How to Grow Sorrel Herb Plants

About Growing Sorrel Plants in Your Herb Garden

The Sorrel plant is grown in herb gardens for its tangy flavored, arrow-shaped leaves. This cool weather, culinary herb is an easy-to-grow perennial. In colder regions, sorrel herbs are grown as annuals. The plants are native to England, Europe, and Asia. Try growing Sorrel plants in containers on a balcony or deck.

Young, tender leaves are used fresh in garden salads. It is also used in soups, or sautéed, like spinach or chard.

Varieties of Sorrel

There are a couple of hundred species. Most varieties grow up to two to three feet tall.

Edible garden varieties include Common Sorrel (Rumex Acetosa) and French Sorrel (Rumex Scutatus). These plants are native to England and Europe.

Other types are not edible. This group includes Mountain Sorrel, Sheep Sorrel, Golden Dock, and Western Dock.

The information below describes how to grow and harvest Common and French varieties.

Medicinal and Culinary Uses

Medicinal Uses:

The plants are used as a diuretic.

Sheep Sorrel has been used to treat fever, scurvy, and tumors.

Dry the leaves and use them for medicinal teas.

Culinary Uses:

For varieties that are edible, all parts of the plant, including the roots, are edible.

It is high in Vitamin C.

Nutritional Value

100 grams of dried, ground Sorrel leaves contain approximately:

22 calories
63.2 g carbs
0 cholesterol
0.7 g fat
2.9 g fiber
2 g protein
4 mg sodium

Sorrel Herb Plant Growing Specifications

Flowers Bloom: Summer

Flower Colors: Red.

Days to Harvest: Approximately 60 days after sowing seeds when the leaves are 3 to 4 inches long..

Plant Height: Most varieties grow 12 to 30 inches tall. A few varieties can grow up to three feet high or more.

Light Needs: Full sunlight.

Ideal Soil pH: 5.5– 6.8.

Plant Hardiness Zones: 5 – 7.

Ideal Growing Temperature Range: 60 to 75° F. It can survive winter temperatures up to -20° F.

Plant Type: Perennial. The plant normally lives 3 to 5 years or more.

Deer Resistant? Yes.

Native To: Eurasia.

Botanical Name: Rumex Acetosa, Rumex Scutatus

Sorrel Plant Propagation

The plants are grown from seed, or division of their roots.

Directly sow seeds into your garden. Sow seeds early in the season, one to three weeks before the last frost in your area. Cover lightly with 1/4″ fine soil.

Seed Planting Depth: 1/4 inch deep.

Ideal Seed Germination Temperature: 60 to 70° F.

Final Plant Spacing: Space seedlings, or thin plants 12 to 18 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart.

Days to Germination: 7 – 21 days.

How to Grow Sorrel Herb Plants

Planting and Soil Needs

Basically, Sorrel is easy to grow. Follow the garden guide to maximize the production of your plants. The plants prefer full sun and cool weather. You may see them grow more slowly, in hot, dry weather. After the weather begins to cool near Fall, they noticeably bounce back.

They grow well in rich, moist soil. Thus, add plenty of compost before planting. Additionally, mix in a high nitrogen fertilizer at planting for the first time. If you have established plants, then jump-start their early growth with a high nitrogen fertilizer in early spring.

Light Requirement

Select a location in your garden where they will receive at least six to eight hours of bright, direct sun.

In hotter areas of the country, Sorrel plants do better when planted in a location where they a little light shade in mid-afternoon to protect the leaves from scalding in the rays of the hot sun. However, too little sunlight results in leggy plants, less vigorous plants, and pale leaves with less oil content.

When growing the plants indoors, place them in a sunny window, or place them under a growlight for 12 to 16 hours.

Fertilizer Needs

As has been noted, Sorrel plants will get a quick start with a fertilizer high in nitrogen at the beginning of the season.

Then, apply a balanced, general-purpose fertilizer every four to six weeks during the season. If the leaves begin to pale in between applications, then apply a liquid fertilizer and they will quickly green up.

Water Needs

For optimum plant growth, keep the soil consistently moist all season long. The plants are drought-tolerant because their roots go deep. During extended droughts, water the plants at the root level. Then, allow the soil to dry before watering them again.

The plants will suffer root rot during extended periods of wet or soggy soil. Thus, if your area is prone to heavv or extended periods of rain, elevate the soil before planting.

Other Steps

Weeds rob valuable water and soil nutrients. Therefore, keep young Sorrel plants well-weeded. Then, after they have grown several inches, apply a layer of mulch. This helps to retain soil moisture and gives the plant a neat and tidy appearance.

Pick flower buds as soon as they appear. The leaves turn bitter after the flowers bloom.

Prune away dead, damaged, or diseased leaves or stems. At the end of the season, cut the plants back by 1/3 to 1/2.

The plants are hardy and do not need much winter protection, if any. In colder regions, apply a layer of mulch to protect the rhizomes from freezing.

Insects, Peests, and Plant Disease

Insect and disease problems are uncommon. However, they do sometimes occur.

Aphids, leaf beetles, snails, slugs, and caterpillars are an occasional problem. Use a garden-safe snail and slug pellets. Hand-pick caterpillars off the plants when you spot them. For other insects, treat the plant with an organic insecticidal soap if problems arise.

Foraging animals do not bother these herbs.

Sorrel herbs can suffer from powdery mildew, leaf spot, rust, and a wide variety of other diseases. Prune plants to improve air circulation. Use organic fungicides for molds and mildews, only if needed.

Avoid root rot by using loose, well-draining soil. Increase drainage, as needed. Before planting, elevate the soil.

Also, see: Plant Problems – causes and cures

How to Harvest Sorrel Herb

Harvest young, tender leaves after the plant is about six inches tall. You can take up to 1/3 of the plant’s leaves without harming future growth of the plant because new growth will soon appear.

Harvest leaves and use fresh, as needed, in the summer. Pick the leaves in the morning when their oils are the strongest. First, wait until the dew has dried off the leaves. Use sharp pruning shears to cut off the leaves. As autumn arrives, harvest them in the morning when the oils are at their peak.

Spread leaves out to dry in a cool, well-ventilated area. Or, hang stems upside down to dry in a cool, well-ventilated area. After the leaves are dry, remove them from the stems. Finally, store them in an air-tight container out of direct sunlight.

Or, pick and freeze sorrel leaves immediately.