Oxalis - home care

Graceful oxalis have found their place as indoor and garden plants since the 17th century.
Descriptions of caring for triangular sorrel at home and photos will help beginners and experienced gardeners get acquainted with this spectacular and completely unpretentious crop. Among hundreds of species there are:

• plants that reproduce by tubers and scaly rhizomes;
• perennial and annual crops;
• beautifully flowering varieties and specimens that amaze with their unusual foliage.

Where does sorrel grow? It’s safe to say that everyone has encountered one species or another. The fact is that the range of this genus includes many regions with warm and temperate climates, from southern Africa to central Russia. Triangular oxalis, for example, came to window sills and gardens from distant Brazil.

Popular varieties

Oxalis bowiei

The beautifully blooming Oxalis Bowiei stands out with large pink buds that rise above the leaves on thin 25 cm stems.

Indoor flower oxalis and its types

The heat-loving flower with leathery greenish foliage is grown as an outdoor plant in the southern regions.

Oxalis versicolor

It is difficult to confuse Versicolor with other representatives of oxalis. It is popularly called "Christmas candy cane" because of its twisted white petals with a rich red border.

The flowers resemble licorice candy and decorate a small crop. Distinctive features of Versicolor are the brightness of flowering and needle-shaped leaves.

Versicolor – licorice candy

The South African guest, variegated sorrel, is actively grown indoors, as well as in gardens in southern Russia and in greenhouses.

Oxalis adenophylla

Ferruginous sorrel is distinguished by its winter hardiness and unpretentiousness. Grown in flower beds as a 10 cm ground cover. Gardeners love the undemanding plant and its decorative properties: silvery-pinnate leaves and pinkish-lilac flowers with crimson veins and a spot at the base of the petal.

Oxalis Adenophylla is also called silver shamrock or Chilean oxalis. The culture tolerates wintering in the conditions of central Russia. Oxalis is perfect for decorating borders and alpine slides.

Types of indoor oxalis

There are several types recommended for home growing:

• Quatrefoil oxalis has four leaves instead of the usual three. The leaves are dark green with a burgundy edge, and the inflorescences are bright crimson. This wood sorrel is an inhabitant of southern forests. In nature, it can only be found in South America. In its homeland, this flower has acquired a lot of legends and beliefs. It is believed that by bringing raspberry sour home, you can attract wealth and good luck.
• Ferruginous oxalis is distinguished by large white inflorescences with purple veins. The bushes themselves are small in size with grayish leaves.
• A resident of coniferous forests, violet sorrel is very loved by home gardeners. It is propagated by dividing the rhizomes. The bushes usually reach twelve centimeters. The inflorescences come in pink, white or purple shades.
• The unusual sorrel Bouvius has a large inflorescence located on a long stalk. The height of the stem sometimes reaches thirty centimeters. Bouvium blooms with pink flowers.
• Triangular sorrel is considered the most suitable for home growing. This southern variety can be seen in the wild in Mexico. Flowers of purple or pink color are located on thin shoots. The leaves are dark, purple in color.
• Multi-colored wood sorrel has white inflorescences with a red border, which close at night and open again in the morning.

Oxalis triangularis, or purple sorrel (Oxalis triangularis)

Common sorrel - description of the plant

Purple oxalis (in Latin Oxalis triangularis) is a herbaceous perennial belonging to the Oxalis family. A native of the southern regions of America and Africa, it was given the name butterfly flower in Russia. Oxalis is popular among summer residents due to its beneficial qualities.

Oxalis triangularis

The plant is responsible for purifying the air of toxins, healing and strengthening the body. The flower is placed indoors by those who want to heal faster and stay in good physical shape. Placing the plant in the office on the desktop or in the bedroom will help the owner correctly understand his calling.

Edible violet sorrel is suitable for consumption. It is used for treatment in alternative medicine.

The overseas newcomer has become a decoration of window sills since the last century. The plant impresses with its triangular leaves and intense purple color. In addition, strokes and spots of different colors can be easily distinguished on sheet plates.

Attention! This species has a green color, which amazes with its decorativeness and elegance. Small white flowers will delight you almost all year round.

Common Oxalis (Oxalis Acetosella)

The foliage of Oxalis acetosella is trilobed, some varieties have 4 halves.

