I have lived in New Orleans for 2 years and just bought a house last summer and just started my first veggie garden here (I've veg gardened many other places but not here, and I've never lived this far south before). I am getting educated on all the pests that attack Louisiana veg gardens, etc. So far everything is going pretty well.

One question: I am trying to grow Sorrel, which I love but have a hard time finding in the markets here. I direct seeded it just like I do lettuce: made a little trench and sprinkled seed in. I usually let my lettuce come up like this and thin it once the seedlings get established. This is working well for my arugula.

The sorrel came up right away but it's growing really slowly. I read everywhere that it's so hearty and weedlike. Some of the tiny seedlings were getting munched and I put diatomaceaous earth on them -- but still they are very tiny. Did I seed them too thickly? Should I thin right away?

I know there are a lot of kinds of sorrel, this is called Sorrel de Belleville so I assume it's the French sorrel, and I got it from the Cook's Garden website, which I love.

Any ideas? From what I read online it seems like maybe I planted it too thickly and I need to thin it out better now, but I have not found much guidance.

Thanks.