When to plant Sorrel in Subtropical Australia

Subtropical zone — applies to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Coffs Harbour, Lismore and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Tropical · Arid.

Raise sorrel seedlings in the cooler shoulders of the year, sowing from March through May and again in September and October, then transplanting out. Cover the seed about 5 mm deep and keep it evenly moist; germination takes 14–21 days. Space plants generously at 30–50 cm apart in rows 30–45 cm apart, since a happy sorrel clump spreads wide. Leaves are ready to pick from around 60 days and the plant is perennial here. In Brisbane and Lismore, the autumn and spring sowings give the tenderest, least bitter leaves before summer heat sets in.

Sowing calendar — subtropical zone

Green months are your sowing window: March to May and September to October.

Growing notes

Sorrel is a hardy perennial grown for its sharp, lemony leaves, and in the subtropics it performs best as a cool-season workhorse. The main failure here is bolting and bitterness: through the hot, humid summer plants run quickly to seed, the leaves toughen, and flavour turns harshly sour and fibrous.

Manage this with position and pruning. Give sorrel morning sun with afternoon shade, keep the soil steadily moist, and cut off flower stalks as soon as they appear to push fresh leafy growth. A hard cut-back in late spring often carries a plant through summer in usable condition, ready to flush again as the weather cools.

For Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast, keep in mind:

• Mulch well to keep roots cool and moisture even through hot spells.
• Divide congested clumps every couple of years to keep leaves large and tender.
• Pick outer leaves regularly; constant harvest keeps the plant young and productive.

Sorrel copes with the mild subtropical winter easily and rarely suffers frost damage here. Its enemy is summer stress, so the trick is to lean on the cool-season sowings, harvest young, and cut back hard rather than letting a bolting plant exhaust itself.

Sorrel at a glance

Common questions

why does my sorrel taste so bitter in summer?

Heat and bolting are the cause. In a humid subtropical summer sorrel runs to seed and its leaves toughen and turn harshly sour. Cut off flower stalks promptly, harvest young outer leaves, and give the plant afternoon shade to keep it milder.

is sorrel perennial in Brisbane?

Yes. Sorrel copes easily with Brisbane's mild winters and lives for years. To keep it productive, cut it back hard in late spring, divide congested clumps every couple of years, and harvest the outer leaves regularly.

when should I sow sorrel in the subtropics?

Sow from March to May or in September and October. These cooler shoulder seasons give the tenderest, least bitter leaves and let the plant establish before the summer heat that pushes it to bolt.

does sorrel need full sun in the subtropics?

It does better with some shade here. Morning sun and afternoon shade, plus steady moisture and mulch, help it resist the summer bolting and bitterness that full, hot subtropical sun encourages.

Keep exploring