Saldarriaga grows Israeli Ruscus in a 5 ha greenhouse in Medellin, Colombia and mainly exports its foliage to the United States, where Valentine's Day is being celebrated on February 14.
Felipe Saldarriaga at the Proflora in Bogota, Colombia.
February 14 on a weekday
According to Saldarriaga, a reason for this good demand is probably the fact that Valentine's Day is being celebrated on a weekday this year. Last year, the holiday fell on a Sunday and during a long weekend and this year's Valentine's Day falls on a Tuesday. "Valentine's Days on aweekday are often advantageous for the flower producers, it often results in better sales", he says.
And he is not the only one that expects better flower sales this year. More than 90 percent of the US florists that have been surveyed by the Society of American Florists expect higher sales this Valentine's Day. And when reflecting on a previous Valentine's Day that fell on a Tuesday, in 2012, 79 percent of surveyed florists reported higher sales than 2011. "That year, 77 percent of owners attributed sales increases to the holiday falling on a Tuesday", the report says.
The greenhouse of Greenbouquet.
Increasing production
Saldarriaga is also noticing the high demand for this year's Valentine's Day. He increased the production of Israeli Ruscus by 30 percent and he is are already sold out. For Valentine's Day, and the other important day which is Mother's Day, Saldarriaga is increasing its production to meet the demand. "The plants have their production on a weekly basis, so by correct managing the plantation, we can supply more flowers." However, besides these important days, Saldarriaga notices an annual increase in demand, which cannot be met by only planning and managing the plantation differently. Therefore, he is expanding the greenhouse. "Currently, we grow on 5ha, by next year we hope to grow on 6ha and on 7ha the year after. Then the entire land we own will be used", he says.
Higher demand for foliage
Saldarriaga, not only the demand for Israeli Ruscus, but the demand for foliage in general is increasing as the more eco-friendly grown flowers are becoming a trend among wholesalers in the United States. "More people are discovering that growing flowers demands a lot from Mother Nature and are therefore looking for products that are grown more 'environmentally friendly'. Foliages are known for the fact that they use less natural resources," says Saldarriaga. "Just like many other flowers, the Israeli Ruscus are grown inside a greenhouse, however less diseases occur, which means less use of crop protection productions. Often we can beat the disease with natural products, like garlic. Only when the diseases are very persistent, do we have to use chemicals. However, we limit the use as we inspect the plants on a weekly basis. Besides that, we are also minimizing the use of water as we installed a drip irrigation system."
For more information
GreenBouquet
Felipe Saldarriaga
Email: info@greenbouquet.co