Sorrel has in its composition a large number of biologically active substances, micro and macro elements useful for human health. Its cultivation is not fraught with great difficulties, but still requires knowledge of certain subtleties.
Sorrel variety selection
The first thing you need to pay attention to is the plant variety. The most popular early ripening include:
- Belleville - is frost-resistant, the bush does not stalk. The tops are juicy and have a moderate sour taste;
- Nikolsky - large-leaved bush, characterized by high productivity;
- Sanguine will also appreciate the abundance of greenery, but the variety has a specific leaf color, with the inclusion of reddish veins;
- Emerald snow is a high-yielding bush with high palatability that gives medium-bubble foliage of a deep green color.
Varieties with a mild flavor and not pronounced acidity:
- Malachite;
- Maykopsky 10;
- Altaic;
- Bloody Mary - this variety, in addition to its mild taste, also has a specific color of the leaf, including reddish spots and veins, a broad-leaved bush.
Sorrel planting dates
Sowing sorrel in open ground is quite simple, but the following terms should be observed:
- In the early spring, in this case it will be possible to enjoy the first young greens in 30-40 days. This variant of planting sorrel is relevant for the southern regions and the middle zone.
- At the end of June, when the first early vegetable crops are harvested, you can sow the vacated area with sorrel. So the plant will have plenty of time for rooting and gaining strength for wintering. In those regions where the first severe frosts do not appear in early autumn, a fairly abundant crop can be obtained already in the same season. It is not recommended to plant sorrel in the southern regions in June - there it is too hot a period for it, so it does not take root well.
- The third option is to land in the fall. Here it is necessary to take into account the climatic features of the region. Seed should be placed in the ground when the first severe frost sets in. The bottom line is to prevent the seed from germinating before winter, and in spring the sorrel will begin to grow at the first heat.
So, in order to get early juicy greens in spring in regions with a harsh climate, sorrel must be planted in the summer. And in the southern and middle lane - in the fall.
In the case of planting in open ground in the summer months, it is important to provide abundant watering. The plant must have time to gain a green vegetative mass.
Another key point is the planting of seeds in the soil. Many make a grave mistake by making furrows too deep. As a result, half of the seeds cannot break through to the surface. In order to properly grow sorrel in the country, it is enough to make a small groove, which will indicate the direction of the beds. That is, it is necessary to sow the seeds to a depth of not more than 1 cm. After laying them in the furrow, lightly sprinkle with earth.
Location selection
The following features of the sorrel must be considered:
- does not tolerate open sunny places, therefore it is better to plant it in shaded areas;
- tolerates cold well enough and is able to produce green mass even at temperatures of + 2 ... +4 ° C;
- sensitive to hot climates - it ceases to drive out new green leaves and freezes in growth, releasing very quickly the peduncle arrow;
- likes shaded areas - in such conditions it is less susceptible to diseases, greens are distinguished by juiciness and better taste;
- requires moist soil, but without stagnation of water;
- unpretentious to the choice of soil, but grows better in fertile soils, which tend to slightly acidic environment;
- for more intensive vegetation requires humus fertilizer;
- without problems, it grows in one place up to 5 years, after which it needs a transplant so that the crop is abundant further;
- the optimum level of groundwater occurrence is not higher than 1 m.
The plant gives flowers the next year after planting. But in a hot climate, given that the sowing was in the winter, sorrel can drive out the color in the year of sowing.
As can be seen from the description, the sorrel in the cultivation and care is quite unpretentious if it is provided with suitable conditions.
Sorrel planting in open ground
When planting a sorrel, it must be borne in mind that it has small seeds. If there are a lot of ants and insects in the earth, then during summer sowing they can pull seeds apart - which will significantly reduce germination. Therefore, it is advisable to sow sorrel in open ground as soon as possible. And before planting, check the date of seed production on the package. They will give maximum germination and yield, if they are no more than 2 years old.
In order to choose the right time, you can use the lunar calendar. In accordance with it, choose a suitable day for planting. Favorable days: June 4, 5, 6, September 3, 4, 8, 9, 18. Adverse: June 3, 11, 25, September 27, 28.
First prepare the soil, carefully digging it and loosening it. If the soil is poor, then for each m² you need to make 6 kg of compost or humus. You can add up to 20 g of potassium per m² and about 25 g of superphosphate.
