Oxalis (Oxalis) is naturally distributed on almost all continents in their southern subtropical and tropical parts. In our regions, it is an ornamental houseplant, which is also successfully used in cooking, since the plant contains oxalic acid.
Oxalis leaves have a sour taste, hence the name. True, sorrel has many other names. For example, it is also called hare cabbage, sour clover, lucky clover, lucky clover due to the similarity of the shape of the leaves with clover. Also, due to the similarity of the leaves, wood sorrel is sometimes called the iron cross or butterfly flower. Oxalis also resembles a butterfly because the leaves of the plant open towards the sun in the morning, and in the evening, when the sun sets, it folds them. When open, the leaves on the bush look like a swarm of butterflies. The leaves also close in cloudy weather.
In addition to oxalic acid, sorrel contains carotenes and B vitamins.
In the old days, sorrel was used as medicine for treating wounds, healing ulcers, relieving inflammation. Oxalis was considered an antidote in case of poisoning, for example, from arsenic and mercury. It was used against worms, and also as a diuretic and choleretic agent.
Oxalis is a popular plant for the home because it is very elegant and beautiful, easy to grow, and blooms for a long time. In addition, in some countries it is believed that it brings happiness and good luck to the inhabitants of the house. According to signs, for this the owners must exchange a plant. You can also receive it as a gift.
Some people associate the three-component leaves of sorrel with the Holy Trinity, and in Ireland, where clover is considered the national flower and emblem of the country, there is also a particularly reverent attitude towards sorrel.
Description
Oxalis can be perennial or annual. Each stem grows from rhizomes, bulbs or tubers. On the cuttings there are trifoliate leaves of dark purple, violet, and sometimes green. The shape of the leaves, as we have already mentioned, resembles either a butterfly or an iron cross. Flowers rising above the cuttings bloom for a long time. In color they are either white, pink, purple or yellow.
Triangular wood sorrel (Oxalis triangularis) is most suitable for the home. It is she who has purple leaves and white or pink flowers.
Care
If care at home is correct, the plant will be a pleasure to look at. for a long time. For proper care, we follow the rules:
- Lighting. The plant loves light, but not bright, but shaded. Keep an eye on this, as direct sunlight can burn the leaves, and a lack of light will cause the leaves to lose their brightness of color and the leaves to become smaller in size.
- Temperature. Best temperature for the plant the temperature will be around 20-25 °C in summer and 17-20 °C in winter. At cool temperature The flowering of the plant is prolonged.
- Humidity and watering. Watering indoor oxalis depends on the time of year and the period of active flowering of the plant and the dormant period. The dormant period begins when it is clear that flowering has ended, the leaves of the plant fall off, which means it is preparing to rest. The rest period can last a month or two. At the moment when the flower’s revival becomes noticeable and young shoots appear, you can start replanting and feeding it. Put it in more warm place. Recommended over abundant watering V warm seasons, less active - in winter. Water for irrigation needs soft, settled water. In summer, the plant is regularly sprayed. During the dormant period, oxalis cannot be sprayed.
- Feeding. Fertilizing is necessary once every twenty days with complex mineral fertilizers. However, they are used in a concentration less than what is written in the instructions, approximately twice. It is necessary to feed sorrel from May throughout the summer months.
Transplantation and propagation
The plant needs to be replanted every year, but it can be done at any time.
Daughter bulbs or tubers are taken in groups and transplanted into another pot. After the transplanted plant has been sprinkled with soil, it needs to be watered and kept cool.
You can also, after winter rest, as soon as the first sprout appears, carefully remove the tuber from the soil, wash it with a solution of potassium permanganate with a weak concentration, cut it in half, sprinkling both halves charcoal, plant each half of the tuber in a separate pot. After a week, the soil with the planted halves needs to be fed. If you plant the seeds of a new sorrel, you don’t have to bury them in the ground. In this case, the soil is not watered, but sprayed. Soil composition: leaf soil (1 tsp), humus soil (1 tsp), turf (1 tsp), peat (2 tsp), sand (1 tsp). It is necessary to put drainage at the bottom of the pot.
