Focus on Schreurs Commercial Rose Nightingale!®
When we first spoke to Harvest flowers, a Kenyan based rose grower, the GM Farai Madziva described the light Lilac shade of the rose Nightingale as the smoky lilac colour that the market loves. Recently, we paid another visit to Harvest Flowers, located in North Kinangop in Kenya's central region at an Altitude of 2400M; just in time as the workers were busy harvesting Nightingale.
At the farm, Nightingale is growing lengths of 70 cm and 50/60 cm distributed equally even during cold seasons. Harvest Flowers sends most of their Nightingale to Australia and Europe with the Middle East looking as a great potential market with the growing interest for Lilac colored roses.
According to Gilbert of Harvest Flowers, The market has been responding very well to the rose Nightingale and they have not yet experienced issue of damages on transit.
"Our clients like the way it opens at the vase and are particularly impressed with the unique color and relatively good vase life of up to 12 days," says Gilbert
John who is in charge of production at the farm says, "Nightingale in my opinion is an ace product, both in the green houses and with clients, all new innovations with this variety have been we'll received, the only thing I have noticed, is it tend to fade the inner petals after day 6 on vase."
According to Farai (GM Harvest Flowers)
Nightingale is an easy grower! She loves the warm temperatures with high light levels. This is when she performs best! At High Altitude, Nightingale produces exceptionally well during the summer periods where there is plenty of light and high temperatures. The headsize does not change much with winter and summer, maintaining a headsize of 5.5 cm to 6.0 cm. Nightingale is best cut quite open to give a beautiful cylindrical opening and emphasize it’s headsize better. Production is on the upper end of High Altitude Varieties producing 120 – 140 stems per square meter. This is at least 30% higher than most varieties on High Altitude.
About Harvest Flowers Limited
The farm has been in existence for the past 15 years and currently has three farms in production. Athi farm Farm at an Altitude of 1500M and specializes in production of Spray roses and standard roses. Current area under production is 22 ha. Top Farm in central region of Kenya- North Kinangop at an Altitude of 2400M and specializes in production of Premium T-Hybrids and premium Spray roses. Current area under production is 12 ha. New Top Farm right at the foot of Aberdare Ranges at an Altitude of 2400M and specializes in production of Premium T-Hybrids and Premium Sprays. Current area under production 6 ha
