Description
Bring a refreshing burst of flavor to your garden with 'Common Sorrel,' a hardy perennial known for its lemony, spinach-like leaves. Sorrel has been a staple in European gardens for centuries, prized for its tangy flavor that adds a unique twist to salads, complements fish, or mixes well with spinach and chard. With its high vitamin C content, it’s an ideal green for both culinary and health benefits. Sorrel’s ability to stay green even after frost means that you can enjoy fresh leaves for many months, making it an excellent choice for cooler climates.
Botanical Name: Spinacia oleracea
Days to Maturity: 28–45 days
Family: Organic, Heirloom
Native: Amaranthaceae
Hardiness: Southwest Asia
Plant Dimensions: 6″–8″ tall
Variety Information: Very dark green, thick, curled leaves. 'Bloomsdale' was introduced in the early 1800s. It is a vigorous grower, slow to bolt, and has tender, rich-flavored leaves.
Attributes: Good for Containers
When to Sow Outside: RECOMMENDED. 4 to 6 weeks before your average last frost date, and when soil temperature is above 40ºF; ideally 50°–75°F. Successive Sowings: Every 3 weeks until 4 weeks before your average first fall frost date. If mulched, spinach can overwinter in sub–zero temperatures. Soil temperatures above 85ºF halt germination. Mild Climates: Sow in fall for cool-season harvests.
When to Start Inside: Not recommended; roots sensitive to disturbance.
Days to Emerge: 5–10 days
Seed Depth: ½”
Seed Spacing: A group of 3 seeds every 6″
Row Spacing: 12″
Thinning: When 2″ tall, thin to 1 every 6″
Harvesting: Pick individual leaves from outer edges of plant as they become big enough to use or cut the whole plant 1″ above the ground; new leaves will be produced. When picking individual leaves, also removing the leaf stem at the same time is best; this reduces vulnerability to disease during die-back and conserves plant energy. Harvest before the plant sends up a flower stalk (bolting). Just prior to bolting, leaves take on an “arrowhead” shape, adding small keel shapes to the base of the leaf.
This packet sows up to 122 feet. 740 seeds in packet.
