Sorrel is one of the less popular herbs, but if you find space in your growing for this perennial herb you won't regret it. The leaves have a tangy, citrus taste and are often grown as a cut-and-come-again leaf to add flavour to salads.

Growing calendar
Sow indoors	Mar - Apr
Sow outdoors	May
Plant out/transplant	May
Harvest	Jun - Oct

How to grow sorrel

Sow sorrel seed 0.1cm deep in pots or rows. Thin or transplant seedings to 30cm apart. Sorrel can also be propagated by digging up and splitting established plants in autumn.

Choose fertile soil in partial shade.

Harvesting and using sorrel

Pick young sorrel leaves before flowering for use fresh or to freeze. Plants will crop year after year. Dig up and split plants every one to three years for the best leaves.

Tips on growing sorrel

Mulching your sorrel in the summer will keep the soil cooler and help reduce bitterness in the leaves. Remove flower spikes to prolong leave production. Protect with horticultural fleece for winter cropping.

Growing notes
Difficulty	Easy
Germination time	10-20 days
Average time to harvest	From 12 weeks
Equipment needed	Horticultural fleece
Average plant size	45cm tall, 60cm wide
Family group to grow with	Miscellaneous
Seed saving notes	Perennial, can cross pollinate
Key nutritional content	Raw: vitamin C and iron