Since in nature, wood sorrel lives in a wide variety of regions and conditions, these small, herbaceous plants are welcome guests in gardens and on indoor window sills from the north of Europe and Russia to the south of the African and American continents.
Description and features of wood sorrel oxalis
Oxalis greens, some varieties of which are used for food, have a pleasant sour taste. This is due to the unusually high content of oxalic acid. And since the feature was noticed quite a long time ago, it determined the name of the entire genus.
Oxalis has been known as a garden plant for more than three hundred years. During this time, some varieties acquired popular names.
This nickname was given to Depp's oxalis, due to its resemblance to a "lucky" four-leaf clover. The four-leaf sour, in the photo, or the flower of family happiness is also called the iron cross due to the contrasting pattern on the leaves.
The figured leaves of Oxalis oxalis in most varieties are divided into three or four parts; less commonly there are plants that have five or nine such parts on the leaves. But there are also interesting exceptions.
For example, the Oxalis palmifrons flower shown in the photo has leaves consisting of 15–19 lobes, which gives the rosette a unique, futuristic appearance.
Oxalis leaves, held on long petioles, can be not only green. It is not uncommon to see purple, violet, orange-red or variegated coloring of the leaf blades.
Oxalis flowers, in the photo, do not stand out in size, but they are very diverse, and sometimes even unique. The corollas are simple or, which is much less common, double in shape, can be single or collected in sparse inflorescences. At the base of the corolla are five smooth petals, the colors of which would make a rainbow envious.
The range of oxalis flowers includes all shades of lilac, yellow, pink, red and cream. In many species, the flowers are completely white or decorated with thin veins of purple or pink.
Like the leaves of the sorrel, its flowers are very sensitive. In many varieties, the corollas close not only at night, but also when the weather worsens or even when touched. In the same cases, the leaves are simply folded.
Planting and caring for all types of oxalis
The soil
Preferred formulations:
- mixture of soil, compost and sand (2:1:1)
- light substrates for decorative foliage plants
- a mixture of leaf, turf soil, peat, humus and sand (1:1:1:1:1).
Reproduction
Oxalis is propagated:
- seeds
- rhizome (root cones)
- bulbs
- cuttings.
Seeds
The fruit of any bulbous or rhizome oxalis is a capsule. When fully ripe, its doors open and release several seeds to the ground. This is how self-seeding occurs.
When purchasing seed, sorrel is planted in the same way: the seeds are not buried in the ground, but scattered on the surface, immediately sprayed with a spray bottle.
Tubers - rhizomes
If the gardener plans to propagate oxalis by nodules, then the best period for this is the end of February. Nodules (rhizomes) are planted individually in the ground to a depth of 1 cm. Ideal conditions for plant rooting:
- moderate watering
- room temperature + 10 (up to +15⁰С)
- dry air
- shading
- rest (immobility of the pot).
At the end of March, after greenery appears, the sorrel is taken out to a sunny windowsill. Provide long-lasting diffused light and warmth (on average + 25 ⁰C).
Cuttings
Flower growers note that some species of sorrel are capable of propagation by leaves. To do this, do not throw away the pinched stems, but place them in a glass of water for 10-20 days. The sheet should not touch the bottom of the container. After the specified time, oxalis can be rooted in the ground.
This method cannot be called popular. The survival rate of the plant is quite low, but successful examples are known in practice, so it’s still worth taking the risk.
On a note! Deppa, which begins to grow in the spring, can bloom in a pot until late autumn!
Care
Caring for sorrel at home consists of following just a few rules:
- organization of intense diffused light
- providing moderate watering
- providing rare but regular rest.
Lighting
Any wood sorrel loves uniform lighting from all sides. If the pot is left in one position for a season, the flower will stretch out and become one-sided. Conclusion - periodically the plant should be rotated on the windowsill, for example, clockwise. Then the bush will turn out evenly lush and beautiful.
The scorching sun leaves burns on the leaves. If necessary, the wood sorrel is shaded during the midday hours.
Watering
During active growth and flowering, oxalis really needs moisture. The frequency of watering the soil and spraying the leaves is determined by the dried top layer of soil.
In autumn, even slight drying of the substrate is acceptable. If the moment of watering is accidentally missed and the leaves of the wood sorrel droop, it’s okay. Water will quickly bring the flower back to life, the vegetative mass will become elastic again.
If the plant is regularly overwatered, it may die. Having noticed the lethargy of the leaves, it is better to play it safe and transplant (plant) the oxalis into a new dry substrate.
On a note! During the dormant period (1.5 - 2 months), sorrel bulbs are not watered!
Warm
The plant is very thermophilic during active growth and release of buds.
However, if the sorrel has decided to rest (on its own or at the behest of the grower), it is better to place the pot in a cool room for 2 months, where the air temperature does not exceed 14-15⁰C.
Fertilizers
From spring until the end of summer, both garden and potted crops are fed with mineral complexes. Usually use half the dosage of the amount indicated in the instructions for the drug.
In principle, sorrel will also survive without fertilizing. If the characteristics of the soil, the amount of watering and lighting conditions are normal, then the plant can do without fertilizers. At the same time, the appearance will remain decorative and attractive.
