Watch this before growing ROSELLE - How to grow roselle from seed, harvest calices, & recipes

[@tronbunny]

I used Jerra's roselle seeds to grow 4 large plants and harvested nearly 10 pounds of calyxes! The jelly/jam/preserves we made are fabulous. They are not exacly like cranberries, but I will do this again! Our plants were on the southwest area of our yard in some partial shade of a large oak in a neighbors yard. the plants still got a solid 8 hours of summer sun daily. They were planted in March and harvested in November. I highly recommend growing them!

[@JerrasGarden]

That is such a huge harvest. Congrats!

[@jgarno2098]

Where can I get seeds?

[@ramonajolley1966]

I just came across your channel. I actually bought Rosell seeds this year but did not plant them. Now I feel I'll have success. I just have to find the best place for them. Thank you so much!!

[@sarajseiberthesavannahdarter]

I just recently found your channel, I started several seeds last year and gave them to my sister. She just got her first flower. I want to grow them next year so I'm going to order some 15 gallon grow bags. Thanks for all the info and bonus recipe!

[@lornafrancis1791]

My Christmas recipe uses ginger, pimento (Allspice) berries, sugar with some white rum and fortified wine. Alcohol is optional.

[@JerrasGarden]

Sounds delicious!

[@jlfoodforest]

Mmmm! Now I'm going to start adding lemon balm

[@Peterrdee]

I grow a bunch of hibiscus, swamp rose mallow, Rosa sinensis. Lavatera trimensis, lavatera tree mallow, rose of Sharon, french mallow, and hollyhock

[@fghdgf-s5s]

If you save the seeds you can use them as contain enough pectin to make jam or jelly out of the harvested calyces without adding any of the boxed kind. The seeds can also be left out until they dry out and open up for future planting.

[@JerrasGarden]

Yes very true

[@laferriere6]

​​@@JerrasGarden Wait, even after boiling them to get the peptin? My wife is in the process of making our first jam and she's about to toss the seeds... Also she wants to know if we take this (used white sugar) hot from the pot and put it in a mason jar about how long it will last if stored refrigerated or on a shelf, either or? And thanks for the video! I've been watching your channel for a few months trying to learn my way into a food forest here in Florida 9b.

[@ramonajolley1966]

Thank you so much for sharing. I'll start my first plants in January. I also can, so this is so interesting.

[@DeeStarr-e5u]

Just ordered seeds from you. Hoping for success by starting indoors this year. I had beautiful plants just direct sowing but nothing else. So hoping that starting indoors is going to be the secret to success! Can't wait!

[@APJenkz]

I saw someone use a small fruit/ veg corer. They used the corer on the bottom and pushed the pod through the top of the petals. I just ordered a set of corers, will see if it works.

[@deskcaptn]

Very tart like cranberry and high in vitamin C. Love the taste in hot and cold teas.

[@happypappy]

Thank you! Growing Roselle for the first time this year but didn’t know what to do with them!

[@phoenixankaa]

Thanks so much. Putting my seedlings in the garden soon. I love Roselle Tea so much.

[@gloglos100]

I add minced ginger to my rosella tea.

[@ReenaMountainLife]

Spreading love and joy! 💕

[@stormwarning9182]

I've only been growing rosella hibiscus since the end of last year. Mine are just starting to get lots of calyxes now (in Australia). In the meantime, I have to buy dried rosellas to make iced tea. I've been adding different combinations of ginger, dehydrated oranges, red grapefruit or lemons, or finger lime pearls to it and its just delicious! Hope I get a big enough crop to try some of your recipes.

[@ab-zg8pt]

Get an apple deccore - er device to make removing the seed pod easier

[@JerrasGarden]

I will never leave FL LOL. We cant plant anything we want at any time, but we can grow and harvest something year round.

[@BudgetFriendlyCreations]

Do you really throw away the seed pod? Can you send them my way please. I need to sew some seeds

[@OptionOracle]

We just planted a couple of Roselle plants and can't wait to harvest them to make your recipes. Thank you for sharing.

[@thelifeinside6729]

I wonder how it would taste with Screwball. I love Cranberry Screwball mix drink.

[@OFFICIAL1STLADY]

Thank you

[@salexxavier]

I have one (it was labeled as a Late Roselle on the seed packet). I sort of knew what it was, and that you used the calyx part like a cranberry. However, that's about the whole of my knowledge. It's quite large (about 7 ft or so) and has the flowers all over it and some seed pods inside of large calices. I ate one yesterday and it was very nice. I had no idea not to eat the seed pod, but after a small nibble, I decided not to as it tasted pretty bitter. So, after watching your video, I plan on picking a all the current calices and storing them in the fridge for several days so I can get a nice pile for making the boiled concoction. Ah, well, next year I'll plant several, I'm going to try them from my seeds I collect this year. Thanks for the timely info once again Jerra!

