Sorrel: planting before winter, care, varieties, grandmother's advice

Planting sorrel before winter allows you to free up time in the spring for other work. At the beginning of the year, gardeners have a lot of worries, every second counts, so everything that can be done in the fall should not be postponed.

Podzimniy sowing has become very popular in Western Europe, it is carried out by large and small farms. For some reason, we have a lot of publications on this topic, but in practice the gardener will try to plant something in the fall, get a negative experience, and put an end to the topic. Failures, however, are often caused by incorrect planting or crop timing.

Is it possible to sow sorrel before winter

Sorrel is a crop that can be sown in early spring, summer and late fall. Winter landing has several advantages:

seeds are stratified;
sowing is carried out when the main garden work is completed;
seedlings appear in early spring, delicate leaves can be eaten immediately, replenishing the lack of vitamins and minerals;
sorrel planted with seeds before winter is less likely to get sick and are affected by pests.

The last statement has been heard by every gardener, but not everyone takes it seriously. Meanwhile:

if you plant sorrel for the winter, it undergoes natural hardening at an early age and remains healthier than other representatives of the culture throughout its life;
from the bushes standing nearby, pests choose the weakest one because its tissues are loose, flabby and collapse (bite through, pierce) more easily than the elastic surface of a strong plant;
if an infection or spores of fungi get on healthy tissue, it is difficult for them to penetrate inside, and the surface of weak plant organisms is covered with microcracks and cell sap, which is a breeding ground for bacteria.

When is it better to plant sorrel: in autumn or spring

Planting sorrel in the fall has advantages over spring or summer, but the gardener can sow seeds whenever it suits him. Firstly, this culture is not particularly valuable or capricious, and secondly, after 3-4 seasons, the bed will still need to be replaced with a new one. In the fifth year after planting, the leaves become smaller and become tough even in spring.

Sowing time limits:

do not plant sorrel in the summer in the southern regions - tender seedlings will not survive the heat;
sowing in early autumn is allowed where the plants have time to get stronger before the onset of frost or will be covered with early snow.

When to sow sorrel in autumn

The point of planting sorrel before winter is for the seeds to undergo natural stratification, and to sprout in the spring. The appropriate time depends on the region.

In the south, even in December, thaws can come, and sorrel rises at a temperature of 2-3 ° C. You need to wait for stable frosts before planting seeds. In regions with a cool climate, winter sowing begins in November, and in the North - in October.

If you plant the seeds later than the intended date, nothing bad will happen, they just spend under the snow for a week or even a month less. Haste will lead to the emergence of seedlings, and the sorrel will die. An adult plant easily tolerates frost, in contrast to tender seedlings.

How to plant sorrel before winter

The technique of winter sowing has long been worked out, if everything is done correctly, there will be no failures.The main thing is to prepare the site in advance and not to rush.

Landing site preparation

In the fall, the site is dug up, the roots of weeds and stones are removed. On alkaline or neutral soils, high-moor (red) peat is introduced. It will also improve the structure of the soil, make it loose, and provide access to water and air.

But sour peat contains almost no nutrients. If necessary, add humus or compost for digging. Ash should not be added, as it deoxidizes the soil, and phosphorus fertilizers that promote flowering. Small doses of phosphorus are contained in soil and organic matter, they are enough for the development of sorrel, but not enough for the mass formation of arrows.

In advance, when sowing before winter, it is necessary not only to dig up the bed, but also to draw furrows up to 4 cm deep.The interval between rows should be 15-20 cm.If sorrel is grown for sale and several beds are broken, they are positioned so that it is convenient to harvest and take care of the culture. They should be at least 50 cm apart from each other.

Seed preparation

For the autumn planting of sorrel, you do not need to cook seeds. Any stimulation accelerates their germination, and before winter it is not only unnecessary, but also detrimental to the culture.

Dry seeds sown in autumn will go through the same cycle before emergence as in plants developing in the wild.

Sowing sorrel for the winter

When a stable temperature is established below 0 ° C, you can start sowing sorrel in the open ground. If an increase is expected to at least 2-3 ° C, the landing is postponed. So there is a danger that seedlings will appear in winter and die.

For the autumn planting of sorrel, seeds need 25-30% more than in spring or summer. In winter, not only natural stratification occurs, but also the rejection of those with poor germination and other defects. So sowing the seed in the furrow needs to be a little thicker than usual. For 1 sq. m in the fall, they spend about 2 g.

The seeds are sprinkled with soil and mulched with peat, humus, compost or fallen leaves from healthy trees.

Before boarding:

do not water furrows;
seeds are not soaked;
planting is not covered with agrofibre or film.

Sorrel care in autumn and preparation for winter

Already existing sorrel plantings need to be prepared for winter. To do this, they must carry out moisture charging, and at the beginning of autumn they feed the plants with any potash fertilizers, except for ash. It is useful to add compost or humus in the aisles to cover the bare roots.

