Bloody Dock (Red-Veined Sorrel)

What Bloody Dock (Red-Veined Sorrel) is

Bloody Dock (Red-Veined Sorrel) (Rumex sanguineus) is a perennial vegetable of the knotweed family (Polygonaceae). Red-veined sorrel is a decorative traditional salad plant.

With its red-veined leaves and red stems it is a true ornament to any herb and vegetable garden, as well as in your salads.

Red-veined sorrel is suitable for growing as microgreens.

It is a very simple and undemanding perennial, and the leaves can be eaten fresh as a salad or blanched like spinach.

Only the tender young leaves are edible. The flavour is similar to spinach or chard with hints of lemony tartness.

Sorrel is a perennial leaf vegetable with a pleasantly sour taste — for soups, sauces and salads. Provides greens from early spring.

Key features

• Measured germination rate of the batch: 90%
• Seeds per packet: 127–173 pcs (0.1 g)
• Seed origin: Italy
• Sowing: March – July; direct
• Harvest: June – December
• Position: sun to partial shade

When to sow Bloody Dock (Red-Veined Sorrel)

Bloody Dock (Red-Veined Sorrel) seeds are sown in March – July. Harvest in June – December. The months are a guide for a temperate climate — in warmer areas sow 1–2 weeks earlier, in cooler or upland areas, later.

How to sow and grow Bloody Dock (Red-Veined Sorrel)

• Sowing method: direct
• Depth: 1 cm
• Spacing: 20–25 cm
• Germination: 7–14 days at 15–20 °C
• Position: sun to partial shade

Sow in rows from March to July. Red-veined sorrel plants are cold-hardy and like neutral soil acidity and sunlight. Red-veined sorrel needs light to germinate, so cover only lightly with soil. Planting distance 25 x 30 cm. Plant in sandy or clay topsoil. It is important that the soil does not dry out. Pick the leaves often to encourage the growth of new ones.

Sow in spring; remove flowering stems for more leaves.

Harvest and use

Cut the leaves repeatedly through the season.

Frequently asked questions

When should Bloody Dock (Red-Veined Sorrel) be sown?

The recommended months for sowing are March – July. Sowing method: direct.

How many seeds are in the packet?

The packet contains 127–173 seeds, pack size 0.1 g.

What is the germination rate of the seeds?

The measured germination rate of this batch is 90%. The test was carried out under controlled laboratory conditions; in the field, emergence depends on soil, temperature and moisture.