When to plant sorrel

Very hardy · shrugs off freezes

Sorrelis keyed to your local frost dates. The offsets below hold anywhere — but the calendar dates they land on don’t. Enter your ZIP for dates tuned to your city’s nearest NOAA station.

Sorrel planting timeline

Start indoors

6–8 wks before

Direct sow

4 before–2 after

-9 wksLAST SPRING FROST+3 wks

Perennial: plant once and it comes back for years. Many types crop lightly the first season and reach full harvest by year two or three.

Very hardy: withstands hard freezes and is among the first crops you can plant.

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Sorrel planting FAQ

When should I start sorrel seeds indoors?

Start sorrel indoors 6–8 weeks before the last spring frost, so seedlings are ready to plant out once the weather warms.

Can I direct sow sorrel?

Yes — you can sow sorrel directly outdoors 4 weeks before to 2 weeks after the last spring frost.

Is sorrel frost-hardy?

Very hardy: withstands hard freezes and is among the first crops you can plant.

Planting reminders

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Planting windows are offsets from your local 1991–2020 NOAA frost normals. How we compute this.