S.M. wants to know when to plant Jamaican sorrel:
“I was searching google on when is the best time to plant Sorrel seed and there seems to be much about the plant, its uses etc… However I did not find a satisfying answer as to when to plant this wonderful multi- use plant. I live in St. Lucie County. Could you suggest the best time for this area? I would appreciate your knowledge and any suggestions you could provide. I was introduced to this via friends from Jamaica and was given the flowers which I separated the leaves etc.. then dried, now I have my own start and wish to get it right and not waste time with “maybe” and guessing.
Thank you for any input and help you could provide.”
My response:
You can plant them right now – they’ll do well. They don’t start blooming in Florida until Fall, but by then you’ll have great big bushes and will get an abundant harvest if you start now. If you get any frosts (unlikely in your area!) protect the little seedlings. They can’t take the cold at all. I plant mine directly in the ground and give them compost. If you are afraid the seedlings will get lost, you can also start in pots and then transplant when they’re 6″ tall or so. Great plant – and you can eat the leaves as well. I wouldn’t plant any later than March/April.
When to Plant Jamaican Sorrel and Why
Because they are day-length sensitive, Jamaican sorrel doesn’t bloom and fruit until fall, no matter when you plant it. That means if you plant seeds in August, they’ll start blooming at just a foot or two tall and they won’t bear much.
If you start them early, they get a lot more time to grow plenty of branches and height and will give you much better harvests.
If you live in frost-prone areas, I recommend starting them in pots in February and March and planting them out in the garden as soon as the weather isn’t going to kill them. As I wrote to S.M., they really don’t like the cold.
So that’s the when and the why. It’s a beautiful and productive plant – grow it if you can.
Have a great Sunday, everyone.
* * *
And Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the Lord;
my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
“There is none holy like the Lord:
for there is none besides you;
there is no rock like our God.
Talk no more so very proudly,
let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble bind on strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.
The Lord kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low and he exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord‘s,
and on them he has set the world.
“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
for not by might shall a man prevail.
The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
against them he will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
-1st Samuel 2
18 responses to “When to Plant Jamaican Sorrel”
I found seeds from Baker Creek … under the name Red Roselle. (The scientific name is the same as what you profiled.) Sounds like I should go ahead and put the seeds in soon. An interesting note: someone a couple towns north of me (in central Putnam County) said her azaleas were starting to bloom a month early. Sounds like an early spring – guess I need to get moving on getting a Three Sisters bed ready.
Mine are drying out and dropping seed naturally right now (Indian River County). So nature is telling me that now is a good time to plant given that we don’t have any more cold fronts coming through. Usually though I just scatter seed in an area that I mulch in the spring time. Sorrel loves moisture and heat. My wife’s side of the family is Jamaican so we usually make a drink by brewing the calyxes with ginger and some other spices for Christmas. They also traditionally add rum to the drink as a holiday treat. The calyxes usually are fully mature and ready to be harvested around that time. They can be brewed fresh for a healthy tea or dried to be used later. They can be a chore to gather and process and the varieties I’m familiar with have little stinging hairs on the calyxes similar to the ones on sugar cane so you might want to wear gloves. But nothing worth growing is ever easy. It’s super healthy and delicious.
David,
Ackee is delicious and very healthy for you as well. But you must wait until the fruit opens naturally on its own or it is poisonous. Also use must clean all the flesh away from the fruit like you did in your video before cooking as well. Ackee and salt fish is the national dish of Jamaica and if cooked right is delicious. There are several different types of ackee: one is buttery and mushes up when cooking and the other is more firm retaining its shape and is generally more desirable for eating. But I and my family including my children, have been eating it for years. Am trying to grow it here now. So far so good but need a few more years for it to be mature enough to bear. It grows very well from seed. It is also very expensive to buy usually canned here in US.
I planted these in Oklahoma, and they started blooming in late August. I was able to get seeds, and calyxes. They grew well. There are pictures at this link: https://m.facebook.com/groups/1564579953761186?view=permalink&id=1867177536834758&ref=bookmarks
I am in Zone 7 B. I just loved these! They grew well into fall, and were quite resistant to cold, not dying till our first killing Freeze. I harvested most of the branches, leaving some to drop their seeds in the garden. Looking forward to seeing if they naturalized!
Where is zone 7 /
where did you get the Jamaican sorrel seeds ? I love the drink and want to grow my own because I do a lot of home gardening
I just got through cleaning my seed tonite. I can send you a handful if you like. I am in Zolfo Springs. Made some good jelly off of a dozen plants. Call if you want some. 863 448 2070. Poncho Adams
Deleon would it be possible to send a few to me?
sylviathomp@bellsouth.net
I got about 80 seeds I planted them in early July and 7 took , 2 plants are almost 2 feet tall and spreads out nicely 5 are about 10 inches tall and none of them are bearing it is now September 21 days are getting cooler . Should I take the plants indoors . If so will they bear sorrel? If they do not bear I will have to get some more seeds where I can start them indoors early .
Thank you Deleon.
HAppy day!
Constance
No – don’t bring them inside. The day-length changes cause them to fruit. Keep an eye on them – mine fruited in October in North Florida.
I have been growing these for several years now and saving seeds.
I planted around mid-march this year and just got a surprise….1 of the plants is already flowering and setting calyx’s.
Just 1 of the 8 plants. It is only a couple feet tall. I don’t know if this is good or bad. Do you think it will continue till fall?Never had blooms until very late summer.
I just answered you in a post: http://www.thesurvivalgardener.com/jamaican-sorrel-florida-cranberry-blooming-early/
P.S. N.E. Florida, S.E. Georgia. zone 8b
[…] This question comes from the comment section of this post on Jamaican Sorrel/Florida Cranberry. […]
This is my second year in North Florida and last year I planted some sorrel about 15 roots and it yielded 12 qrts( fresh) this year I planted twice as much and at the moment it’s a forest in my garden,some are about 7 ft.tall and putting tiny fruits. What is unusual they did not flower as I am accustomed to see it does ( I am from Jamaica) over the years … One request I have if anyone has the white variety ( really greenish) I would love to buy a few seeds. Thank you
Does anyone know where I can get some white sorrel seeds. Some were coming in Barbados to me and it was accosted by customs saying it wasn’t legal to send without a permit
They are rare here. I did find a listing on Etsy, but it’s pricey:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/649043333/5-white-roselle-hibiscus-sabdariffa
Hi everyone,
Can someone tell me why my Jamaican sorrel leaves are turning yellow starting at the base of the plant? It’s just the 1st of September today , its not time for the blossoms as yet.
I had a great time at your super class this past Saturday. I did not know there was white sorrel. I have both red and white now & can’t wait for them to bloom
That is great that you got one. It’ll be festive to have the red and white together.