Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
ily plucked or threshed out and winnowed with a sieve and the wind. Since seeds are hygroscopic
(they attract moisture), dry them well (silica gel may be necessary) and store them in a well-sealed
container, or sow them the same year.
SELECTION CHARACTERISTICS
Of all the
Rumex
species, only wrinkled dock has distinct varieties,
which are often named for the place the seed was acquired ('Grossblättriger von Belleville' [large-
leafed from Belleville] or 'Goldgelber von Lyon' [golden yellow from Lyon]). For all
Rumex
species,
leaf size may vary by source location of seed. For French sorrel, the most important selection criterion
is leaf size. Possible selection criteria for all other species:
• softness and tenderness of the leaves
• fast and early growth
• vigorous secondary growth after cutting
• late flowering
DISEASES AND PESTS
A common fungal disease is leaf spot (
Cercospora
spp.). Symptoms: round
spots, first grayish brown, then brown/black. Treatment: harvest no seed from and remove afflicted
plants, as the disease is seed-borne.
Various aphids affect dock and sorrel, as does the green dock beetle (
Gastroidea viridula
), a small,
green-gold beetle whose larvae can cause significant damage. The beetles can only fly over short dis-
tances, so infestations do not spread quickly, but they can quickly and massively reproduce themselves
in a small area. Treatment: collect beetles, spray with a neem oil biopesticide.
CULTIVATION HISTORY
Alpine dock grows in the very fertile soils around Alpine cottages and
around manure left behind by cows in pastures. Alpine farmers and shepherds have fermented its
leaves to make a sauerkraut-like product or cooked it like spinach. Leaf stems can be used like rhu-
barb. In Switzerland, cooked leaves are mixed in with bread dough, and dried or fermented leaves are
fed to pigs. Livestock avoid the leaves while still on the plant. Indeed, all dock and sorrel species nat-
ive to Europe have found use in the kitchen and were sometimes grown and bred in the garden. Mi-
chael Machatschek (1999) has documented the various uses in detail.