It will take approximately 40 days for the plant to develop and bloom.
Possible problems
Weak cuttings small leaves means too dark a place or too much humidity. Loss of color brightness in leaves - insufficient lighting. Rotting of rhizomes, nodules and bulbs - oversaturation with moisture.
Bugs, aphids, red spider mites, and scale insects can settle on sorrel. In this case, it is necessary to apply insecticides to the plant. Treatment with these means is carried out on outdoors. In this case, the soil must be covered, avoiding contact with the drug. You can try washing off the spider mites soap solution based on 2 teaspoons liquid soap for 2 glasses of water. Wait several hours, after which the soap solution is washed off. Soap should also not get on the ground.
Planting and caring for oxalis (in brief)
- Bloom: from late May or early June until winter.
- Lighting: bright diffused light.
- Temperature: during the growing season – 20-25 ˚C, during the dormant period – 12-18 ˚C.
- Watering: abundant in summer, moderate to scanty in autumn and winter.
- Air humidity: common for residential premises, but in extreme heat it is advisable to spray the plant from time to time.
- Feeding: during the period of active growth, once every 2-3 weeks with complex mineral fertilizers in half the dosage specified in the instructions.
- Rest period: one to one and a half months after flowering.
- Transfer: young plants are replanted annually, adults - once every 2-3 years.
- Reproduction: daughter bulbs or nodules, less often – seeds.
- Pests: scale insects, aphids, spider mites.
- Diseases: gray mold, fusarium.
- Properties: A medicinal plant with a high content of vitamin C in its leaves.
Read more about growing sorrel below.
Oxalis flower - description
Oxalis are represented by many species, including annual, perennial, tuberous and bulbous plants. Oxalis leaves are palmate or trifoliate, petiolate, with a complex bend, folding in the evening and opening in the morning. Leaves also react to too bright light and mechanical irritation. The color of the leaves, depending on the type of sorrel, can be green, purple or burgundy. Oxalis flowers are medium-sized, regular; the color of the petals can be white, pink, lilac or yellow. The flowers, like the leaves of the plant, close at night or before bad weather. Oxalis seeds ripen in a shell that easily explodes when touched when the seeds are ripe. Oxalis at home is most often represented by two types - four-leaf sorrel and triangular sorrel. Indoor oxalis is a popular Christmas tree gift in Europe, since there is a sign that the plant brings happiness and prosperity to the house if it settles in it the day before the New Year.
Caring for oxalis at home
How to care for sorrel.
The indoor flower oxalis has the same requirements for growing conditions as its wild relative. She needs intense but diffused light with shading from the direct rays of the sun. In the summer, home sorrel prefers temperatures within 20-25 ºC, which, however, is quite natural for this time of year. In winter, it is advisable to lower the temperature slightly - to 12-18 ºC, otherwise the plant will not bloom. Watering in the summer should be plentiful, but water should not stagnate in the roots. With the onset of autumn, watering is reduced, and in winter, moistening the soil in a pot with sorrel should be symbolic, so that the soil is barely moist. In leaf spraying indoor plant oxalis does not need it, although if the house is too hot and stuffy, you can spray the plant boiled water. IN winter time Spraying sorrel is contraindicated.
Some species of wood sorrel rest in winter. The rest period lasts a month and a half. If you notice that the plant begins to lose leaves after flowering, reduce watering and move the flower to a cool place where it will rest. Sometimes the leaves from the sorrel tree do not fall, it simply stops growing, as if frozen - this is a sign that it is time to move it to a “winter apartment” to recuperate. At this time, watering should be minimal. But as soon as you discover that the plant has begun to appear new shoots, transplant it into fresh substrate, return it to its usual place, and resume watering and fertilizing.
Oxalis fertilizer.
Caring for homemade sorrel requires timely feeding of the plant with complex mineral fertilizers. They are applied during the period of active growth and flowering every 2-3 weeks, and the concentration of the solution should be half that recommended by the manufacturer.
