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In Full Bloom

In Full Bloom

Late May and the adult plants in the nursery are loaded with yellow flowers.  The seedlings are all moved out to the field, but these plants remain in the nursery to make next year’s seed.   The sounds and sights of buzzing insects are evidence of a good seed harvest in the making.

Rhodiola rosea plants are dioecious, either male or female.  As the flowers appear, the differences in plant gender are noticeable.  Just my observation, but the males are bright yellow before the females show their color display.  At this time of year and in the pictures the male plants have the most color. 

Close up photos show the differences in flower structure.  The males have a star shaped burst of stamens and are in their fully glory.  The females have swollen pods and are just starting to open.  The female flowers are smaller, and tighter and the pod or ovary at the flower base is prominent.

The male plants in the picture are shorter and smaller, but that is not always the case.  Published literature suggests that the male plants can be larger and may have slightly increased levels of beneficial compounds.  I think I will look for new breeder males for next year’s crop of seeds!

Rhodiola rosea requires insects for pollination.  The bees are always around, and so are smaller flying insects.  They hop around quickly and were camera shy today. There are many other flowers blooming, such as cherry, apple and dandelions, and the native plant called Buffalo bean.  It’s good that some insects prefer some adaptogenic pollen and nectar during this time of plenty.

The male flowers will fade as their work will soon be done.  The female flower heads will develop over the next two months and seed harvest occurs in early August after the stems have turned brown.

May is almost wrapped up, and the next two months are all about weeding.  Yay!!! (not!!!!)

Male Rhodiola rosea Flowers
Female Rhodiola rosea Flowers
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Time to Transplant

Time to Transplant

It’s cloudy, cold and damp outside and the weather is perfect for transplanting.  While most Albertans gather inside and wait for warmer spring days, this Rhodiola farmer is busy moving seedlings from their nursery to the field.  The plants are small enough that it’s easy to scoop them out of the loose dirt in the nursery and crowd them into trays for the short drive out to the field.   Then we load them onto the shelves on the transplanter, and plant them one-by-one as we ride behind the tractor.  The furrows open up and fill with water, and the plants are firmly seated into the muddy furrow.

There are as many ways to plant Rhodiola as there are Rhodiola farmers.  Some plant into raised beds, some plant into holes punched into plastic mulch.  Most Rhodiola is planted in rows and the spacing between rows is dictated by some part of the tractor, often the width of the wheel base. 

Like so many things, the actual transplanting is the last action after much planning and preparation.  The field is worked up and there are no weeds, at least none growing for now.  How will the rows be laid out?  How will the next five years of weeds be contained?  And who’s driving the tractor, because I’m going to plant Rhodiola!

How to avoid transplant shock?  Keep the plants cool and under the clouds for a few days as they get used to their new home in the field.  A gentle rain would make the move to their new home just perfect.  In this case though, the rains are due to hold off for another three days, so we’ll water these seedlings in as they are placed in the ground.

End of the day and we’re cold and damp and muddy.  Ideal conditions for Rhodiola, but I’m ready for a shower and a warm cup of Rhodiola tea!

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Checking the Rhodiola seedlings

Rhodiola seedlings 18 months

Springtime at last! – Time to check the seedlings.

It’s springtime and the Rhodiola rosea is waking up.  Time to take inventory in the nursery and see which plants are large enough to withstand transplanting into the field.

Some seedlings are planted in cells with potting soil for easier transplanting.  These seedlings germinated 18 months ago in waist-high tables filled with dirt and aged organic matter from the barns.  Overhead shade cloth and sprinklers ensure perfect growing conditions for their first 18 months.

You can see from the picture that some of the plants are sporting their first flower buds.  As one of the survival traits, Rhodiola rosea grows and sets flowers quickly after the soil thaws.  A plus for local bees and insects after a long winter.  These plants need to move out quickly, though, so that they don’t cross with new select strains that also reside in the nursery.

Taking stock in the nursery, there are other seedlings that are slower to mature.  What’s the difference?   Water, sun and dirt are the same, but there are different strains of Rhodiola rosea.  A strain is simply a group of the same species of plants that has been set apart and identified by differences in growth, plant/leaf shape or yield.  Wild Rhodiola rosea from different parts of the world exhibit significant differences in many aspects. 

In Alberta, the ARRGO growers are trying several different strains to see which will grow the best and yield the most root mass and beneficial compounds for people and animals.  Even different parts of Alberta will require different strains for best results, and some parts of Alberta do not produce good results at all.

Below is a picture of another seedling from a different strain.  This strain originates from a different part of the world.  Germination is sporadic, and It may be slower to grow than the strain shown above, but it is high in beneficial compounds.  Given the right environment both strains grow well in Alberta. 

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Roles in Sustainability

Rhodiola rosea blooming - May

Sustainability is key to success for our customers, for our growers and for the world’s supply of Rhodiola rosea.  Every part of the equation must have success – a win-win for all players.  How do we get there?  Let’s look at each key player and their role in the steps to sustainability.

  1. The end-use customer. When the customer is standing in front of the rows of options at their local health food store, are they willing to support sustainability?  As a consumer, here’s a good way to think about it – can we spend the same amount of money and get a bit less product, but one that is sustainable?  When we do that, we as customers are ensuring a quality supply for generations to come. 
  2. The manufacturer of finished products. ARRGO supplies our Canadian-grown raw material to manufacturers around the world who are concerned about their supply of Rhodiola rosea.  Cost is always a factor.  How can the manufacturer balance cost with the ideals they stand for? -quality, purity, fair trade, sustainability, equality, diversity and so much more.  It’s a tough boardroom and tough decisions have to be made.
  3. The middleman. ARRGO stands in the middle to support the growers and the manufacturers.  ARRGO listens and responds with a commitment to provide the best quality Rhodiola rosea to the manufacturer in terms of purity and highest standards.  ARRGO is also fully committed to the growers by ensuring a fair price and by supporting the farmers in their efforts to grow Rhodiola sustainably.
  4. The grower. The farmer knows their costs to produce.  ARRGO helps to find ways to make their work more efficient.  It’s the grower’s decision in the end and the supply chain ‘buck’ stops here.  Without the grower there is no supply chain, at least for cultivated Rhodiola.  Without the grower, then reliance for the global supply of Rhodiola rosea falls on Number 5.
  5. The supply of wild rhodiola rosea. How much Rhodiola rosea is left in the wild?  In the comprehensive study by Josef Brinckmann et al., it is calculated that in the Altai region of the Soviet Union 76% of the wild supply was removed between 1974 and 1986.  Brinckmann cites other examples of devastation, as well.  What are we losing in diversity and benefits to humans and animals?  How can this wild resource be preserved and still provide its amazing benefits for the rest of forever?  Is there a way to make this a sustainable option?

For cultivated Rhodiola rosea, the crop requires at least 5 years in appropriate climate and soil to grow and mature.  In the wild, Rhodiola rosea on average is 20-30 years old when dug.  All harvest practices are destructive, and regenerative efforts are necessary. 

What’s the final solution to sustainability for Rhodiola rosea?  Change is inevitable, but this is where we are now.