Once a particular rose variety has been selected enough stems have to be found of that particular variety to cut into 12-15cm pieces known as bud-wood. These will then be grafted onto the rootstock (the base of the top-graft), a process known as top-grafting.
There are several types of rootstock, but in Kenya only two or three types are typically used. The quality is vitally important. It must be absolutely pure and virus free and can affect all the components that a breeder looks for in the breeding programme including colour.
Following this process the rootstock is dipped into a rooting hormone placed in a cocus media under warm, high humidity conditions to allow the plant to produce its own roots. This will take between five and six weeks. Once the plant is rooted and established it is ready to be transferred to the greenhouse.
In the greenhouse between six and eight plants are planted per square metre, either into raised bed formats or into a controlled media such as cocus, rock wool or pumice (hydroponics).
Each rose plant is individually fed and watered on a continual basis. Under the regular and reliable Kenyan sun the first cut flower stems will be ready to harvest within three to four months.
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