Imported roses flow through Miami
Roses continue to be the number one flower that American consumers demand and roses are also the top imported fresh-cut flower into the United States.
Last year there were 5.109 billion stems of flowers that came into the United States and at least 38 percent of those stems were roses. They can arrive in either straight boxes of roses, in rose bouquets, or in mixed bouquets, and there were over 1.95 billion stems that arrived in 2013 in straight rose boxes or rose bouquets, but roses that arrive in mixed bouquets are not accounted for by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
U.S.-grown roses poised for renaissance
Today, over 1.6 billion stems of roses are imported into the United States annually. That’s in stark contrast to our country’s domestic production at just over 30 million stems in 2013.
Agriflor preps for a full house
More than 200 exhibitors are expected at the Agriflor show Oct. 1-4 at the CEMEXPO Exhibition Center in Quito, Ecuador, according to a news release from the organizer, HPP Exhibitions in Amsterdam.
The business-to-business trade-only show is one of the larger flower grower events in the world and will feature quality competitions among breeders and growers, farm tours and fair celebrations. This year marks the 15th edition of the show, which is held biennially.
The exhibitors’ list, updated July 1, totaled 195 firms, including a handful from the United States.
ASCFG National Conference to meet in Delaware in October
Under the banner “Growing Growers,” the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers will gather for its 2014 National Conference Oct. 19-22 at the Hilton Christiana in Newark, DE.
“The focus of the group for over 25 years has been teaching people to grow flowers,” Frank Arnosky, president of ASCFG, told The Produce News. “It’s a grassroots organization and the growers themselves put a lot of energy into putting the conference together.”
SAF annual convention meets this month
It’s not too late to plan to attend the Society of American Florists 130th annual convention Aug. 13-16 at the Marco Island Marriott in Marco Island, FL.
The convention will feature 30 speakers, a supply chain refresher, and multiple educational and networking opportunities. SAF will also honor seven professionals with induction into the American Academy of Floriculture during the Stars of the Industry Awards Dinner on Aug. 16, according to an news release.
AAF inductees for 2014 are:
Rochette (Rochie) Webb Allen from Rochette’s Florist in Farmville, VA.
Expo Flora Russia, Flowers IPM combine again in Moscow
Serving all segments of the Russian fresh cut flower, gardening and potted plant chain, the industrywide Expo Flora Russia show is planned for Aug. 27-29 in the All-Russian Exhibition Centre in Moscow.
More than 200 breeders, growers, shippers and suppliers to the floriculture trade from 17 different countries are already committed to exhibit, according to a news release.
The event will once again be paired with Flowers IPM-International Plants Expo Russia, and will include awards for best gardener and florist of the year, along with an international design school.
Kennicott and Nordlie merge
Kennicott Bros. Co., headquartered in Chicago, and Nordlie Inc., headquartered in Warren, MI, agreed to merge their companies as of July 31, according to a news release. As the merger is completed, eligible Nordlie employees will become members of the Kennicott ESOP, which will own 100 percent of the combined companies.
A designer’s perspective on roses keeps consumers top of mind
Consumers have emotions tied to their rose purchases. As florists, we must provide the customer with a top-quality product, along with a variety of designs and options, in order to satisfy those emotions.
Roses are key to wholesale florists
Roses are a passion for millions of consumers around the world and they are a critical component of a wholesale florist’s daily business. Roses can represent 30-35 percent of the fresh flower sales in a wholesale house and are the top flower category every month of the year. Our customers use roses in all segments of their business — weddings, funerals, special events, weekly commercial business, and cash-and-carry — and they are all affected by the supply of roses.
Breeding new roses takes patience
Rose breeding is both an art and a science for patient, detail-oriented individuals with a clear view of what is going on in the flower industry. The process of bringing a new rose to market normally takes around five years and crosses are made in the following way.
• Pollen is collected from the stamens, the male part of a flower that consists of the filament and the anther. The process involves removing the anthers from the chosen parent and placing them in a petri dish until they dry sufficiently for the pollen to separate from the rest of the anther.