Herb · Polygonaceae
When to plant sorrel
Garden sorrel, Rumex acetosa, is a perennial leaf crop with a sharp flavour. Choose a culinary selection and a permanent place rather than treating it as a quick annual salad sowing.
Sow direct
4 weeks before
Counted from your last spring frost.
First crop estimate
Year 1
From planting; plant age and cultivar affect timing.
Hardy in USDA zones
3a to 8a
A winter-survival reference; heat, chill and drainage also matter.
Choose a place for estimated dates and local climate checks.
Timing, in frost-relative terms
These offsets are the starting assumptions used by our calendar for sorrel. They do not establish suitability in every climate. Your seed packet, cultivar and local growing advice take priority; in frost-free places the calendar uses monthly temperature patterns instead.
- Sow direct 4 weeks before the last frost.
- Approximate first cropping: year 1 after planting; nursery plant age, variety and growing conditions change this.
- Hardy in USDA zones 3a–8a.
- Can also be sown in late summer for an autumn crop or to overwinter.
Getting the timing right
Provide moist, drained soil in sun or some shade. Once established, a clump can be divided to renew it, with roots and a growth bud on each section. Allow divisions to recover before repeated picking.
Frost tolerance
Check the named variety and local forecast before exposing young growth. The catalog cold-damage figure is a reference, not a guarantee: plant age, acclimatisation, wind and the duration of a freeze affect damage.
Classified as very-hardy, with a catalog cold-damage reference of -20°C (-4°F)-4°F (-20°C). Exposure duration, growth stage and acclimatisation change cold tolerance.
Before you plant sorrel
Use the calendar to plan ahead, then check the conditions in your own garden.
- Measure the soil at sowing depth. Aim for at least 5°C (41°F); the calendar estimates soil warmth from air temperatures and cannot measure your bed.
- Frost tolerance does not make saturated or frozen soil suitable for planting. Wait until the bed can be worked without smearing or compacting it.
- Check mature size, drainage and cultivar suitability before choosing a permanent position. A suitable planting window does not guarantee long-term survival or fruiting.
Manage sorrel for young leaves and remove unwanted flower stems
Provide moist, drained soil in sun or some shade. Once established, a clump can be divided to renew it, with roots and a growth bud on each section. Allow divisions to recover before repeated picking.
Flowering can interrupt the supply of young leaves. Cut unwanted flower stems to encourage fresh growth, or keep separately labelled plants if seed is the aim. Use the leaves as a flavouring ingredient rather than equating vigorous growth with suitability for unrestricted quantities.
What to record this season
Did removing flower stems extend the supply of tender leaves? Add the cultivar, sowing date and conditions to your growing record so you can compare next season.
Further reading: Plants For A Future: Rumex acetosa . General crop guidance; local dates on this site are calculated separately. Source checked 19 September 2026 by Safe to Plant; this is not an expert review.
Plants For A Future compiles botanical and cultivation references. This is general species guidance, not a local field trial or evidence that every cultivar will crop in your climate.
How the dates are calculated and their limits · Keep a growing record · Report a local discrepancy