How to properly grow sorrel outdoors?

Sorrel (Rumex) is a perennial herb. It has been cultivated since the Middle Ages, in Russia for a long time it was considered an ordinary weed, therefore, it began to be grown as a garden crop in recent centuries. The root system of the plant is pivotal, the fleshy root penetrates deeply into the soil. The leaf plates are large, long, gathering in a dense basal rosette.

Sorrel is one of the earliest vegetable crops, a breath of freshness after a long winter cold, a storehouse of useful elements. Green leaves reach for the sun as soon as the snow melts. In May, the first harvest can already be harvested - the length of the leaves reaches about 10 cm. During the season (harvesting should be completed in July), 4-5 cuts are carried out with an interval of 10-15 days. Then the leaves become coarse, the concentration of oxalic acid becomes high, which is not very useful for humans.

When to sow sorrel outdoors

When to plant sorrel in spring and before winter sowing dates

The plant is cold-resistant, its seeds begin to germinate at +3 ° C: growing seedlings is not required, you can immediately sow in open ground. When to plant sorrel?

There are three optimal sowing dates:

1. Early spring - Sow as soon as possible to till the soil. Get the harvest in the same season.
2. Summer sowing - Carry it out after harvesting early-ripening vegetables (June). Sorrel will have time to root well before the onset of the winter cold
3. Sowing before winter late autumn (late October-early November) - wait for severe cold weather with night frosts and dry weather, as the seeds should not have time to germinate before winter. When sowing in winter, it is useful to fill the rows with high-quality humus, mixed in half with garden soil.

In the latter two cases, the sorrel will delight you with the first green harvest next spring.

It is best to sow sorrel in the spring when the soil is saturated with moisture. With summer sowing, regular abundant watering of the garden will be required.

Why the sorrel does not sprout

Often people make a gross mistake: they sow sorrel deeply, which is why the seeds do not break through a thick layer of earth. Sorrel seeds are very small, sow them no deeper than 1 cm. To do this, make the furrows "symbolic", only slightly indicating the direction of sowing with a hoe corner. After sowing, carefully cover the furrows with soil.

What variety of sorrel is best to plant?

The best sorrel variety is large-leaved, the yield is excellent, it easily tolerates cutting and grows quickly under the condition of regular watering. It does not degenerate for a long time and does not freeze.

Site selection

The plant thrives in moderate shade conditions.

The soil needs fertile, sufficiently moist, but without stagnation of water.The optimal occurrence of groundwater is at a depth of more than 1 m. It grows best on loamy and sandy loam soils rich in humus. A slightly acidic soil reaction is preferred.

How to plant sorrel seeds outdoors

1 g of weight contains about 1000-1 500 seeds. Seeds germinate for about 2 years.

Soil preparation

Dig up the area, free it from weeds. On depleted soils for digging, apply fertilizers: 6-8 kg of humus or compost, 20-30 g of superphosphate and 15-20 g of potassium chloride per 1 m².

How to prepare a bed for planting sorrel, look at the video:

How to plant sorrel seeds

• Sow in rows, keeping a distance of 15-20 cm between them.
• In the spring, plant the seeds to a depth of 8 mm-1 cm. Amicable shoots will appear in 8-11 days, and if the crops are covered with foil, they will appear in 3-5 days. After a week of growth, thin out, leaving a distance of 5-7 cm between the plants.
• When sowing in summer, the soil must be saturated with moisture - a couple of days before sowing, water the bed well so that the soil is well wet.
• When sowing before winter, the bed is prepared in advance so that the soil settles and the seeds are not washed away by precipitation into the deep layers of the soil.

It is necessary to sow as little as possible, the germination of seeds is excellent, and after germination of seeds, the seedlings must be thinned out so that the plants do not clog each other. Ideally, leave at least 2-3 cm between individual plants so that the sorrel is large and beautiful.

