Content
- The right care for the sorrel in the garden
- How much water does the sorrel need?
- Can the sorrel be grown in a pot?
- When should the leaves of the sorrel be harvested?
- What to do about deficiency symptoms?
- How can the yield for consumption be increased?
- Should the sorrel be fertilized?
- How is the sorrel wintering?
- Tips & Tricks
The right care for the sorrel in the garden
The sorrel (Rumex acetosa) is a versatile, usable in the kitchen wild vegetables, which can be collected on walks from unpolluted meadows. With the targeted cultivation in the garden the yield can be increased within a season by certain care measures.
How much water does the sorrel need?
The sorrel likes to grow in full sun in nature, in half-shady locations it usually reaches a lower growth height. Since it is completely dependent on precipitation in nature, it prefers medium-heavy soils with good moisture storage capacity. In the garden, it should be watered during summer dry periods, when the soil threatens to dry out.
Can the sorrel be grown in a pot?
It is not common to grow sorrel in a pot because it allows its roots to grow down to a depth of 150 centimeters. However, it is possible to prefer the sorrel in a pot of seeds and then replant it in a suitable bed in the garden.
When should the leaves of the sorrel be harvested?
The harvest of the leaves for consumption should take place until about mid-June, since the leaves turn reddish from about this time. This is a measure of the level of oxalic acid in the leaves, which is not very well tolerated by the stomach. Harvest only one part of the leaves on one plant, then it can use the growth energy gained with the remaining leaves to regrow new leaves. Young leaves of the sorrel have a finer consistency and can be processed into the following dishes:
What to do about deficiency symptoms?
Pernicious growth is common in the sorrel if it has been planted in a shaded location or on an unsuitable ground. If you allow a self-sowing of the seeds after flowering, this species usually selects even suitable locations in the garden for propagation.
How can the yield for consumption be increased?
Remove the flower bud as soon as it is visible on the plants. The saved growth energy then flows unabated into the formation of new leaves.
Should the sorrel be fertilized?
Basically, the sorrel in deep and nutrient-rich soil does not require regular fertilization. However, you can enrich its location with some seasoned compost in the spring.
How is the sorrel wintering?
The sorrel is a mostly wintergreen half-rosette plant, whose aboveground plant parts do not completely die under the snowpack. However, even in the fall completely cut off plants can drive out again in the spring, because even small root parts in the soil are capable of a vegetative propagation.
Tips & Tricks
So that the sorrel from the own garden is and remains a pleasure without remorse, the planting and propagating should be well considered. Otherwise, the prolific plant can quickly become an intense workload if you are banned from the garden and fought again.
WK