How to properly plant sorrel and care for it in the open ground, how to feed it after cutting

For many years, sorrel did not attract much attention from vegetable growers and was known as a wild plant. Today it has taken its rightful place among cultivated plants in our garden plots, as it has many valuable qualities. This is one of the first plants to produce tender leaves rich in nutrients in the spring. And considering that planting and caring for sorrel in the open ground does not cause much trouble, its cultivation is considered the easiest.

Features and characteristics of the plant

Sour sorrel, also known as garden or common sorrel (Rúmex acetósa), which belongs to herbaceous perennials from the buckwheat family, has been introduced into the culture. Forms a basal rosette of ovate-oblong leaves, pointed at the end. Refers to monoecious plants with cross-pollination. It has a taproot, branched root that penetrates deep into the soil.

When flowering, sorrel throws out a flower stem up to 70 cm with small, reddish-yellow flowers collected in a panicle inflorescence. The seeds are formed in the second year after sowing and are small triangular nuts. They ripen in late summer and are suitable for reproduction.

Due to its high frost resistance, it thrives in northern latitudes, where it overwinters well and produces green vitamin products in early spring. Even recurrent frosts and temporary cold spells are not scary for him. Seeds are able to germinate as soon as the soil thaws, but the best germination vigor is observed in warm, moist soil.

Thanks to its unpretentiousness, agricultural cultivation techniques are quite simple. As with growing any vegetable crop, there are nuances, features and certain requirements that the plant makes for good growth.

Popular varieties of sorrel

Breeders worked on this green crop and thanks to them, varieties and varieties of sour sorrel were born, such as:

1. Belleville is a mid-early variety.It has a raised and spreading rosette of leaves. Leaves grow on thick, medium-length petioles. They are distinguished by their larger size, light green color and pleasant, slightly acidic taste. The variety is resistant to stemming and frost.
2. Malachite - represents a group of mid-early varieties: the time period from germination to cutting is 45-50 days. The leaves are located on long petioles. They are elongated, spear-shaped, with wavy edges. They have a slight sourness.
3. Broadleaf is an early ripening variety. The first harvest can be obtained 40 days after planting. The leaf blade is ovate, medium to large. It is distinguished by delicate, juicy leaves with a medium sour taste. It has a high yield and is resistant to bolting.
4. Odessky-17 - bred as an early ripening variety. It has a raised and spreading rosette with elongated, oval leaves. One of the drought-resistant varieties that tolerates short-term lack of moisture well.
5. Spinach is a representative of mid-early varieties with large leaves. It is distinguished by an erect and loose rosette, on which there are dark green, slightly bubbly leaves. They have a slightly sour taste and are rich in vitamin C.

In Europe, a subalpine species is popular, which grows well on rocky hills. At SSL we love the nodule sorrel, whose petioles are used for food. In the Caucasus, sorrel is grown, the roots of which are used for food.

Dates for planting sorrel

Based on when the owner wants to get a harvest of green products, the sowing time is selected. The seedling method for growing sorrel is not needed, since the seeds germinate well even in unheated soil.

The most optimal sowing dates are:

1. Early spring, as soon as the first snow melts.In the summer, the young shoots will get stronger, gain strength, and by autumn you can harvest the first harvest of green leaves.
2. In early July, when the early harvest of radishes and lettuces is harvested. Over the remaining summer period, the plant will take root and become stronger, and after winter it will actively begin to grow.
3. Sowing in the fall before winter is carried out when the first frosts have begun and the warm days have ended, so that the seeds do not have time to germinate, but simply overwinter in the ground. Active growth will begin in early spring, and by mid-summer it will be possible to cut off the first leaves.

When planting in summer, regular watering is important to prevent the tender seedlings from drying out. And adult plants, with a lack of moisture, shoot up and begin to bloom, forming a small leaf rosette.

There is an unusual way to get a harvest of full leaves in early spring. The rhizomes are dug up in the fall, the leaves are cut off and left in the basement, buried in the sand. In early spring they are planted in a greenhouse, where the plant actively grows. After a month, the leaves for green borscht are ready.

