Herb · Polygonaceae
When to plant sorrel
One of the first leaves of spring and one of the last of autumn, sharp with oxalic acid. Remove flower stems to keep new leaves coming.
Sow direct
4 weeks before
Counted from your last spring frost.
First worthwhile crop
Year 1
After planting, not after sowing.
Hardy in USDA zones
3a to 8a
Winter cold sets the limit here, not the calendar.
Those weeks become real dates once you name a place.
Timing, in frost-relative terms
Seed packets rarely give calendar dates, because a date that suits one latitude is wrong at another. They give offsets from the last spring frost instead, and those offsets are what make sorrel plantable anywhere.
- Sow direct 4 weeks before the last frost.
- Expect a first worthwhile crop in year 1 after planting.
- Hardy in USDA zones 3a–8a.
- Can also be sown in late summer for an autumn crop or to overwinter.
Getting the timing right
Sow direct four weeks before the last frost, or in autumn. Cut the whole plant back in midsummer for a fresh flush of tender leaves.
Frost tolerance
Very hardy, to about -20C, and often the first green thing in the garden.
Classified as very-hardy, with damage expected below -20°C (-4°F)-4°F (-20°C).