At the time of this writing, there are limited areas that have been proven productive for cultivation of Rhodiola rosea. If you are considering growing Rhodiola rosea for home use or for commercial cultivation, there are several factors or elements required for success:
Essential Elements for Growing
- Cold climate, sub-arctic is preferred
- Good soil drainage
- Sufficient soil moisture
- Weed control
We will go over each point in somewhat more detail. This article is a brief overview of what is needed to grow Rhodiola rosea and is not intended to act as a complete guide.
Cold climate
Rhodiola rosea is a cold-tolerant perennial that is native to specific areas in the circum-polar portions of the Northern Hemisphere. The closer your growing area is to where Rhodiola grows in the wild, the better are your chances for successful cultivation.
Rhodiola rosea has been cultivated with varying degrees of success in several provinces in Canada, the State of Alaska in the US, portions of Poland, Germany, Italy, Finland, the UK, Russia, the Ukraine and China. Growing zones vary from country to country, and this is not a good method to determine climate success.
Seasonal temperature ranges can help in the determination. Heat can effect the Rhodiola plant by abruptly terminating growth. An extensive amount of heat can kill the plant. Temperatures above 30 degrees C can affect the plant, depending on soil temperature and plant protection from the sun. It is best to try growing a limited number of plants to test how Rhodiola will tolerate heat in your area.
Cold temperatures do not seem to be an issue. Rhodiola rosea appears to grow best in colder climates. In extreme cold climates, it will grow very slowly.
Good Soil Drainage
In many places native colonies of Rhodiola rosea grow in gravel, sand and rocky conditions. On the east coast of Canada, the plants grow on cliffs and along shorelines. On the other hand, cultivation of Rhodiola rosea usually occurs in areas with loam and sandy loam conditions. Poorly drained heavy clay soils will usually not support good growth.
In addition, the ground should be well worked up and weed-free prior to planting your Rhodiola rosea seedlings. It is not advisable to direct-seed Rhodiola rosea as the seedlings are small for the first year, and other plants will dominate and choke out the seedlings. If you have seed, you will want to put these into seed flats, trays or other frequently monitored and watered environments with shade for 12 to 18 months.
Sufficient Soil Moisture
Rhodiola rosea is a succulent plant and is considered to be drought tolerant. It can withstand drought, but at the cost of plant growth and root yield. The plant is observed to compare favorably to zones of better precipitation in the Province of Alberta. Growers in areas with the most rain report improved crop yields over more drought-prone areas.
Weeds and Weed Control
Rhodiola rosea does not compete well with most other types of plants. Rhodiola tends to limit root growth in the presence of other plants, and roots from other plants can choke out Rhodiola over time. Dandelions and other perennial plants will do the most damage to Rhodiola yields, with harvests being cut by as much as 95% compared to weed-free plants.
Maintaining a weed-free environment for best plant growth requires extensive manual labor over a period of 5 growing seasons. This is one of the biggest reasons for the limited amount of Rhodiola rosea currently under cultivation. Weeds can be controlled by use of mulches and cultivation. There are no approved herbicides for Rhodiola rosea.
Please read on in further articles of the Rhodiola Growers of Canada Knowledge Base for more information. This article is not intended to be a complete guide, and should only be used to help determine if Rhodiola rosea might grow successfully in your given conditions.