Oxalis iron cross planting and care in open ground

Many people know wood sorrel as a simple plant with three-fingered leaves, somewhat reminiscent of clover in appearance.
However, it turns out that there are many diverse and unusual ornamental species of wood sorrel. The color of their foliage varies from dark burgundy to silver-green, the leaves are multi-fingered, the flowers are also different: unusual pink, large white, small yellow. There are many decorative types of oxalis

Oxalis lives up to its name - it tastes sour. And it is quite edible - its leaves contain a lot of oxalic acid and vitamin C. This plant belongs to the Oxalis family, has more than 800 species and is cultivated as an annual and perennial. Some species form tubers and winter normally in the middle zone. The flowers have 5 petals, if you look closely you can see small pinkish veins. Common wood sorrel has two types of flowers:

• Pollinated by insects.
• Self-pollinating (they are closed).

The flowers are very small, resemble buds, and are located very low in the forest floor.
They can pollinate even in conditions of lack of light in dense dark coniferous forests. In such flowers, the seeds ripen and are thrown out, where they are then carried by insects. Oxalis flowers close up

Some varieties of wood sorrel are planted directly into the ground as ground cover plants, while others, like orchids, require greenhouse or home care. In this article we will talk about those types of sorrel that are perfectly cultivated in the garden.

Ads by

Garden sorrel: how to grow a flower in open ground

Most gardeners prefer to plant eye-catching flowers with bright blooms in their flower beds.
But some of them still do not forget about such modest creatures as garden sorrel. It will not surprise you with its chic appearance and large inflorescences, but the plant’s character is the most unpretentious. Tall species seem to be created for alpine slides. Compact miniature varieties create a delicate carpet of interesting leaves with small flowers. One of the main advantages of garden sorrel is its natural protection against pests. Sour leaves are not to the taste of any insect.

The most interesting types of sorrel

Common oxalis

Common wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) is most often found in nature in forest belts.
A perennial with creeping rhizomes, no more than 10 cm high. The leaf is trifoliate, with long petioles. Common sorrel The garden form of common sorrel (var. subpurpurascens) is frost-resistant, has pink flowers and grows like a carpet on the soil surface.

Garden form of wood sorrel

Oxalis nine-leaved

Nine-leaf oxalis (O. enneaphylla) is an incredibly beautiful garden variety.
Perennial about 10 cm high, more demanding than wood sorrel. It is distinguished by greyish-silver-green carved dissected leaves. The flowers are larger than those of the common sorrel and can be pink or white. This garden guest needs slightly acidic soil, rich in humus, with good drainage and shelter for the winter. Grows in sunny places. Oxalis nine-leaved. Photo from alpines.dk Ornamental varieties:

1. 'Sheffield Swan' - has large white flowers, gray-green leaves.

Oxalis' Sheffield Swan'. Photo from zakustom.com 2. 'Alba' - this variety has even larger white flowers.

Oxalis 'Alba'. Photo from hdwallpapersxx.com

3. 'Minutifolia' - a miniature copy of the original species of nine-leaf wood sorrel. Blooms in May–June.

Oxalis 'Minutifolia'. Photo from photos.smugmug.com

Regnell's Oxalis

Oxalis Regnellii (O. regnellii), also known as triangular sorrel, is a very unusual plant. The leaves are light green or dark burgundy, consisting of three lobes. In spring and summer it is covered with many small white flowers. Winters well in the middle zone, but has a tendency to grow. I also cultivate this oxalis as a house flower. Oxalis moth with burgundy leaves

Red sorrel

Red sorrel (O. rubra) is a tall species, shoot height is about 40 cm. The leaves are slightly pubescent at the base, the flowers are red or pink. There is a beautiful variety with soft pink flowers ('Pink Dream'). Red sorrel

Oxalis Depp

Depp's sorrel (O. deppei) is the most common. The leaves are 4-fingered, green, and brown in the center. The height of the plant is about 35 cm. The reddish-crimson flowers are collected in umbrella-shaped inflorescences about 2 cm long. The corms are edible. Corms are planted in groups of 2-3 together with other bulbous plants (gladioli, tulips). Oxalis Depp

Garden sorrel: wintering features

Oxalis by their nature are perennial plants, but they are unlikely to survive our winters in the open ground. Although some species in the southern regions winter under the condition of shelter.

With the onset of autumn, the foliage of the bushes growing in the flowerbed begins to fade. From this point on, watering should be gradually reduced. Before frost, the sorrel must be dug up. The tubers are either dried or planted in a wide container with light soil and brought indoors. If the flower grows in pots, it is even easier to do this by simply moving the flower pots to the basement. Already in April, the nodules will begin to produce young leaves. Then the container can be exposed to light. With the arrival of warmer weather, you can transplant the sorrel into the flowerbed again.