How to sow sorrel, look at the video:

Care and cultivation of sorrel in the open field

How to grow sorrel outdoors:

Watering

• Water regularly and abundantly during active growth.
• In hot weather and dry soil, the ground part will actively develop, which will provoke earlier unwanted flowering (under normal conditions, it should occur in the second year of growth).

To maintain the quality of green products, the stalks should be removed.

Top dressing and mulching

• In early spring, loosen the soil, mulch the area to maintain the moisture level, add top dressing (1 bucket of mullein solution in a ratio of 1 to 6 with the addition of 10-25 g of potassium-phosphorus fertilizers per 1 m²).
• To maintain the yield, after each leaf cut, you should feed it with a complex of mineral fertilizers, focusing on the nitrogen component.
• In autumn, add 4-5 kg ​​of humus or compost to the aisles.

Sorrel should be cultivated in one place for no more than 4 years, then the planting must be renewed.

Sorrel diseases and pests

Downy mildew is a possible disease of the sorrel culture. This will not happen if the seeds have been processed prior to planting.

The sorrel beetle can destroy your crops. Spray the plant with a solution of garlic, sprinkle with ash or tobacco dust.

The benefits of sorrel

Sorrel is rich in minerals (potassium, iron), proteins, sugars, organic acids (oxalic, malic, citric), contains vitamin C and carotene. In folk medicine, sorrel is used as a choleretic, hemostatic agent, the juice of the plant has an antiseptic effect, improves metabolism, and normalizes the stomach. Do not abuse it, as acids can have a negative effect on the kidneys.

Fresh sorrel leaves are used in the preparation of salads, sauces, mashed potatoes, everyone's favorite "green borscht", it retains its useful properties both fresh and canned.

Sorrel belongs to the Sinful family and is grown in our gardens and vegetable gardens as a vegetable crop and a medicinal plant. Sorrel contains a lot of vitamin C, organic acids, minerals, carotene. Its leaves are used for making salads and borscht, added to various main courses and preserves. Growing sorrel in the open field with knowledge of agricultural technology does not have great difficulties, and you can plant it on your site in spring, summer and autumn.

When to sow sorrel in the ground

You can plant sorrel seeds in open ground from early spring to late autumn:

1. In early spring sowing can be done in April, when the snow melts, but the soil is still wet. Seeds can germinate at a temperature of +3 degrees. The plant will bloom only next year, but it will be possible to feast on juicy and tasty leaves already this season.
2. Summer sorrel is planted in June-July. To do this, choose the beds from which this year they have harvested greens, radishes, and lettuce. The culture planted in summer will grow up, take root well and calmly survive the winter.
3. Late October to early November, that is, before winter, sorrel is planted in order to get early healthy greens in the spring. Crops are produced with dry seeds and in dry weather with night frosts. It is recommended to mulch the soil with garden soil with humus (1: 1).

Where to plant sorrel

For a perennial plant, it is not necessary to choose well-lit areas, since sorrel can grow in partial shade. Therefore, you can plant it under a large tree or near a fence. Culture prefers:

• soil with a slightly acidic reaction;
• humus-rich sandy loam or loamy soil;
• moist and well-drained soil, on which there will be no stagnant water.

It is best to plant sorrel in an area where cabbage or celery, parsley or beets, carrots or radishes grew last year.

How to plant sorrel correctly

After choosing a site, the bed is freed from weeds, fertilizers are introduced into the soil, which are dug up together with the ground. As fertilizers, you can take for each square meter of the site:

• compost or humus - 6 kg;
• potassium chloride - 15 grams;
• superphosphate - 20 grams.

The fertilized, dug bed is leveled and furrows are made in it up to 1 cm deep and with a distance of 15-20 cm.

Many gardeners ask - why does sorrel not sprout? Their mistake may be that the seed furrows were too deep. Better if they are less than 1 cm.

