Foundation of the plantation rosehip, cultivation technology and methods of its use
Rosehips in bloom in the fields of Rosaproduct
In rosehip plantations for machine harvesting, depending on the varietal characteristics of its development, I recommend planting plants at a distance of 0.6 to 0.8 meters between seedlings that are in the same row, and 3.5 to 4 meters between rows, that is, about 4000 plants per hectare. Rosehips can also be planted in spring, but due to the early movement of the buds, autumn planting in the second half of November is more favorable. If by any chance this is not possible, let's try to plant as early as possible in the spring. After planting, in the spring we have to cover the newly planted rosehip because that way we protect it from drying out.
The most common type of rosehip is Rosa Canina, from which the best characteristics for growing rosehip fruit have its sorts: Schmidt Ideal, Inermis and Polmerian. These sorts are characterized by an intense red color, a high content of vitamins, amino acids, tannins, pectin, a good ratio of fruit and flesh, and high yields - on average about 5 tons per hectare.
Production costs are significantly higher in the first year, considering the need for land preparation, the value of planting material and the cost of planting, but these costs decrease in subsequent years. The rosehip plants are long-lived and can live up to 50-60 years. In order to achieve this longevity, appropriate agrotechnical measures must be taken into account. Special care should be taken when cutting out individual fruit-bearing branches which are thicker than 2 cm in diameter. We cut these branches just above the surface of the ground. In this way, we rejuvenate the bush and improve the quality of mechanical rosehip harvesting. We can expect the first fruits of rosehips to grow after the third year.
Rosehip is not a demanding plant. It tolerates stressful conditions caused by the weather well, grows even on poorer types of soil thanks to the strong development of the bush and the deep root system. It is very grateful when cultivation is carried out on rich soils with good structure, in a weakly acidic or weakly alkaline environment.
The most common diseases that can infect rosehip are leaf rust and powdery mildew. In order to protect our crops from these diseases, we can do this best with fungicides based on copper and sulfur. If the need arises, protection with insecticides against pests like aphids, fruit moths and wasps should be done. Of course, before applying any of these protection agents we must take care and check if they are all approved for use in organic production.
Organic rosehip has many uses in dried or frozen form. With the technological extraction of ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, organic rosehip has become an important product for the pharmaceutical industry. 100 grams of rosehip fruit contains 350 - 400 milligrams of vitamin C, which is almost ten times more than the content of the same in lemon. In addition, many other valuable products such as jams, teas, sauces, jellies, flour and very useful rosehip oil, which is a necessary ingredient in certain products of the cosmetic industry, can be obtained from it.
