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SORREL
(Rumex acetosa)
If you want to grow a garden that rewards you with year-round interesting, delicious salads, add sorrel to your must-grow list! Sorrel grows throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. It doesn’t mind poor soils and, as a short-lived perennial, can be harvested throughout the year in mild climates. In cold climates with frosts, sorrel dies back to the ground in winter and shoots again the following spring.
There are a few different varieties of sorrel, including garden sorrel (this is a less fancy variety and some gardeners consider it a weed, even though the young leaves are still tasty), French sorrel (popular with chefs, this sorrel has smaller leaves and a deliciously sour citrus flavour), and red-veined sorrel (not as sour as French sorrel, red-veined sorrel has beautiful green leaves shot through with red veins).
Sorrel likes a sunny or lightly shaded position. Make sure to give your plants plenty of water over summer to stop them from going to flower. If your sorrel plant flowers, don’t worry, it doesn’t mean the plant is ‘finished’. Once the flowers are gone the plant will start sending out fresh new leafy growth from the base and you can begin harvesting again (you can also save the seeds from the seed heads to grow more!).
Cheat sheet
When to sow: autumn
Position: full sun or light shade
Sow: direct or in punnets
Depth: 1cm
Spacing: 30cm
Plants per person: you don’t need many plants - just 1-2 per household
Time to harvest: 10 weeks
Grow in pots: 30cm or bigger
Companion plants: cabbages (in winter), tomatoes (in summer)
How to grow
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