Sowing sorrel

Sorrel seeds

The procedure for sowing seeds in spring, summer and autumn is slightly different:

1. In the spring the soil is damp, so the furrows do not need to be moistened. It is enough to sow the seeds, cover them with soil, tamp it a little and cover it with foil. Shoots should appear on the fifth or even on the third day.
2. Summer the soil is dry, so the seeds are placed in moist soil, sprinkled with earth, which is tamped a little and covered with a film. If the seedbed is not covered with foil, the soil and seeds in it will dry out in hot weather.
3. In autumn the garden bed should be prepared two weeks before sowing sorrel. During this time, the soil should settle. Seeds are buried in dry furrows, sprinkled with dry earth and mulch.

When sowing, observe a distance between the seeds of 2-3 cm.When the seedlings sprout and grow a little, they will need to be thinned out, leaving a distance between shoots of 5 to 7 cm. In this case, the sorrel bushes will grow and be large.

Sorrel care

Taking care of healthy greens is quite simple, just follow some simple procedures.

Watering

In spring and summer, when the plants are still young, you should carefully monitor the moisture content of the soil, which should not dry out. The grown bushes are watered abundantly, as needed.

If it rains regularly, then you can water the sorrel once every 5-7 days.

If the summer is hot and there is no rain, then daily watering may be needed. In dry soil, sorrel can bloom in the first year, which is undesirable, since the plant will give all its strength to flowering, and not to the development of leaves.

So that the ground does not dry out and does not become covered with a crust, it is recommended to cover the soil around the bushes with mulch. This should be done in early spring, when the greens appear.

Tillage

The timely removal of weeds and loosening of the soil in the aisles will very well affect the growth and development of plants. Such procedures should be carried out after watering or rain.

Top dressing sorrel

Sorrel is fertilized three times per season:

1. In the spring mullein, diluted with water (1: 6) and potash-phosphorus complex fertilizer (per 1 square meter - 10-20 grams).
2. To in during the season instead of cut leaves, new greens grew, plants need mineral fertilizers, in which there is a lot of nitrogen.
3. In autumn it is recommended to pour compost or humus between the rows of sorrel, which will feed the soil and protect the plant roots from freezing.

How to water sorrel from pests

One of the main pests of the plant is the sorrel leaf beetle, which eats holes on the leaves. Since it is the leaves that are used in food, chemistry cannot be used.

To avoid holes, sorrel can be watered or treated with folk remedies:

1. A solution of soap and garlic... It is prepared from a bush of laundry soap, three liters of water and chopped garlic. With this solution, the leaves are sprayed or wiped with a sponge. After such treatment, you can water sorrel no earlier than two days later.
2. A mixture of hot pepper (1 tablespoon), dry mustard (1 tablespoon) and a glass wood ash plants are pollinated. This mixture is able to scare off many pests.
3. Good for getting rid of bugs a mixture of tobacco dust and wood ash (1: 1). She is sprinkled with leaves for five days.

Do not forget to remove weeds in time, loosen the land, observe agricultural technology and crop rotation, and then your plants in the garden will not be afraid of diseases or pests.

It is recommended to grow sorrel in one place no more than 4 years. Then the plant grows out and should be grown in a different area.

Sorrel is a herb that has been actively cultivated in Russia for the past few centuries. Previously, it was mistaken for a common weed and was not eaten. This culture has a taproot system, a large root penetrates deep into the soil. Sorrel leaves are large, have sufficient length, densely collected in a basal rosette.

Sorrel is a storehouse of vitamins and minerals, which the human body especially needs after the winter season. The first crop can be harvested as early as May. The leaves are up to 10 cm long. The harvest is completed in July. During this entire period, the leaves are cut 4-5 times, adhering to a two-week break. From the middle of summer, the leaves of the plant will become coarser, the concentration of oxalic acid will exceed the permissible limits, so eating it is dangerous to health.

