In mid-2017, grower Frank Voorn made the switch from the cultivation of large-flowered Grand Prix roses to the cultivation of spray roses. At the moment ten varieties of SPRAY ROSES are being produced in production. The intention is to expand in 2019 with another ten new and most importantly? exclusive species. This transition was a great opportunity for the FloraPodium team to visit this grower and hear his story!

In the spotlights

The Spray roses give a colourful waterfall in a bouquet. The flower size varies, because the cluster consists different maturity stages, which gives it a very playful effect. The subtle little flowers give a bouquet a romantic touch and are therefore very popular in wedding bouquets.   

Frank thinks it is important to grow a wide range of flowers, that is why he is busy testing new varieties. It is important that a flower gives many buds and has a good vase life. Besides that it is very important that a flower grows quickly enough and give enough stems so that for a grower it is interesting to grow this flower.

Voorn wants to be able to offer a complete package with different colours, that fit perfectly with the different seasons. Before a new species is planted, it undergoes a pilot project of about one year. Next September Voorn introduces two new types of Bubbles: Pink Bubbles and Sweet Bubbles. Various tests have been carried out since May 2017, after which they were planted in May 2018.

Characteristics of the Spray Roses from Voorn are the thick stems and large full bunches of flowers. At the moment they are cut, the roses have '5 and on' buds. This means that they already have at least five blooming buds. In addition, the roses have many dense buds in a bunch that open on the vase. The size of the cluster is linked to the length of the stems. If Frank finds the bunches too small, the rose will go with a smaller length. In this way the company can guarantee the highest quality.

Every rose is a 'spray rose' by nature. Each rose gives side shoots, which ensure that the bunches arise. The single-flowered roses are 'squeezed', as it is called. All side shoots in the crop are removed, leaving a nice big rose. Yet not every rose is suitable to be cultivated as spray rose. These are therefore specially selected so that the rose is of good quality.

To give all the beautiful types of the company the attention they deserve, Voorn uses various 'social media' channels. Here a lot of information can be gained about novelties, inspirations, creations and other news.

In 2016, the company started testing various types of spray roses. These now cover almost 2.5 hectares. The well-known Grand Prix roses are still grown in part of the greenhouse. Slowly but surely the company is completely moving [on] to growing spray roses.

During the transition from Grand Prix to spray roses, a number of changes occurred. This is likely due to the fairly unilateral cultivation became a fairly specialized cultivation. The biggest challenge in the transition to the cultivation of spray roses is to optimizing the process. The staff were used to working with one type of rose, which was always treated the same. The spray roses are a lot more labor intensive. Because there are different flowers, there are also different varieties and therefore different actions. Frank, however, enthusiastically joined this wonderful challenge with his staff.

The optimum equipment used for the cultivation of the Grand Prix now contributes to a year-round high quality level of the spray roses. When the roses have been planted, it will take 6-8 weeks before they are fully grown to cutable flowers. The plants are grown on stone wool, which not only absorbs water well, but also allows it to pass through. This allows cultivation with a closed water system. More water is given than is necessary, and the remaining water washes away. This water is recycled and returned to the plants. The spray roses are cut and processed manually seven days a week. We deliberately opted for a large spread in the planting of the different species, so that the supply is stabilized and the roses are available daily.

All plants are propagated at the nursery itself. The long-term process guarantees the quality of the plant and prevents diseases and pests. The company also selects the best plants and keep the diseases out of the greenhouse. Breeding of the plants is not done by the company, it looks for the new species from a breeder.

The next step for Voorn Spray Roses is a website that is up-to-date and represents the entire range. But that is a step ahead in the future!

FloraPodium, 22 August 2018