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De Leeuw Roses is South Africa’s largest growers of bare
root and plug tray roses. As transport costs play such an important role
in any business today, the demand for bare root roses has increased
substantially. This is primarily due to the fact that bare root roses take
up far less space in a truck than container roses and can therefore be
transported more cost effectively to wholesale suppliers or retail
nurseries situated far from main centres in the months of June to August.
Bare root roses are also enjoying a renaissance in the market place. For
the past 24 winters, thousands of bare rooted rose bushes have been
pre-packed for stores of a leading retail chain store in South Africa. De Leeuw
Roses also contract grow roses for several wholesale
nurseries around The country. Bare root roses are planted up into
containers in July and are then sold to nurseries from August through to
May.
In addition to garden roses, De Leeuw Roses propagates plug tray
roses on a large scale in greenhouses on the company farm at
Bronkhorstpruit. The little rose plants, also known as speedlings, are
supplied to a large number of farms that specialise in cut roses.
Speedlings are only grown to order and an allowance of 12 weeks must be
allowed from propagation to delivery. Just 90 days after planting, the
first flowers can be picked for export. Plug tray plants are currently
also being exported to several countries.
As the South African agent for a leading flower breeder Schreurs from the
Netherlands, De Leeuw Roses brings in a host of cut roses for
trials and tests. These new roses include such varieties as ‘Anne Marie’
and ‘Femma’ - and many have made it to the top of our local flower
market lists. The company is also licensed to propagate rose varieties
from more than ten international breeders and enjoy good working relations
with the primary rose agents in South Africa.
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