Sorrel planting by seeds What does sorrel look like photo

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When to sow sorrel outdoors

The plant can withstand the influence of cold. Its seeds begin to germinate at a temperature of +3 ° C. Do not pre-grow seedlings, planting material can be sown directly into open soil. As for the timing of sowing, planting can be carried out in early spring, summer and before winter.

In the spring, you can start sowing when there is an opportunity to cultivate the land. It will be possible to harvest the crop this season.

Summer sowing can be done after harvesting vegetables, which are characterized by early ripening, is completed. The plant will have time to reliably root before the arrival of winter.

Podwinter sowing is carried out in late autumn (late October-early November). It is necessary to wait for severe cold weather, night frosts and dry weather. These weather conditions will prevent the seeds from germinating until winter comes. With such sowing, it is recommended to feed the rows with high quality humus, which is mixed in equal proportion with the soil. This will be the key to a quality harvest next spring.

The ideal time to plant sorrel is spring. During this period, the soil is not devoid of moisture deficiency. If sowing is carried out in the summer, timely abundant watering will be required.

When to plant sorrel in spring and before winter sowing dates

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Why the sorrel does not sprout

Many inexperienced summer residents make one mistake when planting sorrel: they lay the planting material too deep into the soil, and therefore the seeds cannot "hatch" through its thick layer.

The seeds of this culture are quite small, so they should be sown to a depth of no more than 1 cm. It is not worth making the grooves too deep, it is enough to indicate the directions of sowing with a corner of a hoe. When sowing is over, the holes need to be covered with soil.

What variety of sorrel is best to plant?

The best sorrel variety is considered to be large-leaved. It perfectly withstands cutting, grows back in a short time, does not freeze. It is also not characterized by degeneration. Of course, all these benefits can only be appreciated with proper crop care.

Site selection

Particular attention should be paid to the choice of a place for sorrel. The culture develops well with moderate shade. Fertile soil is encouraged, with moderate moisture, without stagnant water. Groundwater should lie at a depth of more than 1 m. The plant thrives on loamy and sandy loamy soils, into which humus has been introduced. It is desirable that the level of soil acidity is medium.

How to plant sorrel seeds outdoors

1 g of weight contains 1000-1500 seeds, which sprout up to 2 years.

Soil preparation

Before planting a plant, you need to pay attention to the preparation of the site. If the soil is devoid of nutrients, it must be fertilized with humus or compost (6-8 kg), superphosphate (20-30 g) and potassium chloride (15-20 g). This quantity is taken for 1 square meter.

How to plant sorrel seeds

During sowing, the distance between the rows, which is 15-20 cm, should be adhered to. If planting is carried out in spring, the seeds should be laid to a depth of 1 mm. The first shoots can be seen after 8-11 days. To speed up the emergence, the crops can be covered with foil. After 7 days from the start of growth, it is necessary to thin out the beds. The distance between them should be 5-7 cm.

For summer sowing, the soil must be saturated with moisture. To do this, a few days before planting the seed, the bed should be watered abundantly with water. So the earth will settle slightly, and the seeds will not be washed off by rainwater deep into the earth.

Sowing is necessary rarely enough. Seeds sprout quickly, the first shoots need to be thinned out. It is best to leave gaps (2-3 cm) between the plants. This will ensure that the plant will grow large and juicy. Care and cultivation of sorrel in the open field

Watering this crop is carried out taking into account certain recommendations:

• During the active growth of the plant, it must be watered abundantly and regularly.
• If the weather is hot and the soil lacks moisture, the ground part will develop rapidly, which will lead to unwanted flowering. Under normal conditions, it can be expected in the second year of growth. In order for the sorrel to be of better quality, the peduncles must be eliminated.

Top dressing and mulching

With the arrival of early spring, the soil should be loosened and mulched. Such measures will help preserve nutrients in the soil and will maintain an optimal level of moisture in it. Then the soil must be fertilized with a mixture of mullein solution (1: 6) and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers (10-25 g). This amount of composition is taken for 1 m².