[@bethb8276]

From what I've read, the seeds contain natural pectin and can be boiled and used to thicken the roselle when making jam. I'm also interested in trying to make the syrup, which can be used on things like ice cream. There is also a Roselle relish, which is supposed to taste exactly like cranberry relish, and can be used in place of it for holidays. Such a useful plant!

[@JerrasGarden]

You're very welcome!

[@JerrasGarden]

I agree. There are a lot of things you can make with roselle. The seed pods do help thicken jams and some people make tea with it.

[@027Star]

Thanks for sharing, this will be my second year growing 28 of these . Going to up my game this year...I LOVE THE TEA!

[@JerrasGarden]

Wow that is going to be a huge harvest!

[@027Star]

@@JerrasGarden last year I got tea for the year 😀

[@027Star]

Oh and I used a cherry pitter to remove the seed pod, works great!

[@user-hz7kv6js6l]

I use an apple core to get the seed out its fast and easy 😊

[@Chocamatoes]

I use an apple corer to get the seed out. I grew 6 plants. They have been prolific. I made tacos with Puerto Rican black beans and what a garden delight. Question though, since it’s my first year growing this, When do we cut it down. Mine is still producing but the calluses are not growing much?

[@JerrasGarden]

I would leave the plants and continue harvesting if its still producing until they die back from the cold. I received a few cold fronts that dropped thee temperature below 50F and my plants have pretty much stopped growing but are not dead. Just depends how cold this winter will be. If they die back, then I will remove them. Otherwise, they are perennial if it doesn't get cold enough to kill the entire plant.

[@Chocamatoes]

@@JerrasGarden ok so, mine have lost most of its leaves but are full of buds. What will be a better indication that they have died? I live in the Kissimmee area, I believe in your same zone. If these survive it would be a blessing. It was hard to sprout them. I had 20 seeds and only these came up.

[@timmmmmmmmmmy1]

​@@JerrasGardenmine here in Oklahoma saw 2 nights mid 30s and 2 weeks later , they're blooming. Tickled pink. Nov 1st now.

[@melrob9888]

Are there any culinary uses for the seeds?

[@user-hz7kv6js6l]

Hi Jerra, I have a question. I live in zone 11a SW Florida. I just harvested over 500 calyxes from 4 trees I was growing. The trees suffered damage from Hurricane Helene and Milton. I'm thinking of starting new plants do you think they will survive winter in zone 11a? And if so, will they flower before next summer? Or does Roselle only flower in October and November?

[@timmmmmmmmmmy1]

It's about day length , shorter day.

[@seaperson5704]

This was so detailed and thorough! Thank you! Sub'd

[@primadonna223]

Hi Jerra This video came right on time. As a first-time grower, I wasn't sure when to harvest. My plant is about 6 ft tall and full of calyxes. However they are very small compared to yours and others I've seen. I'm thinking it's the plant placement. It's growing on the east side of the house where the full sun hours are about 4-6 hours a day. (More like 4 hours now during late fall) Is it worth saving the seed to plant for spring? Thanks

[@JerrasGarden]

You can save the seed. If you think the plant is producing smaller calyces because it just doesn't have enough sunlight, then the genetics for normal sized calyces is there, its just the growing conditions that affected the plant. I would wait a few days to see if the calyces swell up and get more round before harvesting.

[@vnxettitw4879]

I got an apple corer to pop out the seed

[@2018rice]

can you use these in a potpourri recipe? will it yield a smell or look as pretty in a potpopori

[@stevesoltwisch]

You can make a Sour Soup out of the leaves. You'll find a Burmese recipe on KZbin. Very healthy for you.

[@Mycrazyhair00]

Is it possible to grow these in a pot? I live in the city and tried to grow them in a pot about 2 feet deep. They did great all summer, full sun and 95-100 degrees every day but only grew about 3 feet tall and did not bloom at all in the fall. Was it the pot? Or maybe too many plants in one pot?

[@JerrasGarden]

I would say yes, the pot constricted their growth. Roselle plants need space to grow very big so they will produce a lot. Plants get over 6FT tall. I recommend to plant in ground next time or get a much larger pot, and only plant 1 roselle plant per pot.

[@brandonmonroe7050]

I actually have some of these indoor right now for spring. I'm in Texas zone 8 very hot in the summer 105 degrees on the regular. Can you really actually put roselle in full all day summer sun?

