Flower care

Valentine Day’s cut flower demand, sales and results have been very good and satisfactory, especially for roses, chrysanthemums and orchids. Traditionally, carnations are also very popular, but this year it was different. Partly due to a certain scarcity of Colombian carnations, partly due to high purchase prices, and partly due some quality problems, which were showing up in the previous weeks. After quality problems have been noticed, buyers always become a bit reluctant. During the post-Valentine weeks the market became much slower and quieter, which is a normal. Fluctuating prices for Colombia and Ecuador roses were problematic for good market results. Also Dutch flowers’ prices were still very high, especially for roses and chrysanthemums. They say it was due to high demand in the countries where International Woman’s Day (8 March) is celebrated. Normally, there is hardly any special demand for Woman’s Day in Spain, but this year was different. Good demand, especially for chrysanthemums, bought by former East European immigrants, living nowadays in Spain. That was unexpected, but very welcome, report traders. Luckily, the chrysanthemum prices in the Netherlands have quite considerably decreased, which made sales much easier. On the other hand, other products such as: dendrobium orchids and leather leaves have become scarce and too expensive. New to the current cut flower assortment in Spain are tulips, aconitum and asters