Oxalis transplantation.
Caring for indoor oxalis requires annual replanting of young plants; adult plants are replanted once every two to three years. If you don't know how to replant sorrel, start by choosing a pot. A pot for oxalis needs to be wide so that you can plant several tubers or bulbs in one container - this way you will get a luxurious flowering bush. A drainage layer is placed at the bottom of the pot so that excess water does not stagnate in the roots of the plant. Any soil is suitable for wood sorrel - buy a universal soil in the store or make a soil mixture yourself from leaf, turf, peat soil and sand in equal parts. Please note that if the soil is too nutritious, the plant will have many leaves and few flowers. Planting oxalis in new pot carried out with great care, together with a lump of earth, if you have no intention of breeding it this time.
Pests and diseases of wood sorrel.
If you are too zealous with watering and did not bother to place a layer of drainage under the soil, the plant may be affected by gray rot or fusarium. Both diseases in the initial stage can be successfully treated with foundationazole.
House sorrel - reproduction
Growing sorrel from seeds.
IN natural conditions Oxalis reproduce by seeds. TO seed method Oxalis propagation at home is rarely used, since there are more reliable methods of propagation - vegetative. But if it is important for you to grow wood sorrel from seeds, then we wish you success and offer a list of conditions and measures for successful generative propagation of wood sorrel:
- – composition of the mixture for sowing: four parts each of leaf humus and peat and one part sand;
- – oxalis seeds in early spring scattered over the surface of the soil without covering it, after sowing the container is covered with glass, since germination requires one hundred percent humidity;
- – for seed germination you also need diffused light, a temperature of 16-18 ºC and constantly moist soil – watering the crops is carried out from a spray bottle;
- – daily ventilation of crops is necessary.
If all these conditions are met, seedlings, depending on the freshness of the seeds, will appear a week to a month after sowing.
Vegetative methods of propagation of sorrel.
The easiest way is with annual spring transplant Oxalis, separate the daughter bulbs or nodules that have formed around the tap root and plant several of them in one pot, sprinkled with a small amount of soil, placing the container in a cool, shaded place and occasionally moistening the soil. When shoots appear, the pot is moved closer to the light, and in a month and a half the young plant will turn into a lush flowering bush.
After a period of rest, as soon as the first one appears new leaf, the tuber is removed from the ground, cleaned of soil, washed in a weak solution of potassium permanganate, cut into pieces, the sections are treated with crushed charcoal and the sections are planted in separate pots. Pots with planted parts of the tuber are placed under diffused light, watered after drying earthen coma and feed twice a month, starting from the second week after planting.
Properties of sorrel
For a long time, oxalis was considered medicinal plant. The above-ground part of the plant was used to treat scurvy, to treat ulcers and wounds, as an antidote for arsenic or mercury poisoning. Traditional medicine has successfully used the anthelmintic, choleretic, anti-inflammatory, diuretic and wound-healing properties of the plant.
Due to the high content of vitamin C in the leaves of sorrel, its use helped cope with colds and strengthened the immune system. Oxalis is also in demand in cooking: tasty and healthy tea, added to cabbage soup, green borscht or kvass.
Types of oxalis
Triangular sour (Oxalis triangularis),
or purple sorrel, more often than other species grown indoors, is low tuberous plant with dark purple spotted trilobed leaves on long petioles. The violet sorrel leaf resembles the fluttering wings of a butterfly, which is why it was called “Madame Butterfly.” The flowers of this species are small, white, light pink or lilac.
Four-leaf sorrel (Oxalis tetraphylla),
or Deppe's wood sorrel (Oxalis deppei) grown both in the garden and at home. Its leaves are four-lobed, light green with a red-brown center. It blooms for a long time with red-crimson flowers forming inflorescences. It is this species that the British call “lucky clover.”
Bowie's wood sorrel (Oxalis bowiei)
- a fragile heat-loving species 20-25 cm high with leathery leaves of light green color and dark pink flowers on long peduncles.
