Categoriesblog

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!

Categoriesblog

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.