Post-harvest
The week it lasts is decided in the first hour.
A rose does not fail on the shelf. It fails in the four hours between the cut and the cooler. Everything after that is protecting a decision already made in the field.
The four steps, in order
Stems 50–90 cm
01Cut at the right point
Every bloom is cut at its own opening stage, by hand, in the early morning while the stem is fully turgid.
< 60 min to hydration
02Into cold water within the hour
Straight from the block into hydration solution. Field heat is the single biggest thief of vase life.
Heads 4.5–6.5 cm
03Graded, not sorted
Head size, stem calibre, foliage and neck strength are all checked before a stem enters a bunch.
2–4 °C, farm to plane
04Cold chain, unbroken
Packed and held cold, then flown out of Quito. The temperature never comes back up on our side of the trip.
Cut at the right point
Every bloom is cut by hand at its own opening stage, in the early morning while the stem is fully turgid. A rose cut too tight never opens; one cut too open has spent its week on the plant. The stage differs by variety, and the people cutting know each one.
Into cold water within the hour
From the block straight into hydration solution. Field heat is the single biggest thief of vase life, and the first hour after the cut is when it does its damage — so no stem waits in the sun for a full trolley.
Graded, not sorted
Head size, stem calibre, foliage and neck strength are all checked before a stem enters a bunch. Sorting puts similar stems together; grading rejects the ones that do not meet the sheet. Stems are cut at 40–90 cm and heads run 4.5–6.5 cm, quoted per variety.
Packed cold, flown cold
Bunches are packed and held at 2–4 °C, then trucked cold to Quito and flown out. On our side of the trip the temperature never comes back up. Boxes go as full, half or quarter boxes, with the stem count per half box to your specification.
Sealed, logged, handed over
The farm is BASC-certified for secure trade: entry to the packing hall, the cold room and the loading bay is restricted and logged, and every box carries a seal number that is recorded and checked at each handover. What leaves the farm is what lands at your airport.
What to ask us for
The availability sheet for the week you need, with stem lengths and head sizes per variety; a named variety reserved by date; or a standing programme graded to your sleeve. Tell us the varieties, the grades and the weeks.