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Planting sorrel in the country or even on the windowsill can solve the problem of spring beriberi. This unpretentious perennial plant contains many vitamins and organic acids in its leaves and stems, which are very useful for our body. Sour leaves are usually very fond of children. Sorrel is used in the preparation of salads and first courses, pies are made with it, it is used in traditional medicine. Growing sorrel is not difficult at all, it does not require much attention or special care. Even novice vegetable growers can easily grow it in the country or on the windowsill.
Preparing the soil
Sorrel grows well on loamy or sandy neutral soils, but it is quite possible to plant it in acidified ones. The soil must be sufficiently nutritious, which must be taken care of in advance. The main thing is that there is moderate moisture, but water does not stagnate.
The place for the garden should be chosen slightly shaded, it is good if the sun shines there before sunset. There should be no weeds in the garden, and even nearby, the proximity of sow thistle is especially dangerous, when it appears in the garden, it manages to braid the whole earth with its roots, impoverish it, because of this, vegetables do not grow well. In autumn, you need to free the area from vegetation, dig it to the depth of a spade bayonet, and apply fertilizer. Usually they use compost or manure (6 kg – per 1 square meter of area), superphosphate (20 g) and potassium chloride (20 g). And in the spring, immediately before sowing, nitrogen fertilizers are applied, you can add 20 g of urea per square meter.
Video “Secrets for gardeners”
Demonstrative video for gardeners with the secrets of growing sorrel.
Agrotechnics of cultivation
You can sow sorrel in the ground in the spring immediately after the ground has thawed, or in the summer, when the early vegetables have already been harvested, or in late autumn. If you sow it in early spring, then in the summer of this year you can get a harvest. After harvesting radishes, lettuce or early onions grown on a feather, sorrel is planted in the middle of summer so that it takes root well, takes root before the cold weather, but the harvest from such plantings can be harvested next year. Autumn sowing is carried out at the end of October or in November, just before the frost. It is necessary to orient in such a way that the seeds do not germinate before the cold weather, then they will overwinter, and as soon as the earth thaws, they begin to grow, in the summer it will be possible to harvest a good harvest.
Most often, sorrel is sown in early spring – this is the most convenient time. The earth is moist, the sorrel is not afraid of cold weather, after 2 weeks the seeds will germinate. And if you cover the crops with a non-woven fabric to create a greenhouse effect, then shoots will appear in 5-6 days. Summer crops need care – watering, weeding, and the first leaves can be cut only next year.
When sowing in autumn, it is difficult to guess the right time: if the seeds germinate, they will freeze in winter. Therefore, the most profitable option is sowing in early spring. A lot of space is not allocated to sorrel in the country, usually the garden bed does not take more than 2 square meters, up to 4 kg of leaves are collected from it per season. On the prepared site, grooves are made 1,5–2 cm deep at a distance of 25 cm, seeds are laid and covered with earth, it needs to be slightly compacted (tread down) on top. Seeds are planted infrequently, the usual consumption is up to 2 g per 1 square meter, and then they break through, forming the required distances between the bushes – up to 10 cm.
Sorrel Care
There are many varieties of sorrel, all of which differ in different ripening periods, leaf shape, and intensity of taste. The most common of them: “Ordinary garden” (leaves are dark green, spear-shaped) and “Belleville” (an early variety with delicate, not very sour leaves). “Large-leaved”, also an early variety, its leaves are large, almost oval in shape, the taste is medium sour. The sorrel “Altai” leaves are sharp in shape, they are green only in early spring, then turn red along with the cuttings.
The “Lyon” variety is known for thick juicy leaves on short thick cuttings, the leaves are yellowish-green, it is better to cover it for the winter so that it does not freeze. It is easy to grow on a windowsill or balcony, easy to plant and care for. For growing on a windowsill, you need to take a sufficiently deep dish, at least 30 cm, so that the roots can develop normally.
Caring for young plants is simple: you need to remove weeds, ensure timely watering, feed, loosen the ground next to the roots. When a plant feels a lack of moisture, it produces fewer leaves, but quickly forms a peduncle. To increase the yield, you need to remove the flower stalks, not to let them develop. Feed the plants every time after cutting the leaves. Complex mineral fertilizers are suitable for this, but the emphasis should be on nitrogen. Fertilizers are applied in any way, in accordance with the weather – if it is wet, you can use dry top dressing, if it is dry, liquid fertilizers are applied. In the spring, after the first cutting of the leaves, the plants are watered with nettle infusion or mullein solution.
In autumn, humus or compost is placed next to the plants, the exposed roots of the bushes are covered with a mixture of earth and humus. In the second year, you also need to fertilize with mineral fertilizers.
A month before the onset of frost, you need to cut off all the leaves, otherwise they will lie down, compacted under the snow and will not allow air and moisture to penetrate to the roots. Sorrel rarely gets sick if he has the right care, especially watering. And to scare away pests, you can plant certain plants nearby, for example, coriander, chamomile, calendula, garlic. Sorrel gives a good harvest in one place for 3–4 years, later the yield decreases, the leaves become smaller, and the threat of pests increases. Heather or radish are planted at this place, sorrel cabbage strongly acidifies the soil.
When grown on a windowsill, caring for sorrel is no different – regular watering, weed control, rare top dressing are important. In any case, there will be less soil in a pot or box than in a garden bed, after a year it will be depleted, you need to change the soil, plant new plants or regularly feed it with mineral fertilizers, risking that the leaves will accumulate harmful substances. It is not necessary to sow on the windowsill only in spring, because sorrel can be grown all year round if it is provided with the right amount of light.
Harvesting
They begin to harvest sorrel when 5 leaves of the desired size (according to the variety) have grown on the bushes. Cut the leaves with a sharp knife, carefully so as not to damage the adjacent apical buds. Before this, weeds are removed, and after that the earth is loosened. Until the end of July, there are usually 3-4 harvests. The last time the leaves are cut a month before the cold weather, if you do this later, you can weaken the plant, which will certainly affect the next year’s harvest.
Harvest in the morning after the dew has dried. The leaves are sorted, removing flower stalks and sluggish yellowed leaves. Then they put it in a breathable container, cover it from the light, put it away for storage in a cool place. Sorrel does not require special care, reasonable watering is enough on fertile soils, but planting it next to you – in the country house or on the windowsill of a city apartment – means always having very useful vitamin greens on hand.
Video “All about sorrel and its cultivation”
Informative video with details about sorrel.