Garden Vegetable - Sorrel

Botanical Information

Starting

Notes:

A very easily grown plant, succeeding in most soils but preferring a moist moderately fertile well-drained soil in a sunny location. Prefers a fairly dry soil. Established plants are drought tolerant. Plants often self-sow freely in the garden. French sorrel is occasionally cultivated for its edible leaves. There are some named varieties that have been selected for their ornamental value. A food plant for the caterpillars of many species of butterfly.

Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is rapid, the seedlings can be pricked out into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and are planted out in early summer. It should also be possible to sow the seed in situ in mid spring.
Division in spring. Division is easy at any time in the growing season, though the plants establish better in the spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent locations. It is recommended to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in a lightly shaded location in a cold frame, planting them out once they are well established in the summer.