Transfer
If the bush grows excessively, when pinching is not able to correct the situation, sorrel is planted in different containers. It is preferable to use wide and shallow pots and containers.
The time of the event is spring. Drainage is required.
Basic growing mistakes
Common problems:
- lack of light. Oxalis stretches out, blooms sparingly, loses its decorative effect
- excessive watering. The roots rot, the leaves are affected by gray rot
- direct sunlight. Leaves get burned
- lack of watering. The leaves are pressed against the stem and are not aligned horizontally.
On a note! Oxalis loves air baths very much. In the summer, when you take the pot outside, the flower simply comes to life!
Pests
It is rare, but it is still possible for wood sorrel to be damaged by pests. This is about:
- spider mite
- scale insect
- aphids.
In all cases, the plant is treated with a solution of laundry soap and insecticides.
Interesting! Marigolds planted next to the oxalis will repel aphids in the garden!
Oxalis triangularis
Oxalis began to be grown as an indoor crop only in the last century. Flower growers were attracted by the opportunity to decorate a windowsill with a spectacular plant from distant countries with virtually no hassle. A striking example of this is the purple or triangular sorrel, once exported from Brazil.
The name of the species is due to the structure of the leaves and their color. Most small triangular sorrel plants are striking with a thick purple hue, and on the leaf blades, in addition, spots or streaks of a different color are clearly visible.
But unpretentious indoor culture is not only purple. Green triangular sorrel is no less elegant and decorative. Against the background of large three-lobed foliage, small white flowers stand out, readily opening buds all year round.
Four leaf sorrel (Oxalis tetraphylla)
The Mexican species of wood sorrel in Europe has become one of the most popular as a garden plant. Quatrefoil oxalis has a second name - Depp's oxalis. The culture is easily recognizable due to its four-lobed leaves with a brown, reddish or purple pattern on the leaf blades.
The perennial four-leaf sorrel reproduces by seeds and daughter scaly bulbs formed in the fall, which can be eaten. The flowers of this species are reddish-pink, simple, with wide, rounded petals.
Reproduction of oxalis
To propagate wood sorrel, the following planting materials are used:
- bulbs;
- tubers;
- cuttings;
- seeds.
The simplest way is to use bulbs:
- the rhizome is removed from the container and washed in water at room temperature;
- the bulbs are carefully separated from one another;
- the resulting planting material is placed in any growth stimulator for 15 minutes; Kornevin is considered a popular remedy;
- several bulbs are placed in pots, and then the containers are transported to a warm place;
- After the sprouts appear, the vessel is moved to a bright room.
Reproduction by tubers is carried out according to the same algorithm.
If the choice falls on cuttings, then perform the following manipulations:
- cut off the stem at the base;
- remove excess foliage, there should be only 2-3 of them left on the cutting;
- the shoot is placed in water;
- after 2-3 weeks the first shoots appear, when they reach 1.5 cm, they are transplanted into loose soil.
The seed propagation method is not successful among gardeners, since indoor varieties increase their numbers vegetatively, and garden plants by self-sowing.
Common sorrel (Oxalis acetosella)
The native European species can be seen in coniferous and deciduous forests, as well as in gardens, where the common wood sorrel delights with white or lilac-pink flowers and light green three-lobed foliage. This perennial, unpretentious species blooms in spring and early summer.
The peculiarity of the plant is the presence of ordinary oxalis flowers, shown in the photo, which open above the surface of the ground, and cleistogamous ones, hidden from view under fallen pine needles and foliage. If ordinary corollas attract insects, then very small, 3 mm in diameter, closed flowers are self-pollinating.
Plant diseases and pests
If you take good care of the wood sorrel, it will not be attacked by various pests. Otherwise, spider mites, aphids and scale insects will come to you. Treatment with Actellik will save the plant from spider mites. The aphids are washed off with a soap solution. The scale is removed from the bush manually, and then sprayed with actara. When there are few pests, one treatment helps. If it is not enough, then the bush is sprayed again after 10 days. When processing a plant, you should not forget about the soil around it.
Excessive watering, especially without a drainage layer in the pot, will contribute to the diseases fusarium and gray mold. Treatment with foundationazole will help to cope with them.
Oxalis versicolor
This plant cannot be confused with other representatives of the numerous code Oxalis. Thanks to its spectacularly curled white petals with a bright red border, the multicolored sorrel is called “Christmas candy” in a number of countries. Indeed, the buds are very reminiscent of traditional licorice candies and amazingly decorate a very small plant.
Variegated sorrel stands out not only for its bright flowering, but also for its very small, almost needle-like foliage. Today, the species indigenous to southern Africa is actively grown both as a houseplant and greenhouse plant, and in gardens in warm regions.
Oxalis tuberosa
In the long line of existing varieties, tuberous sorrel or, as the plant is called in its homeland, South America, oca, is not an ornamental, but an agricultural crop.
It is actively grown not for its foliage or flowers, but for its edible starchy tubers, which in terms of nutritional value and yield rival the potatoes more familiar to Russians.
Depending on the variety of tuberous oxalis grown, farmers in the Central American region harvest tubers that are white, yellowish, pink or purple. After collection, they are stored dried or eaten after all available types of culinary processing.