Common sorrel (Oxalis acetosella)
- a rhizomatous plant 8-10 cm high with clover-like leaves and white single flowers on long peduncles.
Oxalis adenophylla
- bushes up to 10 cm tall with gray-green multi-lobed leaves and large light pink flowers with spots and veins.
Oxalis versicolor
- an amazingly beautiful plant with white flowers with red stripes. The open flower is white on the inside with a red border around the edge.
In addition to these species, Oxalis Obtusa, Oca Oxalis, or tuberous sorrel, carob sorrel, nine-leaved, poor, milky white, nasturtium, succulent, articulated, appressed, triangular and many others are known in culture. But all these beautiful plants grown in the garden, and this, as they say, is a completely different story...
Modern assortment indoor crops quite diverse and rich. For amateur gardeners, the temptation to collect this or that group of plants is very great! But among indoor flowers there is a conditional group of species that are rarely grown, and usually only one or two species are the so-called fun plants. Among them, I especially want to note those plants that can move, that is, fold their leaves in one way or another.
We are used to plants being motionless. At least that's what we think. Although plants are constantly moving: they grow, increase in height, turn towards the sun, open their buds... They just do it so slowly that the human eye does not notice it.
But individual plants are able to quickly move leaves for several minutes and even seconds, and some instantly!
The mechanism of leaf folding and the reasons for their folding are very diverse and have always deserved special attention. It is very interesting to observe such plants!
There are plants that fold their leaves at night. For example, Maranta raises its leaves at night or in low light. These are Maranta whiteveined, M. tricolor, M. massanja and others.
With sufficient lighting, its leaves take on horizontal position and reveal all the beauty of their unusual coloring (photo 3).
For this feature, Maranta received its second name “prayer plant”. As they rise, the leaves come closer to each other, like the palms of a person during prayer.
In the evening you come home from work arrowroot with open leaves, and while you’re away in the kitchen, you look, the flower is already “praying” before going to bed (photo 5).
Arrowroots are often grown in apartments; they are easy to propagate by division, and they pass from hand to hand. Caring for them is not very difficult. They need a loose nutrient substrate, as well as quite high humidity air. At low humidity, the tips of the leaves dry out. In this case, the flower is placed on a tray with water and expanded clay.
According to Wikipedia, the Venus flytrap closes its leaf valves in 100 milliseconds!
Plants from the genus Oxalis are also frequent guests on windowsills. All of them have trifoliate leaves, and some are even pinnate. These plants also know how to move. In the evening, in cloudy weather or when mechanical irritation occurs, their flowers slowly close and the leaves fold and droop.
Triangular oxalis is one of the most beautiful and desirable plants in the home collection. She's purple and pretty large leaves on long petioles. For this reason, the wood sorrel was nicknamed “a flock of butterflies” (photo 6). The triangular lobes of the leaf are indeed like the wings of a butterfly. In the evening these are “butterflies” with folded wings (photo 7), and during the day with spread wings, fluttering over the pot.
Oxalis reproduce by seeds or underground nodules. Before dividing, it is advisable to reduce watering and then stop completely. After drying for 11.5 months, the nodules are removed from the pot, shaken off the soil, disassembled and planted several at a time in a new pot, in good, nutritious soil.
Oxalis grows well on ordinary window sills. Loves high humidity and regular watering. If the root ball accidentally dries out, it goes back into a dormant state, but quickly wakes up if watering is resumed.
With all the ability of these flowers to move, they will never catch up with plants like Mimosa pudica and Venus flytrap in the speed of movement! Both Arrowroot and Oxalis fold their leaves quite slowly: both with mechanical stimulation and in the evening as the light decreases, this is actually imperceptible to the eye.
But the shy Mimosa (Mimosa pudica) quickly closes its leaves. She folds them along the central vein and also lowers the branches down, parallel to the trunk, at the slightest touch to them, with a gust of wind or during rain. She does it almost instantly! The leaves also fold at night, although not so quickly (photo 8, 9).
