When to plant Sorrel in Tropical Australia

Tropical zone — applies to Darwin, Cairns, Townsville, Broome, Mackay and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Subtropical · Arid.

Sorrel has no tropical sowing window, because this cool-climate perennial with tart, lemony leaves bolts and struggles in constant heat and wet-season humidity. In a suitable climate you would raise seedlings from seed about 5 mm deep, germinating in 14–21 days, then transplant at 30–50 cm spacing in rows 30–45 cm apart for tender leaves in around 60 days. In frost-free Darwin, Cairns and Townsville, though, sorrel runs quickly to seed, the leaves turn small and sharp, and the humidity of the November–April wet invites leaf disease and crown rot.

Sowing calendar — tropical zone

No sowing window in this zone.

Growing notes

Sorrel is a hardy perennial from temperate meadows, grown for soft, sharp, lemony leaves. It likes cool, moist, fertile soil and mild temperatures, and the tropics push it out of its comfort zone in two ways.

First, heat drives bolting. In warm conditions sorrel rushes to flower, the leaf rosette shrinks, and the foliage becomes small, tough and unpleasantly sharp rather than the broad tender leaves you want. Second, the wet season's humidity and rain sit on the leaves and encourage fungal spotting and crown rot in the clump. The usual result is a plant that looks fine for a few weeks then either seeds itself out of usefulness or rots at the base during the wet.

If you want to try in a place like Townsville or Mackay, grow it as a dry-season pot plant in a wide container of rich, free-draining mix, sited in morning sun with afternoon shade, and keep it sheltered from the wet-season deluge. Cut leaves young and remove flower stems the moment they appear to slow bolting and stretch the harvest. Even then it will be short-lived compared to a cool-climate bed. For a dependable tangy leaf in tropical cooking, look to heat-tolerant options such as Ceylon spinach or the citrus lift of makrut lime leaf instead.

Sorrel at a glance

Common questions

does sorrel grow in tropical Australia?

Not reliably. Sorrel is a cool-climate perennial that bolts in tropical heat and rots in wet-season humidity. It only manages as a sheltered dry-season pot plant, and even then it is short-lived.

why has my sorrel gone to seed so fast?

Heat triggers bolting. In warm tropical conditions sorrel flowers early, the leaves shrink and toughen, and it stops producing the broad tender foliage you want. Remove flower stems immediately and grow it in the coolest months.

when can I grow sorrel in Cairns?

There is no recommended tropical window, but the coolest, driest dry-season weeks in a shaded, free-draining pot are your only real chance. Keep it out of the wet-season rain.

what tangy leaf can I grow instead of sorrel up north?

Ceylon spinach handles the tropical wet season well, and makrut lime leaves give a strong citrus note. Both suit humid gardens around Darwin and Townsville far better than sorrel.

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