Rosella
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It’s the calyxes (parts outside the flower) that can be made into cordials or jam, and the young leaves can be stir-fried.
When to plant/sow in zone:
Requirements:
Full sun; water deeply and allow to dry out between waterings. Needs at least six months warm weather.
Soil:
Well-drained soil enriched with compost and/or well-rotted manure or organic pellets.
How to start: SEED: Best sown in punnets or 10cm pots, into seed-raising mix. Sow 10mm deep. Keep moist. Germinates in 10-21 days. SEEDLING: Plant in the ground when seedlings are 5-10cm+ tall, spacing them 45cm apart, in rows 100cm apart.
How to grow: Keep moist and mulched with straw. Apply seaweed solution or liquid fertiliser fortnightly. Apply organic fertiliser pellets monthly.
When to harvest: Harvest leaves as required, when they're small and tender. Calyxes (outer part of flower) are harvested from about 25 weeks. The plant will flower and the flowers finish and fall from the plant leaving the calyxes to be harvested when they're 'ripe' and plump.
Troubleshooting:
Aphids; caterpillars; cutworms; powdery mildew
Wondering what to plant when?
Use our planner to create a planting calendar for your climate zone
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