When to sow Sorrel in the UK
Sorrel is sown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the window is much the same wherever you garden in the UK.
Sowing and harvest dates by region
Sorrel is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Sow indoors | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | late February to late April | mid April to mid June | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| South Coast and Channel | late February to late April | mid April to mid June | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | late February to late April | mid April to mid June | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| South East and Home Counties | late February to late April | mid April to mid June | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| East Anglia | late February to late April | mid April to mid June | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | late February to late April | mid April to mid June | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Wales and West Coast | late February to late April | mid April to mid June | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Northern England | late February to late April | mid April to mid June | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | late February to late April | mid April to mid June | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | late February to late April | mid April to mid June | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Northern Ireland | late February to late April | mid April to mid June | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | late February to late April | mid April to mid June | early May to mid June | late March to late October |
Growing notes
A hardy perennial that dies back in winter and re-sprouts each spring, living for many years; pick young leaves for their sharp, citrusy flavour and remove flower stems to keep new growth coming. Happy in partial shade, which keeps the leaves tender.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 25 cm between plants
- Row spacing
- 30 cm
- Plants per m²
- 12
- Days to maturity
- 60 days
- Yield per plant
- 0.3 kg
- Sun
- Partial
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 15 litres or more
- Minimum soil depth
- 20 cm
- Balcony rating
- 4 out of 5
What usually goes wrong
- slugs
- aphids
Companion planting
Grows well near
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for sorrel.