Sorrel is a perennial herb. It is known since antiquity due to the content of vitamins and mineral salts. It is eaten all year round in fresh and canned form, so it is important to know how to get a good harvest.
Sorrel belongs to the small group of plants that do not require special care. But still work on the cultivation of sorrel will have a little. To grow sorrel, it is necessary to study not only the agrotechnical of the plant and ensure its stable, proper care, but also to choose the right variety.
Description of the growth process
Sorrel belongs to the early green cold-resistant cultures. It has a powerful root and long leaves, collected in one outlet. The culture is sown early, as it sprouts even at a temperature of 2 degrees. It develops well at temperatures up to 230 WITH.
It is advisable to plant after:
- cabbage;
- early potatoes;
- carrots;
- parsley;
- beets.
3-4 years are grown in one place. In the fifth year, the leaves grow coarse, crushed, the crop decreases, so should be transplanted to another place. Blossoms in the second year of life. Flower stalks are removed so that the leaves of sorrel are not coarse and the taste does not deteriorate.
Sow in rows. The beds are made about 1 m long, between the rows they leave a distance of 20 cm. The seeds are planted to a depth of 1 cm in a moist soil in a dry form. After the emergence of shoots thin out and loosen the soil. When the beds are covered with a film, shoots appear after 5 days.
The speed of the process and what does it depend on?
In the first year, sorrel is harvested 2.5-3 months after sowing, or 45 days after the emergence of sprouts; in the second year, crops are harvested in May.
The growth of culture is positively affected:
- correctly selected planting site;
- sufficient watering without waterlogging;
- fertilizer fertilizer;
- weed control;
- seed variety.
How depends on the variety?
The quality of the crop and the ripening time is affected by sorrel varieties. Early and popular varieties:
- Large leaves give the earliest yield, tolerate low temperatures, resistant to frost, the acidity of the soil does not affect growth.
- Malachite gives a harvest in 50 days, young leaves grow quickly.
- Bellevilsky gives early and great harvest, afraid of frost.
- Schi-borscht pleases with early harvest, 35 days pass from germination to first cut.
- Vegetarian gives early harvest, from germination to the first cut takes 35-40 days.
Breeding methods and growing sites
Sorrel is propagated by seed. At the end of the growing season, flower shoots on 10 plants of the second year of growth are left to obtain seeds. They serve as an upgrade fit.
In order to get a good harvest, the place for sowing is chosen correctly in autumn. It should be:
- windless;
- with moist soil, but without stagnant water;
- with fertile loamy or sandy soil;
- shaded, with partial sunlight;
- with humus;
- with soil acidity of 4.5-5.
When does it yield and why?
When to plant correctly: what time of year to sow and in which month to wait for the harvest? Harvest time depends on planting time. Sowing carried out in early spring until late autumn:
- In spring they plant (in April) after warming up the land, in which there is a lot of moisture (if the soil is not black soil). Summer harvest.
- In the summer (June) planted for harvest in the spring of next year.
- At the end of autumn (October-November) they sow on sandy soils for harvest next year, so that the seeds do not have time to germinate to frost and die.
A photo
Next, we suggest to look at the photo of how the culture is growing.
What to do if the culture is developing poorly?
Improve the growth of sorrel:
- soil acidification: sorrel does not grow on alkaline and calcareous soil;
- shading area;
- seed replacement for planting;
- proper care;
- fertilization.
Why does not grow on the site or grows poorly in the garden? The reason for the lack of germination of sorrel can be planting seeds to a depth of more than 1 cm. Seeds do not make their way through a large layer of soil.
Bad seeds
Sorrel seeds remain viable for two to three years. If substandard seeds:
- soaked in water;
- leave in water for 48 hours;
- wrap the seeds in gauze for drying.
During this time, they will be filled with moisture and ascend faster. To increase disease resistance and 100% germination, seeds are soaked in a nutrient fluid.
For the renewal of seeds, sorrel bushes with flower shoots are left next year and fresh seeds are collected from them.
Unsuitable primer or lack of fertilizer
For sorrel need loamy or sour sandy loam. On a plot with a different soil make good drainage. During digging, a few kilograms of compost or manure are added to the soil, no more than 30 grams of superphosphate, and no more than 20 grams of potassium chloride per 1 square meter. meter beds.
Diseases and pests
Pests and diseases cause great damage to crops. They fight with them:
Sorrel leaf beetle leaves beetles and larvae on the leaves that infect the plant. Saving sorrel garlic or tomato infusion, covering the beds with ashes or tobacco dust.- Downy mildew leaves on the underside of the leaf dark spots with a gray bloom. 10 days before harvest, spray the culture with maroon liquid. Pretreatment of seeds will protect against illness next season.
- Oxal oxaloide deprives the plant of nutritious juices.
Sorrel leaf beetle leaves beetles and larvae on the leaves that infect the plant. Saving sorrel garlic or tomato infusion, covering the beds with ashes or tobacco dust.So that sorrel is not exposed to diseases and is not afraid of pests next year, after harvesting, the plant from aphids is watered with infusion of dandelion, garlic, potato tops, powdery mildew, and oxalic leaf beetle sprayed with 0.5% chlorophos.
Provide the correct ongoing care:
- weeding;
- thinning plants.
Bad or improper care
Care includes: watering and tillage.
- Sorrel likes abundant and regular watering, but without stagnant water. With an insufficient amount of moisture, flowering begins and the quality of the greenery deteriorates. Waterlogging leads to freezing, death of the roots.
- Overgrowing of weeds is not allowed. To reduce the amount of loosening after sowing, mulching the soil with peat or humus 2 cm thick is carried out.
- After the spring harvest, fertilize (under the root) sorrel with a weak solution of slurry.
The benefit of sorrel is beyond doubt. It will bring many health benefits and replenish the range of dishes. The plant grown by the hands on a site will deliver even more pleasure.