The oxalis flower is characterized by a circular arrangement of petals on thin shoots, low above the soil, and a resemblance to the wings of butterflies. The stems are collected into a bush. The number of shoots gives it splendor. The home flower oxalis has a dark green or purple color. Plant height is limited to 30 cm.

Small flowers rise above the foliage. The popular varieties of wood sorrel have soft pink, snow-white or lilac buds.

Additional Information. Various beliefs are associated with the oxalis plant. It is believed that a flower for Christmas is the best gift for friends and family (it brings prosperity and success).

The peak of decorativeness of a perennial crop falls in spring and the arrival of the summer season.

Oxalis four-leaf

Four-leaved oxalis is considered a highly ornamental crop. In common people it is called the flower of happiness, false trefoil.

Flower growers grow Oxalis Depp Iron Cross as a potted crop.

A characteristic feature of Depp's sorrel is burgundy spots in the middle of the leaf blade, hence the name of the plant - iron cross.

Oxalis Depp Iron Cross

The original structure of the leaf blade resembles clover. Oxalis are used in landscape design. They are optimally suited for cultivation in unprotected soil as a ground cover crop in rocky gardens and carpet flower beds.

The perennial blooms for a long time. The inflorescences have a red-crimson tone. In Foggy Albion it is called lucky clover.

Oxalis carob

The herbaceous perennial crop reaches 40 cm in height. Thin creeping shoots release roots at the leaf nodes that are slightly pubescent upon contact with the soil. The compound leaves of Oxalis Corniculata include 3 heart-shaped segments. The length of the petioles is 1-7 cm.

Erect thin peduncles of Oxalis Rozhkova bear from 1 to 5 yellow-golden cup-shaped buds with 5 long petals at the top. The foliage color palette contains shades of greenish, burgundy, lilac, and brown.

Carob oxalis is not only a decoration, but also a weed in the garden

Carob sorrel reproduces aggressively, so its development is often restrained and fought like a weed.

Kislitsa Ortgis

The height of herbaceous sorrel with erect thick stems of burgundy color varies in the range of 15-30 cm. The leaves of Oxalis ortgiesii are complex, thin, long petioles include 3 leaf parts that resemble a fish tail in shape. The leaves are pubescent and glossy, with branched veins, the color is green-bluish or green. Leafless peduncles end in yellowish funnel-shaped flowers with 5 petals.

Composition and medicinal properties

Common oxalis has hemostatic, wound healing, tonic, analgesic, sedative, anthelmintic, and antidote properties due to its rich composition:

• ascorbic acid;
• glycosides;
• tannins;
• carotene;
• organic acids;
• B vitamins.

Oxalis contains most of oxalic acid, which gives the leaves a pleasant sour taste (hence the name of the plant). So, the “medicine” turns out to be quite tasty and helps eliminate many ailments:

• improves appetite;
• stabilizes metabolism;
• eliminates heartburn;
• reduces blood pressure;
• helps with mercury and arsenic poisoning;
• gets rid of worms;
• reduces high temperature;
• heals purulent wounds, boils;
• treats jaundice, gastritis, nephritis;
• copes with sore throat, stomatitis.

Caring for oxalis at home

Which pot to choose

When growing oxalis, care at home involves the use of a shallow flowerpot. Ceramic is ideal because it allows air and moisture to pass through. In the absence of ceramic dishes, use plastic. Regular loosening of the soil under the plant will be required - the material prevents air circulation.

Indoor hydrangea - planting and care at home

If a flower is replanted, choose a pot that is 3-4 cm larger each time. Drainage holes are made at the bottom of the container. They use broken bricks, perlite, ceramic shards, expanded clay, and vermiculite for drainage.

Important! A deep pot is not suitable due to weak roots that lie close to the surface. Do not allow hanging leaves to lie on the windowsill.

Plants look great in containers shaped like a circle, long rectangle or oval. Plant several tubers in one row. When the bushes grow, they fascinate with their appearance.

Temperature

Indoor oxalis does not require special maintenance conditions:

• any window is suitable, with the exception of the northern opening;
• will definitely need to be shaded in summer;
• maintain a temperature of +20...+25 °C in summer, and +12...+18 °C in the winter season.

Flower of happiness

Lack of light leads to the cessation of flowering, paleness of leaves and their discarding.

Humidity and watering

Oxalis is characterized by demanding water regime:

• drying out of the soil and stagnation of moisture are not allowed;
• water evenly without excess;
• spray the foliage twice or thrice weekly in summer and spring.

