Our Planting Process
At Rift Valley Roses, every flower begins an extraordinary journey. From planting to the moment it blooms in your vase, we take great care to ensure our roses are not just beautiful but grown with love, dedication, and a deep respect for nature.
1 Where It Begins
It all starts in our fields, where roses take about 16 weeks to grow before their first harvest. After that, depending on the variety, new blooms are ready every 9 to 11 weeks. Once harvested, the roses are pre-cooled for at least 12 hours, locking in their freshness. They’re then bunched and packed with precision, moved to our cold rooms, and finally transported to the airport in refrigerated trucks, ensuring they stay vibrant and fresh on their journey.
2 Our Incredible Location
Our farm is blessed with an incredible location, perched at an altitude of 2,200 meters above sea level, where the air is crisp, and the weather is perfect. Warm, sunny days of 25°C and cool nights of 10°C allow the roses to grow gradually, producing longer, stronger stems and larger buds with long-lasting vase life. The cool nights also give our bicolour roses their signature striking hues, with bold contrasts on the edges and petals.
3 Our Farm
Spanning 50.8 hectares, our farm is a landscape of growth and innovation. 44.2 hectares are dedicated to standard T-hybrid roses, while 6 hectares are used for spray roses. We also have a 0.6-hectare trial house where we test new varieties to bring fresh, exciting blooms to the market. Our roses range in stem length from 50 to 90 centimetres, with head sizes between 5 and 6.5 centimetres, ensuring every stem is stunning and perfectly suited to customer needs.
4 Specialized Techniques
Behind the scenes, our skilled crop management team—known as value-adders—works tirelessly to nurture healthy, vibrant roses. They use specialized techniques like bending, de-suckering, and clearing rejects to ensure every stem grows strong and beautiful. Before planting, the soil is enriched with 250 cubic meters of pumice and 135 cubic meters of cow manure per hectare, enhancing drainage, aeration, and soil fertility. Raised beds, covered with 80-micron silver-on-black plastic mulch, conserve moisture, regulate temperature, and reduce weed growth, while fermented organic fertilizers promote microbial health and beneficial worms, creating rich, healthy soil.
The Fresco Team in Aalsmeer receives the Roses whereupon another complete process begins. Once again the flowers are individually quality checked, rehydrated, sleeved, and all the necessary finishing touches ready for auction, sale and onward transit.
5 Every Drop Is Used Wisely
Water is precious to us, and our drip irrigation system ensures that every drop is used wisely. With aqua-check probes to monitor soil moisture and temperature, and a high-precision systems in our Central Fertigation Unit, we deliver nutrients with care, protecting the environment while maximizing plant health.
6 Sustainability At The Heart Of Everything
Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do. Our farm is powered by energy-saving variable speed pumps, solar panels, and a biogas system that supplies energy. Roses are harvested twice daily by a dedicated and highly trained team, ensuring they’re cut at the perfect stage for freshness. Every variety is also tested in our vase life room to guarantee exceptional longevity and shelf life.
7 Precision And Care
After harvesting, each step of the process is carried out with precision and care. 30% of every consignment is rigorously checked at intake before moving to cold storage at 4°C, where field heat is removed, and the roses are rehydrated for at least 12 hours. In specialized sorting areas called ‘villages,’ 12 bunchers and 6 sizers work in harmony to defoliate and bunch roses according to stem length, typically 5, 7, or 10 stems per bunch. These are wrapped in breathable kraft paper to maintain humidity and prevent damage. Once packed and labelled, the boxes are stored at temperatures below 2°C for at least 4 hours before being loaded onto refrigerated trucks, ready to start their journey to customers around the globe.
At Rift Valley Roses, we’re not just growing flowers—we’re crafting moments of beauty and joy. Every petal, every stem, tells a story of care, passion, and innovation. From our farm to your vase, we’re proud to deliver roses that brighten your world and reflect the heart of our work.
