Perennial leaf herb
How to grow sorrel
Rumex acetosa
Sorrel is a fully hardy perennial leaf crop for moist, fertile soil in sun or light shade. Sow direct from March to May, or in August, 1 cm deep, and thin to 30 cm apart. Two habits keep the leaves tender and coming: water in dry weather, because dry soil makes them tough and bitter, and cut out the flower stems as soon as they appear from May.
- Hardiness
- Fully hardy
- Position
- Sun to light shade
- Soil
- Moisture-retentive, fertile
- Ideal pH
- 6.0 to 7.0
- Water
- Moderate, dry soil makes leaves bitter
- Feeding
- Light feeder
Sowing and planting sorrel
WhenSow Mar to May or divide; harvest Apr to Oct
Starting off
Sow direct Mar to May or in Aug, 1 cm deep; it germinates in 7 to 14 days at 10 to 20°C. Divide established clumps in Mar or Sep every three or four years, replanting the outer pieces. Buckler-leaf sorrel (Rumex scutatus) is milder and lower, and both self-seed if flower stems are left.
Spacing and planting
Thin or plant to 30 cm apart in rows 40 cm apart, sowing 1 cm deep. Fine in a 25 to 30 cm pot, with the milder buckler-leaf sorrel suited to a 20 cm pot.
Varieties worth growing
- Broad-leaved sorrel (Rumex acetosa)
- The common garden sorrel, often sold as 'Large de Belleville'. Big, arrow-shaped leaves with the sharpest flavour, and the best for soup and sauces.
- Buckler-leaf or French sorrel (Rumex scutatus)
- Small shield-shaped leaves on a low, spreading plant. Milder and less acidic, so better raw in salads, and it tolerates drier soil.
- Red-veined sorrel (Rumex sanguineus)
- Green leaves with striking dark red veins. Grown mostly for looks and for baby leaves in salad; older leaves are tough and the flavour is mild.
- 'Profusion'
- A non-flowering selection of broad-leaved sorrel that stays in leaf all season with no stems to remove. Sold as plants only, because it sets no seed.
Sorrel month by month
Timings are for central England. Allow two weeks later in the north and on cold, heavy soil.
- January
Nothing to do. A cloche over one plant brings on early leaves.
- February
Clear dead leaves from the crowns. New leaves start in mild spells.
- March
Sow direct. Divide clumps older than three or four years. Give the spring feed.
- April
Sow. Thin seedlings to 30 cm. First pickings from established plants.
- May
Last spring sowing. Start removing flower stems. Pick weekly.
- June
Keep cutting out flower stems. Water in dry weather.
- July
Shear tired plants to 5 cm, water and give a seaweed drench.
- August
Sow for plants to crop next spring. Pick the new flush.
- September
Divide and replant the outer pieces of old clumps. Keep picking.
- October
Last outdoor pickings. Cover a plant or two with a cloche to extend the season.
- November
Leaves die back in hard frost. Tidy the crowns.
- December
Nothing to do.
Feeding sorrel
A light feeder that is cut again and again, so one modest balanced feed in spring is worthwhile and that is all it needs in the ground. Moisture does more for leaf quality than fertiliser.
Low, an easy perennial that keeps producing fresh leaves with only modest feeding.
Feeding plan
March, established plants
Half the label rate: 50 g/m², which is about 5 g (a teaspoon) round each plant at 30 cm spacing. Follow with a 3 cm mulch of garden compost.
July, after shearing
1 g per litre of water as a drench, about 1 litre per plant, once, and again 2 to 3 weeks later if regrowth is slow.
Potting up
5 g per litre of compost mixed through: 60 g for a 30 cm pot holding about 12 litres.
Pots, each March from the second year
2 g per litre of compost on the surface, watered in: about 24 g for a 12 litre pot.
Signs to watch
Tough, bitter leaves → drought or an old plant → water, mulch and shear for fresh growth. Uniformly pale leaves → nitrogen short → a light balanced feed in spring. Older leaves yellow between green veins → magnesium short → Epsom salts. Leaves reddening in autumn → cold, harmless.
Pests, diseases and problems
Tall reddish flower stems from May, leaves becoming small and tough
Bolting, the plant's normal habit in early summer, hastened by drought
Cut the stems out at the base as they appear and water well. If the plant gets away from you, shear it to 5 cm for fresh growth. 'Profusion' does not flower.
Ragged holes in the leaves, slime trails
Slugs and snails
Pick off by torchlight, keep the base of the plants clear of old leaves, and apply nematodes to moist soil from April.
Leaves stripped to a lacework of veins; shiny green beetles and black grubs on the plant
Green dock beetle, which feeds on docks and sorrels from spring to autumn
Pick off beetles and grubs, rub off the clusters of yellow eggs under the leaves, then shear the plant to 5 cm and let it regrow.
Pale brown blotches inside the leaf, with a maggot visible when held to the light
Dock leaf miner
Pick off and bin mined leaves. Regular harvesting of young leaves keeps it down.
Clusters of black or green insects under the leaves and on flower stems
Aphids
Wash off with water or cut the affected growth away; new leaves come quickly.
Small round spots with red or purple edges on older leaves
Leaf spot fungi, common on the dock family in wet weather
Remove spotted leaves and pick younger ones; divide and replant congested clumps to let air through.
Harvest and rotation
Harvest and storage
Pick young leaves 8 to 10 cm long from 6 to 8 weeks after sowing, as cut-and-come-again, and remove flower stems from May so the leaves keep coming; a plant gives a handful a week Apr to Oct. Leaves wilt within a day of picking, so use at once or freeze as a cooked purée for soup and sauces. Sorrel does not dry.
Rotation and companions
A perennial in the dock family: no rotation needed. Grow it beside strawberries and lettuce, which share its moist, lightly shaded bed and finish before it crowds them.
Good to knowPick young leaves for the sharp, lemony tang and remove the flower stems to prolong leaf production.
Growing sorrel in pots
Sorrel grows well in a pot and it is a convenient way to keep a few leaves near the kitchen door. Use a 25 to 30 cm pot for broad-leaved sorrel, or a 20 cm pot for buckler-leaf, with loam-based or multipurpose compost. Keep it moist at all times and stand it in light shade in summer, because a hot, dry pot gives small, bitter leaves and early flowering. Pick often and cut out flower stems. The roots fill a pot within two years, so divide and repot in fresh compost every second March.
Sorrel: common questions
Does sorrel come back every year?
Yes, sorrel is a fully hardy perennial that crops from April to October for many years. Leaves die back in hard frost and return in late winter. Divide clumps every three or four years in March or September and replant the young outer pieces to keep it productive.
Why is my sorrel going to seed?
Sorrel naturally sends up flower stems from May, and dry soil brings them on sooner. Cut each stem out at the base as soon as you see it, keep the plant watered, and shear the whole clump to 5 cm in July if the leaves have become tough. The variety 'Profusion' never flowers.
Can you eat sorrel raw?
Yes, young sorrel leaves are eaten raw in salads and have a sharp, lemony taste. The sharpness comes from oxalic acid, as in rhubarb and spinach, so eat it in modest amounts, and people prone to kidney stones are usually advised to limit it. Cooking softens the flavour and the leaves melt into soups and sauces.
Sources
Growing information on this page was checked against these references in November 2026. Feeding rates are Dr Forest label rates.