Planting, caring for and propagating sorrel

As an edible wild herb, the sorrel not only impresses with its fresh, sour taste, but is also popular with caterpillars.

The sorrel is native to Central Europe and can be used as a medicinal herb. You can find out how to care for the versatile plant and how to use sorrel here. We also present the most important species and varieties and show how sorrel can be propagated.

Recognize sorrel: leaves, flower and properties

The sorrel belongs to the genus of sorrel (Rumex) in the knotweed family (Polygonaceae). When one speaks of sorrel, it is usually the meadow sorrel (Rumex acetosa

) meant. However, there are other sorrel species that will be presented in the next section. The herbaceous plant is also known as sour rag or sorrel and can grow up to 100 cm tall. Typical are the arrow-shaped leaves, which you can also eat. As the name suggests, they taste slightly sour. The leaves, lower down the stem, are less arrow-shaped and more elongated. The sorrel blooms from May to August and presents its rather inconspicuous, small and red flowers. The perennial perennial produces flowers every year, which is why the sorrel is called perennial. The sorrel can be found all over the world, although it was naturalized in America as a neophyte.

Confusion of sorrel: There are some plants that you can confuse the sorrel with. These include above all other sorrel species, which is not tragic. In addition, the sorrel leaves resemble those of the spotted arum (Arum maculatum) similar. Just before flowering, when only the leaves are there, you should take a close look at the plant. However, if you look closely, the poisonous aroid has rounded arrowheads at the bottom of the leaf. You can recognize sorrel by the fact that the leaves are pointed at this point. In addition, the arum flowers earlier and already shows its flask-shaped inflorescence in April and May.

The most beautiful sorrel species and varieties

In addition to the meadow sorrel, which is also known as the large sorrel, there are several other sorrel species that taste sour and are suitable for consumption.

• Little sorrel (Rumex acetosella): As the name suggests, this sorrel does not grow as tall as the meadow sorrel: only about 40 cm tall. The leaves are also smaller and have conspicuous spiky ends at the bottom.

• vegetable sorrel (Rumex patientia): The sorrel tastes less sour and tastes similar to spinach. He is originally from Asia and Eastern Europe.

• blood sorrel (Rumex sanguineus): With its red-veined leaves is the blood dock, also called red sorrel, a real eye-catcher in the garden. Its leaves have a milder taste than those of the meadow sorrel.

• garden sorrel (Rumex rugosus): This species grows up to 120 cm and is a cultivated plant. The leaves are slightly thicker and larger than in Rumex acetosa.

Planting sorrel: location and sowing

When planting the sorrel, the place should meet some conditions. The sorrel prefers a sunny location and roots in moist, deep, acidic and nutrient-rich soil.

From April you can sow the sorrel directly in the garden. Optionally, it can be brought forward in the house from March. Since it is a light germinator is, you should only press the seed lightly and not cover it with soil. Temperatures of around 15°C are ideal for germination. It is best to use potting soil for sowing, later the small plants should be planted in nutrient-rich soil with a low pH value. For example, our is suitable for this Plantura Organic Acid Soil, which offers the sorrel with its pH value between 4 and 6 optimal conditions. Our organic soil is also produced with reduced peat and can be used both in beds and in pots.
We recommend planting in a bucket or raised bed. Sorrel can spread through runners and can hardly be removed again due to its deep roots. If you want to sow it in the bed, keep a distance of about 40 cm between the plants, as the sorrel grows quite bushy.

The sorrel has a high nutrient requirement. Because it is also used for consumption, it is best to use an organic fertilizer, such as ours Plantura organic universal fertilizer, be used. It contains all the important nutrients that plants need to grow and provides the sorrel with nutrients over a long period of time. These are gradually released into the soil so that there is no excess of nutrients. Especially in raised beds or pots, nutrients must be regularly replenished via fertilization.

tip: You can also plant the sorrel in semi-shade, then the plant stays a little smaller and the leaves taste milder.

Can you plant sorrel in a pot?

Keeping sorrel in a pot is not only possible, but even recommended - for example to plant it on the balcony. However, since it develops roots that are up to 150 cm long, the pot must be quite large. Also a larger planter box or a raised bed offer themselves. The planter is best planted with an acidic and nutrient-rich soil like ours Plantura Organic Acid Soil stuffed to meet the needs of the sorrel.

