Why do the best roses in the world come from Ecuador?
The key factor is the favorable growing conditions in the Andean highlands, which in Ecuador are characterized by the powerful equatorial sun on a narrow strip. Warm days alternate with cool nights throughout the year. The seasonal climatic variations are small. At the same time, cultivation altitudes of 2800 - 3300 m above sea level are considerable. The intense solar radiation at the equator has a particularly favorable effect on the luminosity of the colors. Because rose plants originally come from northern Europe and northern Asia, i.e. from climatic zones with considerable seasonal changes in vegetation conditions, the rose plants in the highlands of Ecuador "experience" a kind of "eternal spring".
By crossing, special cultivars have been refined over a long time, so that the plants are not exhausted by the continuous flowering - nutrition, protection and care provided. Just in the last decades, considerable progress has been made in the development of varieties, so that today roses are available with flower sizes that seemed unthinkable years ago. The variety of colors today is almost unmanageable. The difference between day and night temperature is crucial for the development of large flowers. Ideal is about 25 ° C during the day and 7 ° C at night.
The smaller the difference, the smaller the flowers, the greater the risk of flower defects. The roses are grown in high foil houses. Greenhouses with heating and lighting, as is common in northern Europe, are not needed in Ecuador. Therefore, the production there without high energy use is possible and therefore much more sustainable.
The operating sizes of the rose farms are small compared to other countries (Colombia, Kenya, Ethiopia). Accordingly, the quality standard of the farms - often family businesses - is very high.
Ecuador roses are known for their long shelf life in addition to the large flowers. Some varieties have therefore brought it to high profile and popularity, such as the variety Esperance.