During wintering in the basement, oxalis is not watered.

Some gardeners simply move the wood sorrel into the house, transforming it into a houseplant. This is quite possible, but it is better to give the flower time to rest between blooms.

Video about growing oxalis in the garden

How to grow Oxalis Depp?

Oxalis deppei (Oxalis deppei, O. Tetraphylla) is a highly ornamental plant. This is the most popular type of oxalis. Other names: Depp's Oxalis, False Shamrock, Flower of Happiness.

It is often grown as a potted plant. According to some flower growers, oxalis is a bearer of great luck. And all thanks to the unusual structure of the leaf. Its leaves are tetralobed (consisting of four simple leaflets, while other oxalis have three simple leaflets). And the leaf shape is similar to clover leaves. That's why so many people buy it as a houseplant.

[mwi_product sku=»207001,211011,207042,207076" img_width=»144" desc=»false» btn_link=»anchor» title_tag=»h3" cols=»4"]

But not everyone knows that oxalis can be used in the landscape. For example, Depp's oxalis is ideal for growing in open ground. Its green foliage with dark purple markings stands out from the crowd. It is suitable as a ground cover plant in carpet flower beds and rock gardens.

Depp's Oxalis comes from Mexico (Subtropical mountain climate). This is a charming perennial bulbous plant that grows up to 35 cm high and 10-30 cm wide. The leaves are divided into four sections, very delicate, bright green in color with dark purple markings closer to the center. They are very similar to butterflies that decided to rest a little on a stem. The leaf length is 3-4 cm. Its flowering begins in late spring - early summer and continues until November. The flowers are small, raspberry-red in color, collected in umbrella inflorescences of 5-10 pieces. Sometimes the flowers may have a yellow center. They are hermaphrodites (they have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects.

Oxalis is very easy to grow. It grows from a bulb, and like all bulbous plants, it requires a period of rest every year. Don't throw a plant in the trash when you think it's dying. Oxalis is preparing for a period of rest. With proper care, it will again delight you with its beauty. The first sign that the plant will soon rest is the death of the leaves.

Growing in open ground

:

Once you have received the bulbs, they should be planted immediately. If this is not possible, then keep them in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf (in a paper bag) before planting.

Read also: Peonies planting and care in open ground in spring in Siberia

Agricultural technology is the same as for gladioli. Depp's oxalis is suitable for growing in well-lit areas of the garden (requires more sunlight than other species). Cannot grow in the shade. Prefers soils that are sandy or medium loamy, acidic or neutral, moist, with good drainage. It does not like dry or heavy soils. Doesn't like lime. Prefers southern aspect. The bulbs are planted in groups at a distance of 7-10 cm from each other. Planting depth is about 5 cm (the closer to the soil surface, the better).

Frost resistance is low - oxalis can withstand -12.2 ° C (if the soil is well drained, otherwise - temperatures down to about -5 ° C). Therefore, the bulbs need to be dug up for the winter. They are collected in late autumn and stored in a cool place protected from frost. And in the spring they are planted in the ground again. In areas with warm winters, oxalis is left to overwinter in the soil (it is well mulched with a 5-centimeter layer of mulch).

Growing in pots

:

For planting oxalis, a mixture of compost and leaf soil with the addition of sand (2:1:1) is suitable. Depp's oxalis requires a lot of light (with no more than 25 percent shade). Therefore, place it in living rooms on a sunny window (but at the same time protect it from the hot rays of the sun at midday). The optimal temperature for growing indoors is 22-24 °C during the day and about 15 °C at night. Water the plant sparingly. The soil in the pot should be slightly moist. Allow the soil to dry out a little between each watering, and do not water the plant until it is dry to the touch. Feed oxalis monthly throughout the growing season using a balanced, water-soluble houseplant fertilizer (apply according to package directions). Fertilize every two to three weeks during active growth. Stop feeding the plant in autumn and winter (during the dormant period). During this period, stop watering. Move the pot with the plant to a dark, cool room and keep it for three months. The potted plant should be replanted every 2 years.

Attention

! All parts of wood sorrel (leaves, flowers and bulbs) are edible. Oxalis leaves contain oxalic acid, which gives them their pungent aroma. The leaves are edible, but should be consumed in small quantities as oxalic acid can interfere with the body's absorption of calcium (leading to nutrient deficiencies). Oxalis leaves and flowers can be consumed fresh or boiled. At the same time, both the leaves and flowers are very refreshing and thirst quenching when chewed fresh. They also make an excellent salad dressing.

