How to grow sorrel

Sorrel is an easy, low-maintenance and hardy

Perennials are plants that live for multiple years. They come in all shapes and sizes and fill our gardens with colourful flowers and ornamental foliage. Many are hardy and can survive outdoors all year round, while less hardy types need protection over winter. The term herbaceous perennial is used to describe long-lived plants without a permanent woody structure (they die back to ground level each autumn), distinguishing them from trees, shrubs and sub-shrubs.

Red veined sorrel

A method of harvesting leafy crops so the plants continue to grow and sprout further leaves, providing several pickings over a long period. Snip off just a few outer leaves from each plant, rather than all of them, leaving the inner leaves to grow, for picking in a few weeks. Suitable candidates include lettuces and most types of salad leaves, as well as chard, spinach, mizuna and kale.

cut and come again

• French or buckler-leaved sorrel (Rumex scutatus) – small shield-shaped leaves with lemony tang, ideal for adding to salads

• Red-veined sorrel (Rumex sanguineus var. sanguineus) – the long, pointed leaves with a dark red mid-rib, veins and stem are both decorative and edible, with a sharp flavour

• Broad-leaved sorrel or common sorrel (Rumex acetosa) – a British native forming a clump of long leaves that have an astringent taste. Use baby leaves in salads or cook like spinach  

Native sheep’s sorrel ( R. acetosella) is also edible, but not generally grown as a garden herb, although it is sometimes used as foraged wild leaves. Several species of oxalis are also commonly known as sorrel, but these are ornamental plants, wildflowers or weeds.  
 
The three edible species of sorrel form low leafy plants, which are best harvested regularly to encourage a steady supply of fresh young leaves. Older leaves can become tough and bitter. They will send up tall flower spikes in summer, which should be removed if you want to keep picking the leaves. If the leaves get too large, simply cut them back to encourage fresh young growth.  
 
Sorrel is easy to grow from seed or can be bought as young plants, and is happy in sun or light shade, in most types of soil. Plants live for several years, dying back over winter then re-sprouting from the ground in spring – although young plants may be more productive, so you may prefer to sow them fresh each year.

There are three species of sorrel that are grown for their edible leaves and can be easily confused, but each looks different and offers slightly different qualities:

• Buckler-leaved or French sorrel with its small, juicy citrus-flavoured leaves is the most popular for adding to salads. It makes a low mound (about 15cm/6in high) of attractive bright green, shield-shaped foliage. It can become invasive.  It prefers a sunny spot.

• Red-veined sorrel with its ruby-patterned leaves is an eye-catching addition to a herb garden, veg plot or ornamental display. Baby leaves add a splash of colour and tart kick to salads. It forms a low, ground-hugging, spreading clump.

• Broad-leaved or common sorrel is larger and less ornamental that other sorrels. It forms a more upright clump and its flower spike can reach up to 1m (3½ft) tall, looking similar to a dock (a close relative). It thrives in sun or light shade. The leaves have an astringent flavour and can be cooked like spinach.

All three are easy to grow, either from seed or young plants, and are perennials so should last several years.  
 
You’ll see many herbs and salad crops, including sorrel, growing in the veg plots and herb collections in the RHS gardens, so do visit to see how they are grown, compare the different types and pick up useful tips.

All three types of sorrel are easy to start from seed or you can save time and buy a ready-grown plant so you can start picking leaves immediately.

Sorrel generally needs little maintenance, apart from watering in dry spells and regular harvesting to encourage new leaves. Pinch out the flower stems to keep plants producing fresh leaves.

Once settled in, sorrel is usually robust and healthy. Seedlings and young leaves should be protected from slugs and snails. Soft new growth may also attract aphids, although treatment is rarely necessary.
 
To keep plants productive, pick leaves regularly and remove flower stalks as soon as they start to form. Removing the flowers also prevents self-seeding if you don’t want more plants.