The plant acquired this mechanism to protect tender leaves from being eaten by animals and from being torn off by strong winds.
Animals see the delicate greenery of mimosa leaves and dream of eating them, but at the first touch the leaves instantly fold and the juicy greenery “disappears” somewhere. Having lost interest in the “bare” bushes, the animals leave.
IN bad weather The leaf folding effect is also very useful. The windage of the leaves becomes smaller, and they are not blown off by the wind.
It is not difficult to grow Mimosa pudica from seeds, which are often sold in garden centers. They need to be sown in February, and after sprouting, plant them in separate pots in nutritious soil.
In hot weather, the pot with the plant should be placed on a tray of water to increase air humidity. It is better not to spray, as this leads to mechanical irritation and folding of the leaves, and this should be avoided and not disturb the plant again!
Another representative of mobile plants is Dionea, or Venus Flytrap. In the previous issue of the magazine there was material about predator plants, including Dionea.
This is truly a ruthless predator! Its deadly leaves instantly slam shut if an insect gets there in search of sweet juice. The trap then releases digestive enzymes and digests the insect. This “nutrient broth” is then absorbed by the leaf. In this way, Dionea replenishes the supply of nutrients that it lacks due to growing in very poor soils.
Oxalis is an unusual flower. In scientific botanical circles it is known as oxalis. People give it their own names:
- lucky clover;
- hare cabbage;
- Madame Butterfly;
- iron Cross;
- butterfly flower;
- day and night.
These names come from the appearance and structure of the leaves and flowers. Oxalis contains oxalic acid, hence the name - oxalis.
Appearance of sorrel
Oxalis is found naturally in forests. It can be seen in Europe, South Africa and America, Russia. People willingly grow this flower at home or in greenhouses. The plant can reach a height of 30 cm. It has unusual leaves consisting of 3-4 leaves. In hot or rainy weather and at night, the leaves droop and fold. Oxalis comes in 3 colors: purple oxalis, green, and combined.
The flowering period begins in late spring and continues until January. The flowers are small, pink or White color, with different shades. When the flowering period ends, the resulting seed pods shoot out. After this, the flower enters a state of winter dormancy, partially shedding its leaves. In this case, there is no need to be afraid. In the spring it will bloom again fresh leaves.
Main types of sorrel:
- Oxalis triangular. The plant is one of the most common species. It has pinkish flowers and purple leaves. It is also called purple sorrel.
- Deppe. It has four-lobed green leaves with a burgundy center. Europeans call this flower “lucky clover.”
- Common oxalis. The plant has large single white flowers and clover-like leaves.
- Bovey. There are large lilac flowers and green leaves. This flower is afraid low temperatures.
- Multi-colored sorrel. This variety is valued for its white tubular flowers with red stripes.
Home care
Amateur flower growers will have great pleasure caring for sorrel at home. She will give her flowers only to a caring owner, since oxalis requires appropriate care at home. The main points to pay attention to are:
- transfer;
- reproduction;
- diseases, pests;
- fertilizers
The oxalis plant has short roots located near the surface. Therefore, it is better to choose a wide and not very deep flowerpot. The bottom is covered with drainage to avoid moisture stagnation. High humidity the flower is contraindicated. Can be purchased ready soil in the shop. If this option is not suitable, then the substrate can be easily prepared at home. To do this, you will need to mix sand, peat, turf and leaf soil in equal proportions. It is recommended to replant in the spring.
After purchasing a plant, it needs time to acclimatize. After a week, the sorrel can be transplanted. This is done by transshipment method. The bush is removed from the pot, the previous substrate is shaken off, dead roots are removed and the bulbs are planted individually in a row. If all the requirements are met correctly, then in a week the sorrel will bloom.