Important! Cutting greens is stopped a month before the expected frost.

Sorrel varieties before winter

Any sorrel is suitable for autumn planting. As of the end of 2018, 18 varieties recommended for cultivation throughout Russia were recorded in the State Register. In fact, there are much more of them, just not everyone was registered.

Modern sorrel varieties are distinguished by large leaves, high content of vitamin C, protein and microelements, low acid content, high yield.

Green fairy tale

The sorrel variety Green Fairy Tale was adopted by the State Register in 2013. The originator was Agrofirma Aelita LLC, the authors were N.V. Nastenko, V.G. Kachainik, M.N.Gulkin. The variety is protected by a protective patent, which expires in 2045.

Sorrel Winter's Tale forms a bush 25 cm high, growing up to 15-20 cm. The succulent leaves are large, slightly wrinkled, green. They are attached to the middle petiole and are distinguished by an elongated-oval shape.

From the moment of emergence to the first mass cutting, 45-50 days pass. The variety is slightly acidic, intended for conservation and fresh consumption. Two cuts per season are recommended, yield - 4.8-5.3 kg per 1 sq. m.

Abundant

This variety was adopted by the State Register in 2013. The originator is Agrofirma Aelita LLC, a team of authors - V. G. Kachainik, N. V. Nastenko, M. N. Gulkin The variety was awarded a patent valid until 2045.

Leaves are elongated, oval, slightly acidic in taste, medium, semi-erect, slightly wrinkled, collected in a rosette up to 25 cm wide, 35 cm high. Time from emergence to cutting of greenery is 40-45 days. 2 harvests are recommended, yield - 5.5-5.9 kg per sq. m. The variety is suitable for fresh consumption and canning.

Alpine

In 2017, the State Register adopted the Vysokogorny sorrel variety. Originator - LLC "Agrofirma SeDeK".

The variety is slightly acidic, intended for canning and fresh consumption. Differs in large long leaves, slightly drooping rosette up to 41 cm in height, 27-32 cm in diameter. Before the first cut takes 35-40 days, yield from 1 sq. m - 4.8-5 kg.

Chameleon

Sorrel Chameleon was adopted by the State Register in 2017. The originators are Gavrish Breeding Company LLC and Scientific Research Institute of Vegetable Crops Breeding LLC.

The variety is used fresh and for canning, reaching technical maturity in 50 days. The height of the rosette is 17-30 cm, the diameter is 15-25 cm. The leaves are narrow oval, with a wavy edge. The color is green, the veins are red. For the season from 1 sq. m collect 4.8-5 kg of greenery. Can be grown as an ornamental plant.

Summer borsch

The newest variety of sorrel Summer borscht was registered in 2018. Agrofirma Aelita LLC was the originator.

From the moment of emergence to the first harvest, 35-40 days pass. This slightly acid sorrel forms a rosette with a diameter of up to 32 cm, at a height of 35-45 cm. Slightly wrinkled leaves are green, oval, on a medium petiole, have a slightly acidic taste. Recommended 2 cuts per season, the yield of greens from 1 sq. m - from 4.7 to 5.6 kg.

Grandma's tips and secrets on how to plant sorrel before winter

Although sowing sorrel in the fall is not difficult, there are secrets here. They make life easier for gardeners and allow you to get a good harvest.

Secret number 1

In regions with an unstable climate and frequent thaws before winter, sorrel should be planted as late as possible. But how to cover the seeds with frozen soil? Dry soil is harvested in advance and stored in a shed or other room with a positive temperature.

Then sowing can be carried out even before the New Year. You just need to sweep the snow a little to find furrows, spread seeds in them, and cover them with dry soil.

Secret # 2

Choosing a suitable place. If the sorrel is intended only for early consumption, it is not necessary to spend a useful area on the crop, well illuminated by the sun. The garden bed can be set up under trees or large bushes. As long as they have leaves that block the light, the first crop of sorrel will be harvested.

Secret number 3

Of course, it is better that the garden bed is covered with snow in winter. In the spring, it will melt and give the sorrel enough moisture for the seeds to germinate. But even on a hill protected from the wind, a snowdrift can form, which will melt for a long time in a cool spring and can damage the seedlings.

It is necessary not to waste time, break the ice crust and remove some of the snow.

Secret # 4

Do not do winter sowing of sorrel in the shade of buildings or fences. If the site is shallow, the crop is planted on the southern slope.

Secret # 5

Sorrel seeds have the best germination not for the next season, but one year after harvest.

Conclusion

Planting sorrel before winter is a little hassle, but it helps you get healthy, strong plants. They will hurt less and be affected by pests, and the first leaves suitable for collection will be produced in the spring.

How and when to sow sorrel in autumn