Important! The plant requires high air humidity. During the dormant period, sorrel is not watered. If in winter the air in the room is very dry, spraying is resumed.

The leaves like it when drops of soft, settled water collect on them. The main thing is to avoid direct sunlight on the wet plant.

Benefits and harms

From wood sorrel you can make a seasoning that is added to soups, vegetables, cereals or meat.

In folk medicine, all parts of horned wood sorrel are used - flowers, peduncles and leaves. They are collected in spring or early summer, and then dried at a temperature of +40-50 degrees.

Prepared decoctions are prescribed for the treatment of scurvy, stomach and liver diseases. Serves as an excellent antiseptic . The juice can be used to treat scabies.

At the same time, taking it in large quantities is harmful - accumulated oxalic acid can negatively affect the kidneys and urinary system. It should also not be used by people with joint diseases.

Top dressing

Replenishment is applied during the period of intensive development of oxalis: from the middle of the spring season until the onset of autumn, every 2-3 weeks. During the dormant period, the flower is not fed. Use universal flower food:

• Flower Paradise and Fertika;
• E-alpha and Florist Micro;
• Master Agro and BioMaster.

Common sorrel - what is it, where does hare cabbage grow

Dilution of the fertilizer is carried out according to the instructions.

How to replant

For replanting, universal soil is suitable, which can be bought at a flower shop. You can prepare the substrate yourself, using in equal proportions:

• sand;
• turf;
• peat.

Apply drainage. The container is wide enough; several bulbs or tubers are planted at once, so that in the future you get a lush bush.

Advice. Oxalis is replanted annually in the spring due to its rapid growth. When reaching the age of 4 years - once every 3 years, so that the plant remains decorative.

Transplantation is carried out carefully, without damaging the root system; the quality of the manipulation determines the rooting and survival of the flower.

Use step-by-step instructions:

• prepare the soil and a new container in advance;
• pour a 2 cm drainage layer into the dish, then add soil;
• water the oxalis generously, remove it from the old pot;
• place the plant in a new flowerpot;

  
  Oxalis roots

• fill the voids with soil residues, maintain the same soil level;
• water the seedling and place it in a dimly lit place.

How does oxalis reproduce?

Decorative oxalis can reproduce in several ways. This occurs when cuttings, bulbs (tubers) or leaves are used. This is one of the main differences between home crops and garden crops, which reproduce exclusively through seeds. If you grow oxalis at home, which you can buy at any flower shop, then this can be achieved with the help of tubers (bulbs). You just need to carefully separate them when replanting each year. Then the material for planting needs to be distributed into separate containers. It is allowed to plant 4-10 small tubers in 1 pot. After some time, oxalis will begin to grow and become very thick. After transplantation, watering should be moderate. The soil should not dry out, but at the same time the roots should not be allowed to rot. It is best to place the pot in a cool place. You can put the bush in the light only after the first shoots appear. Within a month after this, the bush will become very lush.

After transplanting oxalis, watering should be moderate.

You can propagate oxalis using another method. To do this, cuttings should be prepared on adult specimens. When the cut is made, the shoots are placed in ordinary water. After a couple of weeks, small shoots should appear on them. When their length grows to 1.5 cm, you can place the cuttings in the prepared soil.

Reproduction methods

Growing sorrel from seeds

Oxalis propagates by seeds, but this is an unpopular method among gardeners. Planting material is sown on the soil surface. If desired, a mini-greenhouse is suitable, where humidity is constantly maintained. Seed germination takes about 3 weeks. For grown shoots, you will need a wide container where several seedlings are placed for splendor.

Leaf cuttings

The cutting-leaf is separated carefully, placed in water, maintaining a temperature of +23...+25 °C. The formation of roots occurs over the course of a month.

Stem cuttings

For stem cuttings to germinate, you will need moistened sand. To maintain humidity and constant temperature, the sorrel is covered with a plastic bottle. The rooted shoot is transferred to prepared soil.

Dividing the roots

When replanting a flower, use a clean pruner or knife to divide the roots into several parts. Treat the cut areas with activated carbon.

Division by roots

The plot is planted in a separate pot with nutritious soil mixture and drainage.

