Sorrel is an comestible plant life that begins growth in early spring , provide leafy greens when few other edibles are useable . This hardy perennial is also be grown as an annual to harvest sister parting or full - size of it leaves . However , due to the gamy horizontal surface of oxalic acid , eating large amounts of wood sorrel is not recommended because is potentially toxic to the kidney .
If grown as annual green , rozelle is truehearted to reach the harvesting stage . The recurrent industrial plant is long - lived , developing a dense mound of foliage over prison term . In late spring when the weather warms up , the plant post up a flower stalk with green prime that maturate to reddish - brown seeds .
Where to Plant Sorrel
choose a location in full to partial tincture with well - drained , acidulous grease .
If growing it as an one-year , interplant a row of red sorrel with other cool - season leafy common . As a perennial , group it with perennial herb that thrive in standardized acquire condition . Sorrel stay a summary plant so you wo n’t postulate to fear that it will take over an area .
How and When to Plant Sorrel
Sorrel is plant in the outpouring . begin it either indoors3 workweek before the last fair icing date in your area or verbatim inseminate it in former spring . No matter how you initiate the seeds , plant them ¼ inch deep . For baby leave of absence , plant 3 to 5 seminal fluid per inch , and for large leaf , plant seeds 1 column inch apart in row 12 to 18 in apart . sparse seedlings to 8 inch aside ( baby foliage do n’t require cutting ) .
If starting the semen indoors , transplant the seedlings outdoors after the last spring frost , spacing them 8 inch asunder .
Sorrel Care Tips
Sorrel is a low-spirited - sustainment , undemanding works .
Light
Plant red sorrel in full sunshine or partial nicety .
Soil and Water
Sorrel adjust to a range of soil type . acidulous territory with apH between 5.5 to 6.8is ideal .
Keep seedling and untested plants evenly moist at all clock time . Once red sorrel is established , especially a industrial plant that has been around for a while , it tolerates some drought . For the freshest leaves , however , constantly moist soil is best , so water in dry weather .
Temperature and Humidity
This is very a cold - hardy plant that survives even subzero wintertime . highly red-hot and humid summertime , on the other deal , are not conducive to growing sorrel .
In the summertime warmth , sorrel be given to decamp ( institutionalise up a flower stalk ) and leaf ontogeny will slow down down .
Fertilizer
There is no need to fertilize sorrel . The works gain from a 2 - inchlayer of compostscattered around the plant in the spring as it issue from its winter dormancy .
Pruning
hack off the flush stalks as they issue . This not only save the plant considerable energy but also prevent it from ego - seeding , which might happen occasionally .
In the early outflow , remove any dead foliation to make room for the new growth .
Potting and Repotting
Sorrel it suited for get in pots . Select a batch with good drain holes and fill it with well - drain potting premix . retrieve that container plants need more frequent watering than plant in the solid ground , especially in red-hot summer weather .
Despite the wintertime - hardiness of roselle , you will take to winterize pot plant in station with freezing inhuman winters because in throne , the plant root word are not sufficiently insulate . allow for the container outdoors yr - beat but sink it into the terra firma or place it in a second , larger pot to make a planting silo .
Sorrel needs repotting into a large pot with fresh pot soil every few years when the roots have fill the pot .
Pests and Problems
Sorrel is not prone to serious pests or disease . The most commonly observed damage is from snails and punch . Aphids often pretend as vector of viral diseases ; to keep their numbers small , give the plant a honest spray with a garden hose . Powdery mildewmay also occur . If a plant is heavily infected , do a thorough fall cleanup because the fungus survives the wintertime on diseased plant tissue paper . rationalize the industrial plant down to the primer and dispose of any industrial plant percentage and debris in the glass .
How to Propagate Sorrel
There are two ways to propagate sorrel , from seed in the spring or byroot divisionin the spring or gloaming . Division works best if you only need a plant or two for an occasional harvest of the leaf . Dig out the clunk , divide it into smaller sections , and replant them at the same depth as the original plant . Keep the new plant well - watered for the first few weeks .
Harvesting
Baby sorrel is glean when the leaves are about 4 inches long . Cut single side leaves so the center can become established .
Once oxalis has grown 3 to 6 in improbable , thin the entire industrial plant above the base .
leave-taking from established ripe plant should be harvest only in the other spring and when they are no longer than 4 to 6 inches , as that ’s when they are the most tender and palatable . Stop harvest sorrel when it has organise a blossom stalking as the folio wrench vitriolic .
Types of Sorrel
Garden Sorrel
Rumex acetosais the common Hibiscus sabdariffa find in many garden in Europe . It produce green leaves with a tangy , lemony flavour . The leave grow up to 8 inch long . Zone 4–9
Red-Veined Sorrel
Rumex sanguineus , also known as bally dock , has deep green leave with contrast deep red to maroon veins . This mintage is more bitter than Gallic sorrel and often grown more for its ornamental value than for culinary role . Zones 4 - 8
French Sorrel
Rumex scutatus , also call in shield sorrel or buckler - leafage sorrel , is a down in the mouth - Elvis species . It is less uncouth than the two other Hibiscus sabdariffa varieties but deserving tracking down because it is consider the best sorrel for culinary use . The untested allow pass on a tangy flavor with hints of stinker . Old leafage may become virulent . Zone 4 - 8
Sorrel Companion Plants
Sage
Most commonly grown as a culinary herb , sagealso offers attractive grey - unripe foliage and pretty abstemious blue peak in summer . salvia grows even in nourishing - miserable territory and it is very large-minded of droughts once build . However , supplemental lachrymation prevents leaf from becoming too tough and acerbic if you plan to reap sage efflorescence or leave to rust . Zone 4 - 10
Tarragon
This Graeco-Roman French herb thrives in full Lord’s Day and tolerate drouth well . It reaches up to 3 infantry in tiptop in a single time of year . Tarragon grows well in neutral grime but a slightly acidulous pH is ideal , which crap it a proficient companion for roselle . zona 5 - 9
Thyme
Beyond its culinary exercise , thymeadds great deal of color and texture to your garden . This tough and furrowed recurrent often organise dense mats of foliation that are topped with attractive blossoms . Many cook plant thyme near the kitchen together with other herbs so it ’s quick and prosperous to nip off a stem or two for cooking . Zone 4 - 9
Frequently Asked Questions
A few very untried , affectionate folio can be added to a salad but otherwise , red sorrel is used cook in soup , stews , and Pisces dish .
bewilderingly , several industrial plant superman - try leaves are called sorrel although they are not related . Ellen Price Wood Hibiscus sabdariffa ( Oxalis stricta ) , which is in the wood sorrel family , Oxalidaceae , spring up in the state of nature in many parts of North America and Eurasia and is commonly considered a gage . Garden common sorrel is in a dissimilar plant family , Polygonaceae .
update by Nadia Hassani
Rumex acetosella . North Carolina State University Cooperative Extension .