The right sorrel care

Apart from regular water and fertilizer, the sorrel requires little care. We will briefly show you what is important.

Water, cut and fertilize

Since it prefers a moist soil, it is important to water the sorrel when it does not rain regularly. Especially in summer it needs enough water to grow well. Rainwater is ideal due to the low lime content.

To get a richer harvest, you can remove the base of the flower. This leaves more energy for the formation of fresh leaves. However, bees and other insects also benefit from the flowers of the sorrel. Cut back the sorrel about three times a year so that it sprout freshly again. Leave the young leaves in the middle.

Sorrel has a high nutrient requirement and should therefore be fertilized regularly. A long-term fertilizer such as ours can be used once a year for this Plantura organic universal fertilizer be used. It is simply worked lightly into the soil and then lasts for a long time. If you prefer to use a liquid fertilizer, you should mix a little fertilizer into the irrigation water once a month. Here is our example Plantura organic flower fertilizer which contains many important nutrients for a rich harvest.

Common pests on sorrel

Although it is actually a robust plant, it can happen that the sorrel is attacked by pests. These are the most common diseases and pests:

• leaf spot disease (Cercospora beticola): This disease caused by a fungus can be recognized by the brown and black spots on the leaves. Affected leaves should be cut off and the plant transplanted to another location. Because the outlasting organs can remain in the ground for a year, no sorrel or beetroot (Beta vulgaris) and no chard (Beta vulgaris eg. vulgaris) are planted.
• Green sorrel beetle (Gastrophysa viridula): This beetle eats holes in the leaves of the sorrel. The beetles should be collected regularly. The orange eggs on the underside of the leaves are also removed.

propagation

First of all, the sorrel is very good at self-replicating. It can spread quickly in the garden through vegetative propagation and self-sowing. You can also collect the fruit yourself and sow the sorrel seeds as described above. Between June and August, the fruits ripen and should be harvested before they open on their own. You can also use the offshoots to propagate the sorrel. Sorrel is a highly vegetative propagator, so you can simply dig up, cut off and transplant the daughter plants. This is not always easy, as the sorrel develops deep roots. If the roots are injured, more offshoots are usually formed.

Is sorrel hardy?

Sorrel is hardy and does not need special protection. As a perennial perennial, it sprout from its strong root every year.

Fighting sorrel: how to get rid of it?

Sorrel is a native wild plant and has tasty leaves. It also serves as a food plant for the caterpillars of some butterflies. However, if you decide to remove it from the garden, it should be noted that this could be a difficult task due to the roots. Remove the inflorescences regularly so that the sorrel cannot spread further. In addition, dig up all disturbing plants together with the roots.

Is sorrel poisonous or edible?

Sorrel is an edible wild plant and can be used in a similar way to spinach. It is even used as a medicinal herb for stomach problems. However, it contains oxalic acid, the content of which increases with the age of the leaves. Leaves that are turning red are already high in oxalic acid and should no longer be harvested. In large quantities, sorrel is toxic to children and can cause vomiting and diarrhea. Excessive amounts of oxalic acid put a strain on the kidneys. Pregnant and breastfeeding women in particular should therefore be careful not to consume too large amounts of sorrel to protect their child. People with kidney problems should rather refrain from consumption. Sorrel is not a problem for pets as long as it is not consumed in large quantities.

Harvesting and use of sorrel

The sorrel harvest should take place before the end of June, otherwise there will be too much oxalic acid in the leaves. Young and fresh leaves are usually the mildest and most digestible and can be harvested continuously. You can prepare the leaves raw or steamed, the sorrel behaves similarly to spinach and gives the food a sour-bitter note. Sorrel is also an integral part of the well-known Frankfurt green sauce. However, it also tastes great in a wild herb salad, in herb butter or quark, or as the main player in Russian sorrel soup with potatoes and eggs.

Is sorrel healthy?

Since it also contains a lot of vitamin C in addition to oxalic acid, sorrel is considered healthy and easily digestible. It is even said to have a healing effect on stomach problems. The bitter substances it contains stimulate digestion. In addition, it is considered to purify the blood and is said to generally promote vitality. Vitamins B1, B2, B6 and vitamin E are also contained in sorrel.

It also has a slightly sour taste and is very healthy lemon verbena. We show how to plant, care for and use them.