the harvest to the pre-cooling room (10 °C) less than 15 minutes after cutting time. Again roses receive treated water with additives that protect the stem, the foliage and the bud against plagues (i.e. botrytis). We constantly replace our water and clean our refrigerated rooms to avoid contamination and damage. The pre-cooling phase lasts between 6 hours and overnight.
The elaboration of bunches and bouquets is carried out by our most experienced female workforce. Depending on customer specifications, stems are first de-leafed, followed by the removal of outer petals and are then sorted by length, bud size, and cutting point.
Bunch and bouquet makers take the pre-sorted stems and perform the critical task of arranging the flowers, following the specifications of each customer. Excellence in quality is achieved by strictly observing and following the company’s established protocols, as well as welcoming innovations that might in any way improve the quality of our product.
Once the export product is ready we add nutrients, which improve our flower’s durability. Boxes remain in our cooling rooms (1-2 °C) for 24 hours prior to shipping. The cooling phase guarantees quality and stem durability. Bunches and bouquets are securely attached to the box with tie downs to avoid shifting during transport. Finally, our refrigerated trucks transport the rose boxes to the Quito International Airport.
Production at Fiorentina Flowers
