Since August 2003, the Ecuadorian rose farm, Josarflor, has been producing around 22 million rose stems per year for export. The farm which covers 35 hectares is located in the Andes, on the slopes of the Cayambe volcano in Ecuador. Here, at an altitude of 2,800 meters, a team of 400 employees grows over 100 different rose varieties. Among those are Sunset X-Pression and the Candy X-pression varieties, some of the award-winning varieties of De Ruiter, a Dutch rose breeding company. In this article, María Isabel López of Josarflor tells us more about their experiences with these rose varieties.
"We have been growing De Ruiter varieties for 17 years. In 2016, we started growing Sunset X-Pression, and in 2022 we started with Candy X-Pression. We decided to do so because the market is asking for new things, and we thought that Sunset X-pression and Candy X-pression were different from regular roses thanks to their opening and performance. Sunset X-pression has an average stem length of 55.2 centimeters and a head size of 6 centimeters. Candy X-pression has an average stem length of 53.4 centimeters and a head size between 5.4 and 6.8 centimeters. Both varieties have a length between 40-70 centimeters," María Isabel explains.
From left to right: the Sunset X-pression, and the Candy X-pression
She elaborates on the results of their cultivation efforts: "Currently we grow 2.522 m2 of the Sunset X-pression and 1.554 m2 of the Candy X-pression. We are very pleased with the results of both varieties. Sunset X-pression is very productive, it has a productivity of 114 stems per m2. Candy X-pression stands out for its vase-life, it has a vase-life of 18 to 23 days."
Sunset X-pression has a productivity of 114 stems per m2.
She highlights that Candy X-pression is well-received in the market, saying: "Candy X-pression has a great acceptance in the market right now, especially for wedding season and events. Clients love the variety all year round. Sunset X-pression has no trend color at the moment, although in the vase it is awesome."
According to Josaflor, Candy X-pression is very well-received in the market
Given these results, Josarflor intends to continue growing De Ruiter´s X-pression Line: "We are still exploring the new X-pression varieties. We have a very good experience with the entire X-pression line, we hope to be one of the first farms to produce each variety of this line."
For more information:
María Isabel López
Josarflor
Email: [email protected]
www.josarflor.com