Growing sorrel on the windowsill from seeds at home with video

Sorrel refers to perennial herbaceous plants that have been grown by man for many centuries. Several centuries ago, sorrel was considered a weed in Russia, and as an agricultural plant it began to be grown relatively recently. Growing sorrel on the windowsill at home is a fairly simple task. Sorrel is used to prepare green cabbage soup and diet salads.

Necessary conditions for growing

In one place sorrel grows up to four years. Gradually, the plant begins to grow in the area, flooding everything around. To prevent sorrel from becoming a weed, it must be planted regularly.

The first thing you need to pay attention to when growing sorrel is the choice of a site for beds. The plant prefers to grow on loamy and sandy soils. Grass, especially wheatgrass, should not grow near the beds. Sorrel loves moist soil. At the same time, the water in the beds should not stagnate. This negatively affects yields.

Based on this information, you can understand what growing conditions sorrel needs at home as well.

How to choose a container for planting?

For planting sorrel at home use any capacity. It is best to make a large wooden box so that the sorrel feels comfortable. In addition, the plant is planted in flower pots, plastic containers and other containers. The main thing is that the container for the plant is large. Drainage (expanded clay, small pebbles or crushed shells) must be placed at the bottom of the selected container.

Sorrel grows well on fertile soil with low acidity. Drained peat soil is also suitable for planting the plant. If the soil for planting is used from the site, then it must be calcined for two hours before planting. And to simplify your work, you can purchase a ready-made soil mixture.

Preparing and planting seeds

In order to increase the germination of sorrel planting material, it must first be germinated.

Germination of planting material:

• You need to take a piece of gauze and soak it in warm water.
• Place the seeds in cheesecloth and cover with the second piece of cheesecloth.
• Remove the seeds in a warm place in the shade.
• In two days, the planting material will begin to germinate.

After the germination procedure, you need to start planting seeds in the soil. You can also treat the seeds with a growth activator.

Pour pre-prepared soil into containers. Make depressions in the ground to a depth of 1.5 cm. The distance between the rows should be from 3 to 5 cm. Then they start sowing the planting material. Cover the top of the boxes with cling film. When the seeds begin to hatch, the film is removed.

Growing sorrel from seeds

It is quite possible to grow sorrel in urban home conditions. The main thing is to find more space so that the sorrel can grow comfortably. For example, it is very convenient to grow sorrel on glazed balconies on the south side. In the house you need to create all the necessary conditions that the plant requires.

For sorrel, you need to choose southern windows so that the seedlings have enough sunlight. If you put boxes with seedlings in the shade (for example, on the northern windows), then it will not grow well, and the leaves together with a light green shade will turn yellow.If there are no southern windows in the house, you need to think about additional lighting. It must be turned on during the day for several hours.

Despite the fact that sorrel belongs to shade-tolerant crops, it is not recommended to put boxes with seedlings in the shade. It will still grow poorly. Without lighting, the leaves begin to stretch and become small. You can leave boxes with culture on the balcony, even if it is already late autumn outside.

Sorrel is able to grow at temperatures from +5 to +20 degrees. He is not afraid of the cold.

Rhizome distillation

Another way to grow sorrel at home is forcing the rhizome. For forcing greenery at home, 2-4-year-old rhizomes of the plant are used. There should be several young buds on the rhizome. You need to dig up material for planting at home in spring or autumn.

The rhizome is divided into several parts (if it is large) and planted in boxes. From above, cover the rhizome with soil and water it with a watering can. If the rhizome has long roots, then they are cut with sharp scissors so that they do not bend during planting.

But unlike the seed method, reproduction through forcing rhizomes is not so popular. It is believed that herbs grown using this method quickly lose their qualities. Therefore, it is worth giving preference to the seed method of growing grass.

Sorrel care at home

Growing grass at home, you must not forget about the basic aspects of crop care. The main aspects of bush care include:

• Regular watering.
• Loosening the soil.
• Remove weeds.
• Fertilize the soil.

Caring for bushes in the open field is not much different from caring for bushes grown at home. The only thing is that in autumn you don’t need to cut the greens at the root and cover the rhizome.

First of all, you need to remember that the culture loves abundant watering. Containers with bushes will have to be watered often. But most importantly, do not overdo it and do not flood the soil. Plants do not grow well on waterlogged soil.

Water only with warm water. Ice water from the tap is not suitable for irrigation. If it is hot outside and the room becomes too stuffy, the number of watering boxes with grass is increased. Overdried soil contributes to the fact that the bushes throw out flower stalks. This, in turn, negatively affects the quality of the crop and its quantity. In winter, the amount of watering is reduced. But if the house is hot from heating, then the boxes are watered based on the temperature in the room.

Another important aspect is loosening the soil. Once a week, before watering, the soil in pots needs to be loosened. If necessary, weeds are also removed during loosening. Even when grown indoors, weeds often appear in containers.

In addition to watering and loosening, do not forget about fertilizing. As mineral fertilizers, preference should be given to superphosphate, potassium chloride and urea. In addition, during the period of seedling growth, nitrogen-containing top dressings are introduced into the soil.

First harvest

In order to understand when the plant begins to ripen, you need to remember the date of planting the seeds in the soil. 2 months are counted from this date. After two months, you can already cut the leaves for food. Such terms are suitable both for growing bushes in open ground, and for home cultivation. Sorrel can be cut with a knife or simply torn off with your hands. But the first way is still preferable. This is necessary so as not to accidentally pull out the entire bush from the soil. For cutting, it is better to choose leaves that grow on the sides of the bush. Leaves in the middle are not recommended to be touched.

The best time to cut leaves is early morning.Leaves cut in the morning are more juicy. Freshly cut leaves are used to prepare green cabbage soup (along with nettles and other herbs). They are also added to salads or simply eaten fresh. But not everyone will like the taste of fresh sorrel. People with high stomach acidity and gastritis should be especially careful.

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