[@JerrasGarden]

Yes it handles my full sun here in FL so it will be fine in TX too

[@georginablumel2852]

Hi Jerra, I grew Roselle for the first time this year, but put it in pretty late, I think late June early July ish. It’s not quite mid September and I already have several calyxes. Is it too early? And if I harvest them now, how long can I keep them, and can I freeze them? It’s a small plant so I won’t get much harvest overall, but I was hoping to save them for cranberry sauce at thanksgiving. Is that possible to keep them that long, or better to just dry them for tea at this point?

[@JerrasGarden]

If it started flowering then its ok. You can harvest the calices and freeze them for use later.

[@georginablumel2852]

@@JerrasGarden yay! I’m going to harvest some tomorrow then, thank you. This video was super helpful!

[@nccgolden3626]

Hi Jerra I grew 3 plants from last yrs seeds. I didnt get enough to make jam. Is it ok to freeze Roselle Calyx with seed pod still attached. I froze till I can get enough harvested to make jam and I noticed if I left them out they got kind of soft and wilted. What are your thoughts? I use a apple/fruit corer Rod type and just push seed out from the bottom. The seed pod is boiled separately bc they naturally have pectin that u then add to boiled down caylx like u dud for drink Also your leaves are so beautifully green. Mine git a little yellow n some oval white or dark curckes like scale ?

[@JerrasGarden]

I would remove the seed pods first and then freeze them separately. I give them some Espoma garden-tone fertilizer every now and then. It is hard to know what kind of leaf disease or pest your getting without a pic. Scale is pretty common and they come in lots of different colors.

[@StraightFromMyGarden]

Can it be grown in containers or grow bags?

[@JerrasGarden]

Yes if it is a very big container. The larger the plant, the bigger your harvest. Small pots will constrict plant growth. I would say plant in a 15 gallon size or bigger.

[@StraightFromMyGarden]

@@JerrasGarden I received my seeds from you. Thank you. I’m excited to get started. Great information

[@rabibilah8223]

I tried growing them in 5 gallon bags and they never flowered! But I used the leaves as an herb for soups

[@joanfraser5547]

In jamaica Sorrell wine is great

[@JerrasGarden]

Like making wine with just the calices? Or mixing with wine to make a drink?

[@tashaunaharris7905]

@@JerrasGardenmaking wine with the actual sorrel

[@timmmmmmmmmmy1]

​@@tashaunaharris7905do you brew a tea then use yeast and sugar for your fermentation ?

[@blaqfish]

How are you getting more seeds if you throw the seed pods away? Do you get seeds somewhere else without buying more. Thank you

[@JerrasGarden]

I save the seeds before throwing out

[@IAMGiftbearer]

I am planning to row Roseelle inder my bedroom window on the side of the house both for tea and as a privacy bush. My last frost date was April 1st but it is still kind of chilly here in Georgia, in the 40s and 50s, so I'm wonderin if I shouold start the seeds indoors and when they will be hardy enough to plant in the ground.

[@JerrasGarden]

Start the seeds a few weeks before your last spring frost date indoors only. Transplant once all danger of frost has passed. Your area definitely gets more cold than mine, so just a heads up, Roselle will die when your winter arrives. It is a tropical plant and does not like the cold. Mine start producing in October (day light sensative).

[@blaqfish]

Do they come back again next year? Thank you

[@WimberlySolis]

How many Roselle plants would you recommend for a tall 3ft diameter round Birdies Raised Bed? Thank you!

[@timmmmmmmmmmy1]

One , but since 1 can be none make it 2.😊

[@DebbieFordyce-p8r]

My plants (3) are about 6 ft tall and aren't bushy. No flowers yet. What am i doing wrong?

[@beckymartinez9926]

Can you grow it in a 5 gallon bucket? I’ve made jamika many times but didn’t think about it as a tea. Thanks 😊

[@JerrasGarden]

I wouldn't recommend growing in a 5 gallon container. Roselle plants get very big and if the root system gets constrained , that will cause stunted growth, and decreased production.

[@sandrafwg1163]

Can you save the seeds for the next season?

[@AnjelLee-f8c]

Yes

[@roxiemichele]

the chinese poke the seed pod from the back out the front leaving them whole

[@tomaxxamot2016]

Jamaican sorrelle

[@JerrasGarden]

Yes, it goes by many names Jamaican sorrel being one of them

[@sisterc4267]

Don’t throw away the seeds. They are rich in pectin to make jam.

[@leahprieto9687]

Hello mam i would like to connect with you. I am very interested in Roselle farming in the Philippines..do u have other social media platform to contact with? Thank u very much 🙏

[@ankanowakowska8388]

Can I freeze Roselle seeds to use for planting next year?

[@JerrasGarden]

I don't recommend freezing seeds

[@daryleberhardt4110]

No they DO NOT taste exactly the same as cranberries.