How to transplant sorrel

Transplanting wood sorrel is an integral process of caring for this indoor flower. Usually it is transplanted into a new pot every year, since the tubers during this period of time occupy all the soil allocated for them. If you plan to reproduce, you need to choose a new pot larger than the previous one. If the transplantation process is related to prevention, you can divide the bush and remove some of the unnecessary roots.

When the plant is fully mature and has grown sufficiently, it needs to be replanted. For a new pot, it is better to immediately prepare drainage, which will take up one third of the container: this will protect against overflow. The best time to change the habitat of wood sorrel is spring. The transplant is carried out step by step.

• Make a drainage layer.
• Fill up the soil. You can buy standard soil for home flowers in the store or prepare it yourself: peat, sand, humus and leaf soil are taken in a ratio of 1X1X1X1 and mixed. Experienced gardeners say that it is useful to add a small amount of coconut shavings to the soil to provide more comfortable conditions for the plant.
• Remove the sorrel from the old pot, clean the roots and place it in a new “home”.
• For the first few days, carefully monitor the condition of the flower. Watering can be increased during the first time after transplantation, but always check to see if excess water has appeared in the pan.

Tubers or bulbs

Popular propagation methods for Oxalis include bulbs and tubers, which the crop acquires during the growing season. They are separated from the mother culture and planted in a separate container.

With the arrival of spring, healthy tubers are selected and planted in a common pot. Deepen it to 1 cm, sprinkle a 1 cm layer of earth on top. Until the tubers take root, it is necessary to maintain a temperature of + 8 ... + 11 ° C and periodically moisten the soil.

Propagation by tubers

After a month, the temperature is increased. Before planting, the tubers are disinfected in a solution of potassium permanganate.

Winter care

Caring for oxalis in winter has its own peculiarities. In winter, the plant begins to rest. If it is grown at home in a pot, then it is necessary to cut off all the shoots and move it to a cool place with a temperature of +12-15 degrees.

When grown on a personal plot, in the fall, all tubers are dug up, washed and, after drying, stored in a cool room. You can immediately separate the baby tubers from the adults. In the spring, when the ground has already warmed up enough, they are planted back in the flowerbed.

Oxalis or oxalis is a perennial plant that many housewives know as “butterfly”. It requires rich, diffused light and regular watering. Reproduction occurs by seeds or tubers. In winter, there is a well-defined rest period, during which the shoots must be cut off and the pot moved to a cool place.

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Problems during cultivation

Why doesn't it bloom

Among the reasons are the lack of a rest period and depletion of oxalis. The crop will not bloom if fertilizer is applied in excess.

Phytodiseases

Oxalis is disease resistant. However, excessive watering provokes root rot. The plant is revived by transplanting into dried soil, pruning diseased areas of the plant, and reducing watering.

Water deficiency and soil depletion cause the plant to wilt. Drying foliage is caused by sunburn, dry air, and inability to adapt to new conditions.

Pests

Aphid

They resist parasites in 3 ways:

• mechanical: manually collect pests;
• chemical: seedlings are treated with insecticides (Inta-Vir, Aktara);
• folk: spray plants with laundry soap.

Aphid

Shchitovka

To get rid of scale insects, wipe the leaves with a napkin or toothbrush, which is moistened in a solution of soap or alcohol, and sprayed with Aktara.

Whitefly

The flower is washed with tap water and treated with Fitoverm, Actellik.

Spider mite

It is necessary to wash the foliage with tobacco and soap solution, rinse with lukewarm water and treat the crop with Akarin.

Spider mite

The following symptoms indicate diseases if sorrel is not properly cared for:

1. Stunted growth. Temperature does not match. Requires relocation to cool.
2. The appearance of gray rot. Reduce watering, spray with Fundazol.
3. Closing leaves in broad daylight. The sun's rays are shining and the soil is dry. Water the bush and place it in another place.
4. Death of a flower. Overwatering and rotting of tubers are possible. The crop is dumped out of the container, undamaged tubers are selected and planted in fresh soil.
5. Leaf spotting. To protect against burns, place oxalis in a shaded place.
6. Formation of a green tint on the leaves. If there is a shortage of light, find another window for the pot, but not in direct sunlight.
7. Suspension of flowering. The soil is depleted, the dormant period has not yet begun. Replanting into a new substrate will be required.

Diseases and pests

When growing indoors, sometimes gardeners wonder why oxalis leaves wither? First of all, you need to check the condition of the soil; if it is dry, water it.