[mwi_pro[mwi_product sku=»212026,212009,212013,212021,201001,201044,201046,201048" img_width=»144" desc=»false» btn_link=»anchor» title_tag=»h3" cols=»4"]Delivery bulbous plants in Ukraine (Kiev, Donetsk, Kharkov, Dnepropetrovsk, Zaporozhye, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kremenchug, Ternopil, Uzhgorod, Krivoy Rog, Lugansk, Odessa, Kherson, Sumy, Chernigov, Chernivtsi, Lviv, Poltava, Lutsk, Kirovograd, Cherkasy, Khmelnitsky, Simferopol, Sevastopol, Vinnitsa, Zhitomir, Nikolaev, Rivne, Yalta, Melitopol, Bila Tserkva).

Very simple plants include wood sorrel (Oxalis) from the sorrel family. Oxalis is also called sour or Depp's oxalis (from Latin oxys - sour). South America, Europe, Africa, Australia - this is its distribution area. The forests of central Russia are also suitable for this plant. Therefore, oxalis is a popular herbaceous plant in many countries. And the leaf of the plant - the shamrock - was so popular with the Irish that it adorns their coat of arms.

The plant is also called hare cabbage. And it got its book name because of the sour taste of the leaves, rich in vitamins. And therefore, the one who eats sorrel looks very fresh.

In total, there are approximately 800 different species of this flower in the world, which can look like grass, a bush, or a subshrub. Some varieties have rhizomes, bulbs or tubers. Oxalis may have three or more leaves. Flowers in the form of umbrella-shaped inflorescences can be white, pink, yellow, lavender and purple. The fruits are in the form of boxes that burst with a bang after ripening. In this case, the scattering of seeds occurs within a radius of about 2 m. Among the entire variety of these plants, the largest number are ornamental species, although there are also weeds. These Oxalis really look like weeds.

Among all types of oxalis, there are several dozen that are most suitable for growing at home. These include:

• Oxalis Dippey Iron Cross (also called Oxalis Iron Cross or Depp's oxalis). A small pink flower that blooms only in the summer months.
• Oxalis four-leaf. The plant is quite shade-tolerant, so in winter the four-leaf sorrel is kept in the shade.
• Oxalis Versicolor. It has another name - variegated sorrel.
• Regnell's sorrel. Interestingly, Regnell's wood sorrel prefers a cold room.
• Oxalis Ortgis, which came to us from Peru. Oxalis Ortgis has brown-red stems and is an evergreen species of Oxalis Oxalis, just like Carob Oxalis.
• Oxalis ferruginosa, with white flowers. Ferruginous oxalis comes from Chile and Argentina.
• Purple oxalis, which is characterized by obverse-heart-shaped leaves and pink flowers. Purple oxalis is very pretty.
• Rose sorrel or, as it is also popularly called, clover of happiness. There are various signs on this score, from which we know that great family happiness and a lot of love await the person who has such a flower growing in his house. Although this is a superstition, many people believe in it.
• Oxalis volcanica, with yellow flowers. Volcanic acid is used mainly to decorate alpine slides.
• Red sorrel, which has fairly large shoots - more than 40 cm. In addition, red sorrel has leaves that are fleecy at the base.

Read also: Atriplex garden red feather planting and care in open ground

Oxalis is recognized by many peoples of the world as a flower of happiness. The flowerpot is quite often given to family, friends, and relatives before the New Year as a gift.

Golden Cape can be considered a real beauty. All types of this plant are beautiful, but Iron Cross oxalis (Iron) is incredibly beautiful. The martian sorrel is also very pretty. But tuber sorrel and fleshy sorrel are grown for the purpose of using their tubers for food.

A rather rare species is wood sorrel. An interesting post appeared on the flower forum from one of the visitors, who wrote that she really wanted to buy this tree-like plant. And I even bought two. Their structure is exactly the same as that of a tree. She placed the flowers in one wide pot. “But the plants,” she says, “don’t grow, and the foliage turns yellow, withers and dries.” A friend advised me to plant both “trees” and distribute them so that they “lived” separately. But that didn't help either. What to do? Why do the leaves wither? How to care? As it turned out, this happens if the soil is very acidic (pH less than 5.5).

There is also street sorrel with green leaves and burgundy spots on the tubers.

It happens that large sedum is mistaken for hare cabbage: their external features are very similar. But these are two completely different plants, and among the sedums of various types there are many toxic ones. By the way, most toxic plants are used for medicinal purposes, including such popular ones as wood sorrel, sedum, and lily of the valley. But duckweed is non-toxic, but it removes various toxic substances from the intestines.

Subtleties of care

Oxalis is a fairly unpretentious plant, but certain care procedures are required, which, if used correctly, will certainly help to grow it healthy and blooming. These include the following:

• Temperature and light conditions. Oxalis loves light very much, but it should be moderate. The ideal option is diffused light. Under no circumstances leave the flower in bright sunlight. As for the temperature regime, Iron Cross does not need any special conditions: it will feel comfortable on the windowsill (about 20-24 degrees).

