How and when to sow sorrel in the fall

Planting sorrel before winter allows you to free up time in the spring for other work. At the beginning of the year, gardeners have a lot of worries, every second counts, so everything that can be done in the fall should not be put off.

Winter sowing has gained great popularity in Western Europe, it is carried out by large and small farms. For some reason, we have a lot of publications on this topic, but in practice the gardener will try to plant something in the fall, get a negative experience, and put an end to the topic. Meanwhile, failures are often caused by the wrong timing of sowing or culture.

Is it possible to sow sorrel before winter

Sorrel is a crop that can be sown in early spring, summer and late autumn. Podzimny landing has a number of advantages:

• seeds undergo stratification;
• sowing is carried out when the main garden work is completed;
• seedlings appear in early spring, tender leaves can be immediately eaten, making up for the lack of vitamins and minerals;
• sorrel planted before winter with seeds is less likely to get sick and be affected by pests.

Every gardener has heard the last statement, but not everyone takes it seriously. Meanwhile:

• if you plant sorrel for the winter, it undergoes natural hardening at an early age and remains healthier than other representatives of the culture throughout its life;
• from nearby bushes, pests choose the weakest because its tissues are loose, flabby and are destroyed (bitten, pierced) more easily than the elastic surface of a strong plant;
• if an infection or fungal spores enter healthy tissue, it is difficult for them to penetrate inside, and the surface of weak plant organisms is covered with microcracks and cell sap, which is a breeding ground for bacteria.

When is the best time to plant sorrel: in autumn or spring

Planting sorrel in autumn has advantages over spring or summer, but a gardener can sow seeds when it suits him. Firstly, this culture is not particularly valuable or capricious, and secondly, after 3-4 seasons, the garden bed will still need to be replaced with a new one. In the fifth year after planting, the leaves become smaller and become stiff even in spring.

Sowing restrictions:

• do not plant sorrel in the summer in the southern regions – tender shoots will not survive the heat;
• sowing in early autumn is allowed where the plants have time to get stronger before the onset of frost or will be covered with early snow.

When can you sow sorrel in the fall

The meaning of planting sorrel before winter is for the seeds to undergo natural stratification and sprout in the spring. The appropriate time varies by region.

In the south, even in December, thaws can occur, and sorrel sprouts at a temperature of 2-3 ° C. You need to wait for stable frosts before planting seeds. In regions with a cool climate, winter sowing begins in November, and in the North – in October.

If you plant the seeds later than the scheduled date, nothing bad will happen, they will just spend a week or even a month less under the snow. Haste will lead to the fact that shoots will appear, and the sorrel will die. An adult plant easily tolerates frost, unlike tender seedlings.

How to plant sorrel before winter

The winter sowing technique has long been worked out, if everything is done correctly, there will be no failures. The main thing is to prepare the site in advance and not to rush.

Site preparation

In autumn, the site is dug up, the roots of weeds and stones are removed. On alkaline or neutral soils, riding (red) peat is introduced. It will also improve the structure of the soil, make it loose, provide access to water and air.

But acidic peat carries almost no nutrients. If necessary, humus or compost is added for digging. It is impossible to apply ash, as it deoxidizes the soil, and phosphate fertilizers that promote flowering. Small doses of phosphorus are contained in the soil and organic matter, they are enough for the development of sorrel, but not enough for the mass formation of arrows.

In advance, when sowing before winter, it is necessary not only to dig up the bed, but also to draw furrows up to 4 cm deep. The interval between rows should be 15-20 cm. If sorrel is grown for sale and several beds are laid out, they are arranged so that it is convenient to harvest and take care of the culture. They should be at least 50 cm apart from each other.

Seed preparation

For the autumn planting of sorrel, seeds do not need to be prepared. Any stimulation accelerates their germination, and before winter it is not only unnecessary, but also detrimental to the culture.

Dry seeds sown in autumn will go through the same cycle before germination as plants developing in the wild.

Sowing sorrel for the winter

When a stable temperature is established below 0 ° C, you can start sowing sorrel in open ground. If an increase of at least 2-3 ° C is expected, the landing is postponed. So there is a danger that shoots will appear in winter and die.

For the autumn planting of sorrel, more seeds are needed by 25-30% than in spring or summer. In winter, not only natural stratification occurs, but also the rejection of those with poor germination and other defects. So you need to sow the seeds in the furrows a little thicker than usual. For 1 sq. m in the fall spend about 2 g.

Seeds are sprinkled with soil and mulched with peat, humus, compost or fallen leaves from healthy trees.

Before boarding:

• furrows are not watered;
• seeds are not soaked;
• landing is not covered with agrofiber or film.