In order to facilitate the care of the bushes, it is necessary to make sorrel sowing in rows. It is advisable to keep a distance of 20 cm between rows. If you want to get the crop a week earlier, it is worth covering the seedlings with film - they will appear on 3 or 4 days. If this is not done, then they will rise in 5-8 days.
Sorrel is quite unpretentious when growing and caring in the open ground, it is enough to weed out it. Feeding is best after each intensive leaf cut. Fertilizer can be chosen complex, but with a bias in the nitrogen components.
It is important to provide the sorrel with abundant watering, especially in the dry and hot periods. To preserve the productivity of the bush, the arrow with the color must be cut off.
Before planting, the seeds should be soaked briefly in water or spilled soil quite abundantly.
Sorrel seedlings, as a rule, are not used, since the seeds germinate well enough.
Sorrel Care Secrets
Despite the fact that the sorrel is quite unpretentious, it requires some care:
- periodically loosen the soil between the rows;
- to water the summer plantings of sorrel as the soil dries, otherwise the plant will give very little green mass (especially in hot and dry climates);
- after watering or precipitation, as soon as the soil is a little dry, loosen it;
- make top dressing 2 times per season;
- as a fertilizer, use mullein tincture diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10.
Sorrel diseases and pests
Sorrel bushes can be affected by the following types of diseases.
| Problems | Manifestations | Remedial measures |
| Powdery mildew | It appears most often on young bushes, which are no more than a year old. The edge of the sheet is wrapped down, it becomes brittle, dry and dense. | To prevent the appearance of powdery mildew, it is necessary to remove all weed grass from the garden. When the first signs appear, be sure to treat the bush with a Bordeaux mixture. Dilute in accordance with the instructions indicated on the package. |
| Rust | This disease most often appears in the middle lane. It is easy to identify by the yellow-brown bubbly tubercles on the leaf plate. | To avoid rust, the garden must be cleaned from fallen leaves and must be dug up for the winter. In spring, it is advisable to sprinkle the free surface of the soil with mulch. If a corresponding spot color appeared on the plant, then such parts of the shoots must be removed and burned. |
| Aphid | The insect sucks all the juices from the plant, as a result of which it dies. | You can get rid of aphids by folk methods, treating the bush with infusion of garlic or tomato tops. To enhance the effect, you can add a little liquid soap to the tincture. |
| Sawfly | The larvae of this insect gnaw the green part of the leaf plate, leaving only streaks. | In order to prevent the sawfly from appearing, it is enough to remove weed grass and to prevent fallen dead wood on the soil. If bitten parts appear on the sorrel, the bushes should be treated with the infusion of pharmacy chamomile, adding a small amount of liquid soap. |
| Wireworm - Nutcracker Beetle Larva | If gnawed parts appear on the plant, especially on the stem located close to the root, then it is worth taking care of eliminating the wireworm. | It is important to dig the ground for the winter to the depth of a bayonet shovel. But do it once - in this way the beetle eggs are brought to the surface where they do not survive frosts. |
Overview of folk remedies to eliminate
Almost any kind of disease in sorrel is easy to get rid of folk remedies.
| Means | Getting | What problem helps |
| Wood ash | Tincture of wood ash and water in a proportion of 1:30. | Bushes affected by a scoop, aphids, ticks, caterpillars irrigate. |
| Tobacco ash | Tobacco ash dusts the leaves. | This remedy is effective against thrips, sawfly, aphids. |
| Onion peel | 250 g of onion husks, insist in 10 liters of water throughout the day. | Helps effectively get rid of sawfly, bedbug and aphids. |
| Garlic | Chopped into gruel, diluted with water in a ratio of 1: 1. Insist 8 days. For processing, take 20 g of slurry and dilute in 10 liters of water. Used for irrigation. | Helps with the defeat of ticks, caterpillars, aphids, thrips, sawflies. |
Mr. Summer resident informs: how to get sorrel seeds
In order to get your seed, you need to give 2 bushes to bloom - this will happen approximately in May. Then wait until the panicles darken and only then cut them off. Peel off, blow off the dust and leave the seeds.
Germination will persist for 3-4 years. But you should not collect seeds from sorrel, whose name is accompanied by an F1 mark, it is a hybrid variety and it does not produce offspring.