Advice. In order for oxalis to feel good at any time of the year, you can periodically take it out into the fresh air in the summer, avoiding drafts, and keep it indoors in the winter at a temperature not lower than 16-18 degrees Celsius.

• Watering. Oxalis loves moisture very much, so you should water the pot with the plant efficiently and regularly, but in no case should you overuse the procedure: the water should not stagnate. In the autumn, you should reduce watering, and in winter, make sure that the soil remains slightly moist.

• Feeding. Iron Cross loves to “eat” very much, so fertilizing should be done quite often: literally every 2-3 weeks throughout the growing season. A mineral complex for flowering plants is perfect for these purposes.

Advice. In order for all microelements from fertilizers applied to the soil to reach the root system of the plant, after the fertilizing procedure, the soil should be thoroughly loosened.

• Transfer. Young animals should be replanted every year, and in the future the procedure is carried out approximately once every 2-3 years. For replanting, you will need a container filled with a small drainage layer, topped with a sufficient amount of high-quality soil.

Although the plant is not susceptible to various diseases and pests, in some cases its root system may rot. This kind of trouble occurs due to the lack of drainage in the pot or its insufficient thickness (it should be at least 6-7 cm), or excessively frequent watering.

Application

Very often this mildly poisonous herb is used for medicinal purposes. This is an excellent medicine for the treatment of colds and helps strengthen the body. The flower is a storehouse of medicines. It promotes:

• healing of wounds, ulcers, boils;
• normalization of gastric juice acidity;
• blood clotting;
• lowering blood pressure;
• improving metabolism.

Very effective in the treatment of gastritis, diathesis, diseases of the gallbladder and bladder. Oxalis lichen successfully treats the disease of the same name. For entire groups of diseases, treatment with hare cabbage is indicated: cardiovascular, skin, digestive. By the way, anyone who eats sorrel has no digestive problems.

The leaves of the wood sorrel Oxalis are used for medicinal purposes. The period May-June accounts for the greatest accumulation of beneficial medicinal substances. In this regard, the herb is collected for medicinal purposes at this time. Therefore, whoever eats sorrel will feel healthy. After collection, the lightly crushed plants are dried in the shade and stored for 1 year in wooden or cardboard packages. And all these medicinal properties are provided by the presence of a large amount of vitamin C. Only currant berries and primroses have similar properties.

Hare cabbage is edible. It is used to prepare many dishes that differ not only in their original taste, but also in their usefulness. For this purpose, the leaves are used without any processing. Original dishes are eaten by those who love sorrel Oxalis. The simplest dish is a salad, to which you can add vegetables, eggs, onions, and green peas. Dill, parsley, salt and spices - to taste.

Rest assured, whoever eats the sorrel plant in May will provide a supply of vitamin C for the whole year.

Reproduction

Propagates using:

Seeds are sown in spring. Microscopic seeds make it possible not to fill them up after sowing on the surface of the substrate. Then carefully spray the soil.

Read also: Garden hydrangea planting and care in open ground and propagation

The plant can also be propagated by nodules. To do this, at the end of February - beginning of March, take 6-10 nodules, plant them in one container and sprinkle a layer of about 1 cm of soil on top. Until roots form, the plant is kept in a cool (7-10 ° C) room, with moderate watering. After about a month, the temperature is increased.

The root is divided by hand or with a knife during transplantation. This operation is performed every year, usually in the spring.

There are species that reproduce by cuttings. Planting cuttings occurs in this way: take previously prepared cuttings, insert them into the sand and water them moderately. After about 3 weeks, roots will appear. In this case, it is imperative to ensure that the room temperature is about 24 ° C and that the cuttings are not exposed to direct sunlight.

Reproduction methods

This process is carried out mainly by seeds or division of the rhizome. In the first case, seedlings are sowed in early spring by spreading them over the soil surface. The area/container with the sown seeds should be covered with a special material/glass to create the required humidity. Sowing should be done well and, most importantly, ventilated daily, and the soil should be moistened with a spray bottle. If all conditions are met, after 2-4 weeks the first shoots should appear on the surface of the soil.

The division method is considered a much faster, simpler and more effective way of propagating Iron Cross. All you need is a plant tuber, which can either be purchased at a specialty store or cut from the mother root during the transplanting process.

Flower bed design. TOP 10 simple and effective techniques

The tubers are planted in groups of 2-3 in one pot, lightly sprinkled with soil and left in a cool, dark place. The soil should be moistened periodically. When the first shoots appear, the containers with young plants are immediately moved to a brighter place.