Cotton is harvested from the cotton plant (Gossypium class). A plant that has been cultivated for over 7000 years, and not until halfway through the 20th century modern farming methods were introduced to move away from handpicking and horse plowing, making way fAor the large scale production and adoption of cotton products.
Every piece of our Giza cotton starts out as a seed that is planted when the soil is prepared and warm enough for the seed to germinate. The perfect time varies per region. In the Giza region in Egypt, planting takes place in March and April, a period of rising temperatures. The harvesting takes place in August through October when temperatures fall. Depending on conditions the young plant may emerge 5 days after planting, with a full stand present after about 11 days.
Six weeks after planting the seeds the flower buds begin to form, known as the “squares”. The flower buds mature over an period of three weeks after which they blossom into creamy yellow flowers. The flowers turn pink, then red and dries out or completely falls off just 5 days after blossoming. In turn the tiny ovary left on the cotton plant ripens and enlarges into a green pod called a cotton ball.
The cotton ball matures over a period from 60 to 80 days, the ball grows and moist fibers push the newly formed seeds outward. Fibers continue to expand with each fiber growing to its full length during three weeks. In the next six weeks the fibers get thicker and cellulose layers build up the cell walls. Approximately 120 days after planting, our long staple Giza cotton is fully mature and ready for harvesting.