Growing sorrel in open ground

Before the seeds fall into the ground, you need to pre-soak them for a couple of days. Once saturated with moisture, they will give 100% germination. At the dacha, you need to prepare the area for planting in advance. It should be remembered that sorrel is a perennial crop and a small sprout will turn into a large spreading plant in a few years. To grow Rúmex acetosa, you need to choose a slightly shaded and spacious area.

Choosing a place and soil for sorrel

It is better to select a site and prepare it in the fall by carrying out traditional activities:

• site leveling;
• removal of weeds;
• digging.

Sorrel prefers moderate shade and slightly acidic soil. Grows well on loamy and sandy soils.It loves moisture, but its content should be moderate, so an area is selected where there is no nearby groundwater.

Soil preparation

Since the crop will grow in one place for several years, it is advisable to enrich the soil with nutritional components:

• add compost or humus;
• in depleted areas - complex fertilizers;
• 1-2 weeks before sowing - nitrogen.

Sorrel will grow in any soil, but it forms a rigid or small rosette of leaves and may begin to flower early. At the same time, the quality of green products will suffer significantly. You can avoid this by knowing how to saturate the soil with useful substances.

Sowing sorrel

Even a “lazy” vegetable grower knows how to plant green seeds. A few simple techniques and the goal is achieved:

1. On the eve of sowing, the soil in the garden bed must be watered abundantly. You can wet the rows just before planting.
2. The bed is prepared several days in advance so that the soil has time to settle and in loose soil the seeds do not end up deep in the soil.
3. The planting depth is no more than 1 cm. After the emergence of seedlings, they must be thinned out, leaving a distance of 2-3 cm between plants. A year later, after collecting the next harvest, carry out another thinning, placing Rúmex every 10 cm.

After sowing, it is best to lightly mulch the beds with peat and cover with film. In this case, seedlings will appear twice as fast - in 5-7 days.

Why doesn't sorrel sprout?

How to explain the reluctance of an unpretentious leaf crop to appear? Seed germination is usually good; they hatch even under the most unfavorable conditions. The most common reason is deep planting of seeds, when the supply of nutrients in the seed is not enough for the sprout to emerge.If the soil is too loose and subsequent watering, the seeds can also go to great depths.

Is it possible to replant sorrel?

How to transplant an adult sorrel bush? This is not difficult to do, given that he practically does not get sick during this procedure. Need to:

• prepare a place convenient for the growth of green crops;
• choose strong plants;
• cut off the largest leaves without touching the buds;
• trim the long root slightly;
• transplant to a new place.

The best time for replanting is a warm autumn day, so that before frost the plant gets stronger and takes root in its new place.

Rules for caring for sorrel

Maintenance methods are traditional and include all basic agrotechnical measures: watering, loosening, mulching, fertilizing. Having figured out how to properly care for a plant, from seedlings to an adult plant, you can get down to business and still get delicious green leaves all summer long.

Regularity of watering

The soil should be moistened all the time, but it is especially important to monitor this while the plants are young. It is during the initial period of growth that they require a lot of moisture. Watering is carried out as needed. If the summer is rainy, then one watering per week is enough. During dry periods, water is required daily.

If the soil is dry, then the sorrel can throw out a flower shoot already in the first year of growth. In this case, all the plant’s energy goes into flowering, and not into the formation of green mass. During growth, flower stalks must be removed.

Weeding and loosening

Weeds clog the bushes, which stretch out and lose color and taste. It’s easy to get rid of them by carefully weeding out the rows every two weeks. Loosening is also a mandatory procedure, which helps to get rid of the soil crust, so that the roots have access to moisture and air.

You can loosen to a considerable depth (for adult bushes), since the root system lies deep. During the season, it is enough to loosen the soil 3-4 times.

Mulching and fertilizing

It is advisable to mulch the soil in early spring when the first green leaves appear. It is preferable to use peat chips as mulch. This way the soil will retain moisture longer and remain loose.