If the leaves of the oxalis begin to droop and wither in the fall, this may be the flower preparing for a period of rest. All shoots can be cut off and the pot moved to a place with a temperature of +12-14 degrees. They will grow back after winter.

A situation may also arise when oxalis does not grow and new shoots do not appear on it. There may be several reasons for this. If a transplant has been carried out, it is advisable to make sure that the new container is not too large.

Ideally, it should be only 2-3 cm larger. In addition, the ground should not be too wet. If replanting was not carried out, then perhaps the tubers have filled the entire container and are cramped, or the soil is depleted and needs to be replaced.

Important! Oxalis is resistant to pest damage, but if care conditions are not maintained, spider mites, aphids or scale insects .

When infected with spider mites, whitish webs appear. To combat it, you need to wash the plant with a sponge and soapy water.

When attacked by scale insects, brown bumps will appear on the leaves, which are the shells of these insects. To combat them, it is necessary to mechanically clean them with a soft brush and soapy water, and then, if necessary, treat them with chemicals.

When aphids , small white insects appear on the shoots, leaving behind a white sticky coating. They are controlled using insecticides.

Dormancy period for sorrel

Certain varieties of sorrel have a pronounced dormant period and require a maximum temperature of +14 °C in winter.

Attention! Varieties of oxalis differ in dormant periods: Orgtis oxalis - completely winter season, Deppe oxalis - from December to January.

During this period, the flower is watered rarely or not at all. Stopping growth and drooping leaves indicate that the plant requires watering. Resetting the leaves means that you need to stop watering until the wood sorrel wakes up. Place the sorrel in a cool and dark room where there are no temperature fluctuations (+14 °C). The awakening of the plant is signaled by new sprouts, followed by the resumption of watering and a return to the old place.

Oxalis flower is taken out to the garden plot in the spring and summer to decorate the landscape with potted plants.

Oxalis in landscape design

In May, garden sorrel is planted in open ground; after a month or a month and a half, the crop will take root and begin to bloom. It is advisable to select beds so that direct sunlight does not fall on the plant.

In October, the plant must be dug up - it will not tolerate frost. This applies to martian oxalis, a seasonal crop. The bulbs will have to be removed for the winter after the foliage dies off, and with the onset of spring they will have to be planted again and admire the beauty.

Additional Information. Sometimes Alpine knotweed (Zlatoust sorrel) is confused with hare cabbage. The plants belong to different families: the first - to the Buckwheat (it is a honey plant), the second - to the Oxalis.

When cultivating an amazing plant - sorrel, caring for it at home will not be difficult. Delicate, blooming almost all year round, it does not get capricious over trifles, delights the owners of the house with its presence for a long time and delivers only positive emotions (love, happiness).

Sun dependent and sensitive sorrel plant description

Myrtle tree. Photo. Useful properties of myrtle. Useful properties of myrtle

It is known that oxalis appeared in the 17th century and to this day they grow both in Central and South America and in Europe. In Ireland, since the 19th century, the shamrock has been recognized as a symbol of the state. In nature, flowers grow well in any climate; they are often found in deciduous forests in the middle zone of our country. An ornamental variety of plants was bred through selection, some of which tend to shed their foliage for the winter, but there is nothing wrong with that - after two months, the home flower will again delight you with its beauty.

In nature, flowers grow well in any climate

Oxalis are perennial herbaceous plants from the genus Oxalidaceae (lat. Oxalidáceae). They are found both in forests and in home cultivation as a potted plant.

Oxalis got its name from the sour taste of its leaves, which contain vitamin C and oxalic acid salts (“oxys” in Latin - sour). In Russia, sorrel is often called “hare cabbage” or false clover.

There are more than 900 varieties in nature. Basically - perennial herbaceous plants, consisting of separate small plants that create the appearance of a single cover. There are plants with aboveground stems or stemless, not tall plants with modified underground shoots or reaching 2 m or more, tubers, bulbs or rhizomes from which adventitious roots radiate.

Some species of oxalis have plants with ordinary rhizomes, fleshy nodules or bulbs, and sometimes large shoots.

In indoor plants, the bulbs are small in size and brownish in color.

Oxalis leaves often have a triangular shape, but there are species with four lobes; if you touch them, they will fold in pairs, forming a circle. Since the plant is sensitive to light, after sunset or in cloudy weather the flowers close, and with the advent of sunlight the buds open again, resembling a blooming clover.