Sacha wrote:

On 29/5/04 11:21 pm, in article , "Deborah P."
wrote:


Dear All,
I planted some sorrel seed which sprouted practically under my eyes but
has now started to wilt and die and I can't see a reason for this - no
pests, lots of moisture, not too much direct sunlight. Can any of you
help? I am a newbie to this group and don't (sigh) have a garden and so
am restricted to planting in window boxes and (largish)pots in a
communal garden.

Deborah


I can hardly bear to say this but could it be too much moisture? Lots to
one huge pot which might hold water too long given the size of the plant
roots? Pots allowed to drain right out? Not too much water, because (most)
herbs don't like to be too wet?
Do you know which you have? Having never grown Sorrel, I Googled and found
this:
---Cultivation---Sorrel of two kinds is cultivated, R. acetosa, or Garden
Sorrel, and R. scrutatus, or French Sorrel. Garden Sorrel likes a damp
situation, French Sorrel a dry soil and an open situation.
http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/sorcom64.html


Thank you Sacha. I'm sure you're right about there being too much
moisture and not enough drainage. I'm trying out a self-watering
container for the first time and obviously haven't got the hang of it
yet as it's not draining properly - when I looked again the earth was
way too soggy. I'm growing R. acetosa, which all the info I picked up
said needed partial shade and lots of moisture, but not marsh conditions.
Interestingly, nearly all the herbs I grow thrive on excess amounts of
water - as long as the pots drain well.

Cheers

Deborah