How to fertilize sorrel so that the tender, juicy greens will delight you all season long? Three feedings are carried out during the season:

1. In spring, add mullein infusion (1:6) and complex fertilizer with potassium and phosphorus (according to instructions).
2. In summer, nitrogen is added, which promotes the growth of green mass.
3. In the fall, the rows are filled with compost or humus, which will provide additional nutrition and protect against autumn frosts.

Sorrel grows in one place for up to four years, then the bushes should be renewed. During this time, the soil is depleted and the leaves become less tender.

Features of care in the autumn

Knowing how to prepare green crops for winter, you can count on an early harvest after the snow melts. At the end of autumn, the leaves are cut to the base without touching the buds. The row spaces are mulched with humus, peat or compost to protect the plants from freezing. In the autumn-spring period, mulch will help protect the plantings, and in winter they will be covered with snow.

Protection from diseases and pests

Knowing what diseases sorrel can suffer from and what pests willingly consume it as food, you can confidently take up the fight, protecting your harvest from “uninvited guests.”

Most often sorrel is affected by:

1. Rust is a fungal disease that causes brown spots to appear on leaves.They merge and the leaf dries out. In case of severe damage, fungicides are used, and in case of minor damage, they are limited to folk remedies.
2. Downy mildew forms a grayish mold (plaque) on the surface of the leaf blade. Phytosporin, which is safe for the human body, helps solve this problem.
3. Shavel leaf-eater and sawfly caterpillar, which readily eat up the plant. When they accumulate massively, an infusion of garlic or nightshade helps a lot.
4. The oxal aphid sucks juices from the leaves, which lose their elasticity and become lethargic. Infusions of hot herbs: garlic or dandelion help with it. It is useful to dust the leaves with ash.

It is better to treat healthy bushes with natural means so that poisons do not enter the body. The leaves grow quickly and the chemicals do not have time to decompose, remaining in the plant.

A solution of soap and garlic is useful. The solution contains a piece of laundry soap, 3 liters of water and chopped garlic. The filtered mixture is sprayed onto the leaves or wiped with a sponge. Watering with clean water is carried out only after two days.

A mixture of hot pepper, dry mustard and wood ash helps. Pepper and mustard are taken 1 tbsp. l., and 1 cup of ash is added. Rúmex is powdered with the dry mixture, eliminating most pests. Beetles are repelled by a mixture of ash and tobacco dust, but regularity is important here. This procedure is carried out daily for 5 days.

If you clear the area of ​​weeds in a timely manner, observe crop rotation, loosen the soil and monitor the condition of the plant, then pests and diseases of sorrel they won't be scary.

Harvesting and storing sorrel harvest

Leaves must be cut correctly, leaving petioles 3-4 cm long above the soil surface.It is important not to touch the apical buds of the plant. During the summer, the leaves are cut 3-4 times with an interval of about 20 days.

To obtain high-quality green products, flower stalks are cut off immediately when they appear, otherwise the leaves will form small and hard. If flower arrows are formed en masse, then cutting is stopped.

The leaves are stored well in plastic wrap in the refrigerator at -1C for up to two weeks. In room conditions they do not lose their qualities for only 2-3 days. To have greenery all year round, you can grow sorrel as an indoor crop in a flower pot by digging up the plant from your summer cottage in the fall.

Not everyone knows how to get sorrel seeds. To do this, cut off brown inflorescences with half-ripe seeds, make small sheaves of them and allow them to ripen in a well-ventilated area. The panicles are threshed and the seeds are placed in linen bags for storage. They retain germination for 2 years.

What can you plant after sorrel?

Crop rotation is necessary because the soil accumulates pest larvae and disease spores that affect specific crops. When constantly planted in one place, say, nightshades, they get sick every year. The same thing happens with other cultures.

Sorrel stands apart in the family of cultivated plants, since only it and rhubarb belong to the buckwheat family. They have their own pests, but some diseases are the same as pumpkin ones, for example, rust and powdery mildew. Therefore, after sorrel, you can plant any crops, except melons, which can become diseased in this area.

Sorrel is a favorite and very undemanding crop. Some vegetable growers do not care for this plant at all: they plant it and forget it.Only if necessary, cut the leaves for different dishes. But with proper care, the leaves will be more tender and the harvest will be plentiful.