Sorrel care in autumn and preparation for winter

Already existing sorrel plantings need to be prepared for winter. To do this, it is imperative to carry out moisture charging, and at the beginning of autumn they feed the plants with any potash fertilizers, except for ash. It is useful to add compost or humus to the aisles to cover the exposed roots.

Varieties of sorrel for the winter

Any sorrel is suitable for autumn planting. As of the end of 2018, the State Register recorded 18 varieties recommended for cultivation throughout Our Country. In fact, there are much more of them, just not everyone has been registered.

Modern varieties of sorrel are distinguished by large leaves, a high content of vitamin C, protein and trace elements, a low content of acids, and high yields.

green fairy tale

The sorrel variety Green Tale was adopted by the State Register in 2013. The originator was Agrofirma Aelita LLC, the authors are Nastenko N.V., Kachaynik V.G., Gulkin M.N. The variety is protected by a protective patent, which expires in 2045.

Sorrel Winter’s Tale forms a bush 25 cm high, growing up to 15-20 cm. Succulent leaves are large, slightly wrinkled, green. They are attached to the middle petiole and are distinguished by an elongated oval shape.

From the moment of emergence of shoots to the first mass cutting, 45-50 days pass. The variety is slightly acidic, intended for conservation and fresh consumption. Two cuttings per season are recommended, the yield is 4,8-5,3 kg per 1 sq. m.

profusely leafy

This variety was accepted by the State Register in 2013. The originator is Agrofirma Aelita LLC, a team of authors – Kachaynik V. G., Nastenko N. V., Gulkin M. N. The variety was awarded a patent valid until 2045.

The leaves are oblong-oval, slightly acidic in taste, medium, semi-erect, slightly wrinkled, collected in a rosette up to 25 cm wide, 35 cm high. The time from germination to cutting greens is 40-45 days. 2 collections are recommended, the yield is 5,5-5,9 kg per sq. m. The variety is suitable for fresh consumption and canning.

Alpine

In 2017, the State Register accepted the Vysokogorny sorrel variety. Originator – Agrofirma SeDeK LLC.

The variety is slightly acidic, intended for canning and fresh consumption. It is distinguished by large long leaves, slightly drooping rosette up to 41 cm high, 27-32 cm in diameter. 35-40 days pass before the first cut, yield per 1 sq. m – 4,8-5 kg.

Chameleon

Sorrel Chameleon was accepted by the State Register in 2017. The originators are Gavrish Breeding Firm LLC and Research Institute of Vegetable Crops Breeding LLC.

The variety is used fresh and for canning; it reaches technical maturity in 50 days. Rosette height 17-30 cm, diameter – 15-25 cm. The leaves are narrowly oval, with a wavy edge. Color – green, veins red. For the season from 1 sq. m collect 4,8-5 kg ​​of greenery. Can be grown as an ornamental plant.

Summer borscht

The newest variety of sorrel, Summer Borscht, was registered in 2018. The originator was Agrofirma Aelita LLC.

From the moment of emergence of seedlings to the harvest of the first harvest, 35-40 days pass. This slightly acidic sorrel forms a rosette with a diameter of up to 32 cm, with a height of 35-45 cm. Slightly wrinkled leaves are green, oval, on a petiole of medium length, have a slightly acidic taste. Recommended 2 cuts per season, green yield per 1 sq. m – from 4,7 to 5,6 kg.

Grandma’s tips and secrets on how to plant sorrel before winter

Although the autumn sowing of sorrel is not difficult, it has its own secrets. They make life easier for gardeners and allow you to get a good harvest.

Secret №1

In regions with an unstable climate and frequent thaws, sorrel should be planted as late as possible before winter. But how to cover the seeds with frozen soil? Dry soil is harvested in advance and stored in a barn or other room with a positive temperature.

Then sowing can be done even before the New Year. You only need to sweep the snow a little to find the furrows, spread the seeds in them, and cover them with dry soil.

Secret №2

Choosing the right place. If sorrel is intended only for early consumption, it is not necessary to spend a usable area well-lit by the sun on the culture. The bed can be broken under trees or large shrubs. While they grow leaves that block the light, the first crop of sorrel will be harvested.

Secret №3

Of course, it is better that the bed is covered with snow in winter. In spring, it will melt and give the sorrel enough moisture for seed germination. But even on a hill protected from the wind, a snowdrift can form, which will melt for a long time in a cool spring and can damage seedlings.

It is necessary not to miss the time, break the ice crust and remove some of the snow.

Secret №4

Podzimnie crops of sorrel cannot be done in the shade of buildings or fences. If the plot is flat, the crop is planted on the southern slope.

Secret №5

Sorrel seeds have the best germination not for the next season, but a year after harvest.

Conclusion

Planting sorrel before winter is a little hassle, but it helps to get healthy strong plants. They will be less sick and affected by pests, and the first leaves suitable for collection will be given in the spring.