Picking Flowers at Fynbosstrand
The time for picking of white repens is approximately from the middle of April to the middle of July. The dry flowers, known as “Super Cut” is picked between the end of September to the end of January.
The Susanna is picked only in its dried form and the time for picking is between July/August and the end of September.
There are about 30 flower pickers in the veld on a picking day. Each picker handles approximately 1 000 flowers per day. The conditions are sometimes very harsh – the presence of gadflies and midges can at times be unbearable. In addition their hands are taking a lot of punishment.
The green repens with the right degree of openness but with minimal brown marks, are sulpherised and are then ready for export. The other repens are coloured and then sulpherised. At present the old chicken –coops at Kippie Horn are leased for the processing and colouring of the flowers.
The “Super Cuts” or alternatively the dry repens as well as the dry Susannas are cut in the form of a rosette, sulpherised to open and then packaged.
To ensure the best quality of flowers, green repens and “Super Cuts” are picked from a bush alternatively every year.
If the veld becomes too overgrown and the protea bushes become too big, it is customary to burn the veld. Such a burned veld only becomes ready for picking after 4 years.
There are about 30 flower pickers in the veld on a picking day. Each picker handles approximately 1 000 flowers per day. The conditions are sometimes very harsh – the presence of gadflies and midges can at times be unbearable. In addition their hands are taking a lot of punishment.
The green repens with the right degree of openness but with minimal brown marks, are sulpherised and are then ready for export. The other repens are coloured and then sulpherised. At present the old chicken –coops at Kippie Horn are leased for the processing and colouring of the flowers.
The “Super Cuts” or alternatively the dry repens as well as the dry Susannas are cut in the form of a rosette, sulpherised to open and then packaged.
To ensure the best quality of flowers, green repens and “Super Cuts” are picked from a bush alternatively every year.
If the veld becomes too overgrown and the protea bushes become too big, it is customary to burn the veld. Such a burned veld only becomes ready for picking after 4 years.
