Bare Root Rose Harvesting: Part 4

Now that our Better Bare Root™ roses have been safely lifted from the growing fields, they embark on the next stage of their journey: post-harvest processing. This critical step ensures that only the healthiest, highest-quality plants make it into our gardens.

First, the roses are unloaded from the wagons that brought them in from the fields and placed onto a conveyor belt, where excess soil is washed away. This cleaning process allows workers to clearly see the entire root structure during inspection. Each plant is then evaluated by a skilled grader and assigned a grade: #1, #1.5, or #2. Grade #2 roses are discarded, while Grade #1 and Grade #1.5 plants continue down separate processing lines.

As the roses move along the processing line, they undergo a thorough inspection for any root issues. Once approved, each plant is tagged, bundled into groups of five, and the tops are trimmed to approximately 10 inches above the crown.

The finished bundles are stacked by variety and grade onto pallets and immediately transported to cold storage in the adjacent room. From the moment a rose is harvested in the field to the time it enters cold storage, the time can be as little as 2 hours, and nearly all roses are cooled on the same workday. This speed and efficiency ensure the plants remain fresh, well-hydrated, and dormant until they are shipped to nurseries or gardeners.

In our next video, we’ll take you inside the cold storage room and show where all the budwood collected for future seasons is carefully preserved. Stay tuned! 🌹