Guest post by Katrina & Clayton
Sorrel is a highly productive perennial that often goes unnoticed in the garden, yet it is one of the earliest crops to provide fresh harvests each year. Perfectly suited to Scotland’s cool, damp climate, it returns reliably every Spring and requires very little maintenance once established. The tender leaves have a bright, citrus like flavour that works beautifully in salads, soups and sauces.
In our garden we grow red-veined sorrel, a striking variety with vivid green leaves marked by deep red veins. It is both ornamental and edible, adding colour as well as a refreshing lemony taste to meals.
Sorrel seeds can be sown outdoors from March to September, making it an easy crop to fit into the gardening year. Unlike many Mediterranean herbs, it does not need prolonged heat and can remain productive for many years, providing regular harvests with minimal effort and making it an excellent choice for a perennial food garden.
Growing Conditions and Soil For Sorrel
Sorrel is naturally well suited to Scotland’s cool, temperate climate, this clump forming perennial returns year after year and is easy to grow in a wide range of gardens. It thrives in full sun but also performs well in partial shade, although plants grown in brighter positions often produce more vigorous growth and a larger harvest. Unlike many leafy vegetables that prefer warmer conditions, sorrel flourishes in cooler temperatures, making it a dependable crop that produces fresh leaves from early Spring through much of the growing season.
A sunny position with some shelter from strong winds is ideal, especially if you want to encourage a steady supply of young leaves. Partial shade can work well too, particularly during the warmer part of Summer, and may help keep the foliage softer for longer. If sorrel is grown in a very exposed position, strong winds can cause larger leaves to become damaged.
The most important soil consideration is drainage. Sorrel grows well in fertile, well drained ground and dislikes being left sitting in saturated soil, we have ours in raised beds for this reason sitting in the food forest. This is particularly important in Scotland, where periods of prolonged rain can leave heavier soils waterlogged.
Unlike some herbs, sorrel does not need extremely rich soil to grow successfully. A reasonably fertile soil with plenty of organic matter is ideal. Compost or well-rotted organic matter can be incorporated before planting, helping to improve moisture retention we’ve use our favourite Caledonian Green Goodness mix.
Planting Times For Sorrel
The best time to establish sorrel in Scotland is during spring or early Autumn. Spring planting allows the roots to settle and the plant to establish before the warmer part of the growing season, while early Autumn planting takes advantage of naturally moist soil and cooler temperatures.
Sorrel can be raised from seed or purchased as established plants. Seed is a useful option when planting a larger area, although growing from established plants gives you a quicker harvest and is particularly convenient if you want to establish a small perennial herb bed.
When sowing from seed, prepare the ground so that it is fine and reasonably crumbly. Sorrel seedlings need access to moisture while they establish, so avoid allowing the seedbed to dry out. Once plants have developed into healthy young plants, they can be thinned or transplanted if necessary.
One of the biggest benefits of growing sorrel is that it comes back year after year, so there is no need to sow or replant it each season. Once established, it reliably re-emerges from its root system every Spring, producing fresh, tender leaves long before many other crops are ready to harvest. This makes it a valuable addition to any garden, providing one of the earliest edible harvests of the year with very little effort.
Dividing and Harvesting Sorrel
Harvesting at the right time makes a big difference to both the flavour and texture of sorrel. The young leaves are tender with a fresh, lemony taste, making them the best choice for eating. As the season progresses the leaves gradually become tougher and develop a stronger, more bitter flavour, for the highest quality harvest, pick the young leaves regularly.
At the end of the growing season, damaged or tired foliage can be cleared away. The plant will naturally slow down during colder weather and then begin producing fresh growth again when Spring arrives.
Division is one of the easiest ways to propagate established sorrel plants, as common sorrel forms a perennial clump, mature plants can be lifted and separated into smaller sections, each containing healthy roots and growing points.
Spring or early Autumn is a good time to divide. Choose a healthy established clump, lift it carefully and separate it into smaller sections before replanting them at the same depth. Newly divided plants should be watered well while they establish, particularly if the weather is unusually dry.
Companion Planting For Sorrel
Sorrel is a useful addition to a mixed herb and vegetable garden because it occupies a relatively compact space while providing a recurring harvest. It works particularly well alongside other perennial herbs that appreciate similar conditions, including chives and parsley, provided the planting area is not allowed to become waterlogged.
Its fresh foliage can also provide a useful contrast to taller herbs and ornamental plants in a productive border as it tolerates some shade, sorrel can be incorporated into areas where full sun vegetables may be less productive.
It is worth remembering that sorrel is a food crop rather than a traditional pest control plant, so its main companion planting value comes from its adaptability and its ability to provide a perennial harvest within a mixed planting scheme. Allowing different crops to occupy different heights and root zones can help make good use of space in a kitchen garden.
Why Grow Sorrel in a Scottish Garden?
It is a hardy perennial that comes back year after year and starts producing useful foliage relatively early in the season, for a food growing garden, that perennial habit is a major advantage. There is no need to sow a new crop every Spring once the plant is established, and regular harvesting can keep a clump productive over a long period.
It is also a useful plant for gardeners trying to make better use of every part of their growing space. Sorrel can sit alongside annual vegetables, herbs and perennial crops while providing a completely different flavour profile to more familiar leafy greens.
Most importantly, sorrel adds something different to the kitchen. Its sharp, fresh flavour can lift soups, salads and sauces and provide a useful source of acidity without relying entirely on citrus fruit.
Katrina & Clayton
Katrina & Clayton live with their family in East Ayrshire in Scotland and share their daily life in the garden on instagram @buildingfoodforest_scotland. They practice permaculture principles, reducing & repurposing waste whenever they can. Katrina shows how home educating in nature has helped Clayton thrive.
Clayton Completed The Grow and Learn Course with the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society in 2022. This year he will be completing Level 2 Nurture Course. Clayton is 16, Autistic, Non Verbal & has been Home Educated for the last 6yrs. Both Katrina and husband Peter have studied the Permaculture Design Course PDC and PDC Pro over the last 5yrs, developing their garden from grass to an ongoing food forest.
They have featured on BBC Beechgrove Gardens, Gardeners World Magazine and write for Scotland Grows Magazine. Katrina has a series of children’s story books out following the life of Clayton in the garden. Available at Amazon.
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