To maintain the yield, after each cutting of the leaves, it is advisable to apply complex mineral fertilizers to the soil. Particular attention should be paid to the content of nitrogen. In autumn, 4-5 kg ​​of humus or compost must be added to the places between the beds.

It is permissible to cultivate this culture in one place no longer than 4 years, after which the planting must be renewed.

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Sorrel diseases and pests

Various pests and diseases can cause damage to the plant.

Downy mildew makes itself felt if the seeds are not pretreated.

To protect the culture from the sorrel beetle, it must be sprayed with garlic infusion, and the bed should be covered with ash or tobacco dust.

The benefits of sorrel

Sorrel is a source of minerals in the form of potassium and iron. It contains proteins, sugars, organic acids, vitamin C and carotene. This plant is widely used in folk medicine. It is used as a diuretic and hemostatic agent. The sap of the plant has an antiseptic effect, normalizes metabolism, the work of the gastrointestinal tract. It is necessary to resort to its use for the purpose of therapy with extreme caution, because it is rich in acids that can negatively affect the functioning of the kidneys.

In cooking, sorrel is used for cooking dishes and sauces. This plant is considered the main component of such a famous dish as "green borscht". Does not lose its beneficial properties in any form (canned and fresh).

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Probably, there is no such summer resident who at least once has not tried to grow sorrel in his summer cottage. This process is so simple that it can be called rather a pleasant hobby. Sorrel is not a particularly whimsical plant, rich in various vitamins and minerals, which has an excellent delicate taste. Today we will talk about the features of growing sorrel in the open field: planting and care, as well as about its main varieties (photos are attached).

Sorrel: main varieties and varieties

Sorrel is a herbaceous perennial plant that can reach a height of one meter. It has a powerful root located deep in the soil, and rather large long leaves, basically collected in one rosette at the very root. Sorrel is practically not afraid of the cold and may well begin to grow even when the temperature is at around 2-3 degrees.

The plant begins to bloom only by the second year of its life. In one place, it yields no more than 4-5 years. After that, it requires a transplant to another place.

Many people like to use young leaves (they are the juiciest and have a pronounced sour taste) for cooking cabbage soup, borscht, pies, as an additive to salads, etc. Sorrel is rich in B vitamins (in particular B1 and B2), A, C, as well as proteins and sugars. In addition to all of the above, sorrel contains a considerable amount of various acids: malic, citric, of course, oxalic, as well as salts and iron.

There are many varieties of sorrel. All of them differ from each other in their acid content, ripening rate and plant shape. Consider the most popular sorrel varieties among gardeners (you can find detailed photos on the Internet):

Young sorrel leaves are used for cooking.

• Large-leaved. Early ripening variety. The leaves grow oval and pale green in color. Nice taste, medium acidity. The variety is very fruitful and frost-resistant.
• Ordinary garden. One of the most popular varieties. The leaves grow spiky and dark green in color. The variety is very cold-resistant and gives an excellent harvest.
• Altaic. The leaves are smooth, sharp, growing on a straight rosette. The variety is frost resistant.
• Broadleaf. The leaves grow quite large in size, the taste is slightly sour, tender. The variety is not afraid of drought and heat, it gives a good harvest.
• Lyons. The leaves of this variety grow very large, wide, dense. Resistant to big drawbacks.
• Belleville. Gives leaves a slightly sour delicate taste. The harvest is early and rich. Slightly afraid of frost.

Planting plants in open ground

The choice of a place for growing sorrel should be taken very seriously. This plant loves moisture, a little shade and lack of wind, so the site for planting should be just like that. The soil must be fertile, otherwise there will be problems with obtaining a good harvest.The best soil for growing sorrel is considered to be peat, sandy loam and loam with a small content of humus.

Although sorrel is traditionally planted in early spring, the soil must be prepared in the fall. Be sure to dig up the area chosen for planting the plant.

