Sorrel is an unpretentious plant; it does not require special efforts and time. Therefore, growing this good supplement to soups and salads in your garden is definitely worth it. Sorrel grows well even on poor soils. However, to get the best result, you should properly prepare the soil.
However, before embarking on a planting, it is worth deciding on the choice of variety. Spinach varieties are considered the most suitable for growing in a summer cottage. This, for example, may be Nikolsky or St. Andrew's variety. Such a sorrel, the cultivation of which in this case is more rational, will be larger with elliptical leaves. In addition, such a variety is tastier, because it is not as acidic as ordinary sorrel.
It is best to dig a bed in the fall and add some organic fertilizer in the amount of five kilograms per square meter. You can also add
potassium salt and superphosphate (20 g each). In the spring, the bed will need to be broken up and 20 g of
ammonium sulfate per meter added. Sorrel, the cultivation of which is carried out in several stages, is sown in early spring, mid-season and late autumn. In the latter case, you need to plant the seeds so that they do not have time to germinate before the onset of cold weather. With the winter method of planting, the first crop will be available in early May. Sorrel sown in the spring begins to be cut at the end of June, and planted in the middle of summer - in September.
Sorrel, the cultivation of which is used most often, prefers sunny areas. However, he feels rather well in partial shade. It grows well on acidic soils. Put it in lines. The distance between the rows is 20 cm, between the lines - 40. It is best to use just such a method. The fact is that after four years of cultivation, sorrel leaves begin to fade. Therefore, new plants are planted between the lines, and old ones are removed.
Seeds are planted into the soil to a depth of 3 cm. If the soil is heavy - 0.5 cm. Sorrel emerges on the tenth day after planting. As soon as the first leaflet appears in the plants, they are thinned out so that the distance between them is 5 cm. Sorrel, the cultivation of which is not particularly difficult, does not require top dressing during the season. But this is only if a sufficient amount of organic matter has been added to the soil before planting. On unfertilized beds, it is worth using fertilizers containing nitrogen. What can not be done is to make phosphorus fertilizers under the plants . Sorrel starts to bloom because of this.
Another feature of this plant is that it requires periodic loosening of the soil in which it is planted. Sorrel, the cultivation of which involves moderate watering, needs to be loosened after each moistening of the soil. In early summer, the leaves can be cut completely - the plant immediately releases new ones. Harvesting in this way is possible every two weeks. However, after the third cut, sorrel will be suitable only for canning. In August, part of the leaves in the bushes should be left. Otherwise, under the winter, the plant will leave weakened.
Sorrel, the cultivation and care of which does not require large labor costs, propagates by forcing. To do this, take a piece from the rhizome, the length of which is at least 50 cm. The most suitable plants are four-year-olds. The roots are buried in the ground to a depth of 18 cm.
Thus, observing agricultural technology, you can grow an excellent crop of sorrel. It will not take much time, and the diet can be varied with delicious leaves, which contain a huge amount of vitamins.