Roselle 'Thai Red Early'

Hibiscus sabdariffa

How to grow Roselle 'Thai Red Early'

  • Full Sun

  • Low

Thai Red Early likes a position of full sun and remember to apply water fairly sparingly. Keep in mind when planting that Thai Red Early is thought of as tender, so remember to wait until your soil is warm and the night time temperature is well above freezing before moving outside. Planting Thai Red Early in chalky, loamy and peat-rich soil with a ph of between 5.6 and 7.5 is ideal for as it does best in weakly acidic soil to weakly alkaline soil.

Growing Thai Red Early from seed

Sow 0.39 inches (1.0 cm) deep with a guideline distance of 1.46 feet (45.0 cm). Soil temperature should be kept higher than 24°C / 75°F to ensure good germination.

Transplanting Thai Red Early

Can be started in containers and later transplanted to the ground. Plant away from wind and they do best in full sun. Provide some sort of support and prune to encourage branching at any time.

It is advisable to use mulch when the plants are mature (1 to 2 feet tall) to conserve moisture and discourage weeds.2

As Thai Red Early is tender, ensure temperatures are mild enough to plant out - wait until after your last frost date to be on the safe side.

Harvesting Thai Red Early

Roselle is grown for the flower calyx which should be harvested 10 days after the flowers open.1

Young leaves are also edible and can be harvested starting six weeks after transplanting.1

Thai Red Early folklore & trivia

Thai red Roselle may slow the spread of pathogens and weeds and will attract beneficial insects when planted at the boundary of a field of a low growing crop. It grows well with mulberry, cinnamon, camelia and lemongrass.2

Other Names for Roselle 'Thai Red Early'

Maple leaf hibiscus, Flor de Jamaica

Footnotes

1 www.smartgardener.com/plants/2162-roselle-thai-red/harvesting

2 http://ccgrow.com/phytotheca/hibiscus-thai-red-roselle/