Suzanne
20-02-06, 09:03 AM
US space shuttles are lubricated with Bulgarian rose oil
Picture American shuttles are lubricated with rose oil, produced in Bulgaria
Whenever you plant a rose, it will grow. The land simply loves roses, says Georgi Antonov. For about four years now he and his wife grow roses in Karlovo (central Bulgaria). They are not the only ones from Karlovo who have returned to the traditional local business. The aromatic oil that is extracted from the flowers is more expensive than gold. Foreigners are ready to pay 10 euro per a gram and buy it out before even the blossoming has started.
"We get up at four every morning and by ten we have to have finished picking up the roses. The oil gets to the roots later in the day," Georgi says. This rhythm is kept for twenty or twenty five days, depending on amount of rain that has fallen. The more rain, the longer it takes to pick up the roses. A kilo of roses costs 1.50 or 2 levs (1 euro = 1.95 levs).
A few years ago the weeds in the fields were more than the rose bushes. Now in Karlovo region over 600 ha of new roses have been planted. A 0.1 ha yields average 500 and 1000kg of rose blossom per season. To have a richer harvest, roses need tending all over the year, according to Georgi.
Traders from Spain, France, German and the USA have keenest interest in Bulgarian rose oil. While the Europeans buy it for cosmetic purposes mostly, the Americans use the rose oil as a lubricant. All space shuttles and space ships are lubricated with rose oil because it is resistant to all temperatures.
From 2500 to 3200 kg of roses are need to make a kilo of rose oil.
Yuliana Uzanicheva
http://www.standartnews.com/archive/2006/02/20/pics/471220b.jpg
Rose growing is a tradition in Karlovo region
http://www.standartnews.com/archive/2006/02/20/pics/471220a.jpg
American shuttles are lubricated with rose oil, produced in Bulgaria
www.standartnews.com (http://www.standartnews.com/archive/2006/02/20/english/features/index.htm)
Picture American shuttles are lubricated with rose oil, produced in Bulgaria
Whenever you plant a rose, it will grow. The land simply loves roses, says Georgi Antonov. For about four years now he and his wife grow roses in Karlovo (central Bulgaria). They are not the only ones from Karlovo who have returned to the traditional local business. The aromatic oil that is extracted from the flowers is more expensive than gold. Foreigners are ready to pay 10 euro per a gram and buy it out before even the blossoming has started.
"We get up at four every morning and by ten we have to have finished picking up the roses. The oil gets to the roots later in the day," Georgi says. This rhythm is kept for twenty or twenty five days, depending on amount of rain that has fallen. The more rain, the longer it takes to pick up the roses. A kilo of roses costs 1.50 or 2 levs (1 euro = 1.95 levs).
A few years ago the weeds in the fields were more than the rose bushes. Now in Karlovo region over 600 ha of new roses have been planted. A 0.1 ha yields average 500 and 1000kg of rose blossom per season. To have a richer harvest, roses need tending all over the year, according to Georgi.
Traders from Spain, France, German and the USA have keenest interest in Bulgarian rose oil. While the Europeans buy it for cosmetic purposes mostly, the Americans use the rose oil as a lubricant. All space shuttles and space ships are lubricated with rose oil because it is resistant to all temperatures.
From 2500 to 3200 kg of roses are need to make a kilo of rose oil.
Yuliana Uzanicheva
http://www.standartnews.com/archive/2006/02/20/pics/471220b.jpg
Rose growing is a tradition in Karlovo region
http://www.standartnews.com/archive/2006/02/20/pics/471220a.jpg
American shuttles are lubricated with rose oil, produced in Bulgaria
www.standartnews.com (http://www.standartnews.com/archive/2006/02/20/english/features/index.htm)