How to grow Garden sorrel

Rumex acetosa · common sorrel, sorrel

A hardy perennial leafy herb with sharp, lemony leaves for salads, soups and sauces. It dies back in winter and regrows in spring, and is easy to raise from seed.

Quick facts

Type	Herb
Family	Polygonaceae
Light	Partial shade
Soil pH	5.5–6.8
Frost	tolerates light frost
Soil for sowing	from 5 °C
Germination	10 days
Seedlings ready	25 days
Sowing to harvest	56 days
Where it grows	Greenhouse, Open ground, At home

When to plant

Sow for seedlings about 5 weeks before planting out.

It tolerates light frost: plant out in open ground about three weeks before your last spring frost.

In an unheated greenhouse everything moves about three weeks earlier.

The first harvest comes about 56 days after the shoots appear.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

Greenhouse

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 2 days	—	—
Seedlings	every 3 days	—	—
Growth	every 4 days	—	organic, at the start of the stage
Harvest	every 4 days	—	—

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 2 days	—	—
Seedlings	every 3 days	—	—
Growth	every 4 days	—	organic, at the start of the stage
Harvest	every 4 days	—	—

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 2 days	—	—
Seedlings	every 3 days	—	—
Growth	every 3 days	—	—
Harvest	every 3 days	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Full sun or partial shade; light shade keeps the leaves better in summer.

Soil

Fertile, moisture-retentive soil, pH 5.5–6.8; dig in well-rotted organic matter if the soil is poor or very free-draining.

Care

Keep the soil evenly moist and water seedlings and new plants in dry spells. Mulch with well-rotted organic matter once a year. Pick young leaves from spring to autumn; regular picking keeps new ones coming. Cut off flower stems as soon as they appear to keep the leaves coming and stop self-seeding. Divide clumps every 3–5 years. The leaves are rich in oxalic acid, so eat them in moderation.

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.