Sorrel seeds

Then add a nutrient mixture of humus (5-7 kg), superphosphate (25 g) and potassium chloride (25 g) to the soil. All figures are per square meter.

In the spring, almost before sowing, the soil is fertilized again, but with a slightly different composition: potassium salt (2 g), urea (40 g), superphosphate (3 g) and a slightly different amount of humus - 4-5 kg. All figures are also given on the basis of one square meter.

For planting seeds, we prepare wide beds (about 1 meter) in an ordinary way, leaving a free space between them within 30 cm. Seeds can be sprinkled quite often.

Advice. In order to get a rich sorrel crop, a large amount of space is not required - a couple of square meters is quite enough.

Sorrel care

Sorrel care is fairly straightforward, but be very careful and do it right.

Watering and soil cultivation

Remember that sorrel most of all needs a sufficient amount of water, so watering a young plant should be abundant and regular, regardless of whether it is spring in the yard or a hot summer.

If you miss the moment and let the sorrel "feel thirsty" - it will begin to bloom almost immediately and you can say goodbye to a rich, juicy harvest. In addition to constant watering, a young plant also needs weeding (especially in the spring). The soil on which sorrel is grown should always be well fluffed and loose.

Advice. In order not to burden yourself with too frequent "trips" to the sorrel with a hoe, after each weeding and watering of the plant, try to mulch the young shoots well.

Keep in mind that sorrel yields only once a year, so it is important to take care of its wintering for growing young leaves next year: the remnants of the roots must be covered with either humus or rotten sawdust.

Fertilizing and feeding plants

Sorrel does not require a large amount of dressing, it is enough to add a nutrient mixture from mullein with the addition of potassium and phosphorus (15 g each) a couple of times a month. Remember that the ratio of mullein to water should be at least 1: 5.

After each mass collection of young leaves, be sure to feed the plant with an infusion of grass, nettle or, again, mullein (in a ratio of 1:10 to water). In the fall, use compost (at the rate of 4 kg per square meter) as an additional nutrient and support for the plant before wintering.

Sorrel does not need frequent feeding

Plant propagation by seeds

Seeds are the only way to grow sorrel. The advantage of this process is that the seeds do not require special treatment before sowing. So, in order to get a good harvest and a strong plant, it is enough just to soak the seeds in warm water for several days, and then wrap them in cheesecloth so that they dry well.

If desired, you can hold the seeds in nutrient solutions for a short time, but this procedure is not necessary, since with proper and timely care, you can get an excellent harvest of sorrel leaves.

Caution: diseases and pests

Sorrel is not particularly afraid of various pests and is not very susceptible to diseases. With proper care, especially for cleaning weeds, constant weeding and thinning of the plant, not a single pest will touch the sorrel. If it did happen, then you should know what you are dealing with. So, sorrel most often affects the following diseases:

1. Downy mildew. It manifests itself in the form of dark spots with a gray bloom, located on the underside of the leaves. Method of struggle: Bordeaux liquid.But processing with this composition can be carried out no later than 10 days before harvesting.
2. Sorrel aphid. It deprives the plant of all nutrient juices. Leaves should not be processed with anything. Only after harvesting can the plant be watered with some bitter infusion: garlic, dandelion or potato tops.
3. Sorrel leaf gnaw. The plant is attacked by beetles and larvae of this pest. Control method: garlic / tomato infusion.

Sorrel gets along well with any garden crops

Combining sorrel with other plants

Sorrel is a neutral plant, so it cannot be said that there is a good / bad combination with other crops. Sorrel harvesting can be started when at least 5-6 leaves of sufficient size appear on the rod. They must be cut very carefully, closer to the soil, so as not to damage the upper buds of the plant. Sorrel usually yields several times during the summer.

We have introduced you to the peculiarities of growing sorrel in the open field. Follow the tips provided in the material and you can grow a luxurious plant that will delight you with a rich harvest. Good luck!

How to plant sorrel: video

Growing sorrel: photo