There are several ways to propagate a flower:
- Bulbs. The roots of the plant produce daughter bulbs. In the spring, some of them are selected and planted in a shallow, wide container. Lower them to a depth of 1 cm, 6-10 pieces at a distance of 10 cm from each other. A thin layer of earth is poured on top. It should be watered moderately and kept in a cool place. At 1 month the temperature should not be higher than +10°C, then it can be gradually increased.
- Propagation by cuttings. Cuttings with leaves are separated from the main bush, and then they can be lowered into water. When the roots appear, the cuttings are planted in sand for rooting. You can immediately plant it in wet sand. The plant should be kept at a temperature of +25°C, watered moderately and protected from direct sun rays. Then within a month the plant will take root.
- Root division method. This method is convenient to use when replanting the main plant. To do this, the root must be divided into parts and planted in separate pots.
- Using seeds. This is the natural way of propagating oxalis. The seed pods open and the seeds fall into the soil. At necessary conditions- temperature up to +20°C, diffused light - the plant germinates in 35-37 days.
How to care for sorrel
There are several rules for caring for a plant.
- Lighting. Do not forget the conditions in which the plant grows in nature. This forest areas with abundant but diffused light. At home, the flower must be provided with sufficient lighting, but avoid direct sunlight. When exposed to the sun, burns appear on the leaves - brown spots. If the sorrel is left in the shade, then the lack of light will negatively affect its appearance. The bush will lose its lushness, the leaves will become small, and the stems will lengthen. This plant makes a depressing impression. In the cold season it needs additional lighting. You can rearrange it on the window or add artificial light.
- Location. The best place will become the southwest or southeast side. In the summer, it is better to shade the sorrel. The best option may become the far part bright room. It is convenient to place flowerpots on stands. The fluffy plant looks very advantageous and decorates the room.
- Temperature. Most comfortable temperature in autumn and winter it can be considered +12°C... +18°C, and in spring and summer - +20°C... +27°C.
- Humidity. Oxalis needs good hydration. Starting in spring, the leaves are sprayed with water, which is pre-settled for several days. It is necessary to stop spraying gradually until late autumn. If the air in the apartment is dry in winter, then spraying is resumed.
- Watering. Oxalis requires moderate soil moisture. The soil should not be allowed to dry out. From the beginning of spring to the end of summer, abundant watering is expected. Don't forget to empty the water from the pan. This is necessary to avoid soil rotting. In autumn they do not water very often, and in winter even less often: the soil should only be slightly moistened.
- The soil. The soil must be loosened to ensure oxygen access to the roots. Don't forget about fertilizers. IN summer period Fertilizing is carried out twice a month.
What diseases and pests can destroy a plant?
Any indoor plant requires special attention. Oxalis is no exception. The flower reacts sharply to unsuitable conditions content. There may be marks left on the leaves. sunburn; due to excessive watering it will lose leaves; Drying out the soil will cause them to wither.
The main pests include scale insects, aphids and spider mites. Knowing how to care for sorrel, you can avoid many problems. But if the pest has already attacked the flower, then emergency measures.
Shield is dangerous pest, which has small size. It settles on the stems and lower part of the wood sorrel leaf. It feeds on the sap of the plant, which leads it to complete exhaustion and drying out. At the same time, it releases a sticky liquid that promotes the development of various bacteria. For treatment, use a solution of garlic, acetone or vodka. The scale insect has a dense shell, so it is not easy to deal with. The main condition is to treat all leaves and stems of sorrel with a cotton pad soaked in a solution. It is also recommended to remove the top layer of soil and treat the area around the flower.
Aphids spread across plant leaves in a dense layer. To combat it, you must immediately cut off the flowering parts. Wash the plant with soapy water, let it dry, and then treat it special means.
Spider mite covers the plant with small cobwebs, hence the name. It is difficult to fight, but the tick has a weak point: it is afraid of moisture. When regularly spraying a plant, it is difficult for it to create its own colonies. If the sorrel is already affected, then you must first get rid of dry stems and leaves, because this favorite place pest Next, you need to treat the entire bush with tincture of calendula or garlic.
Fertilizers for oxalis
When caring for sorrel at home, you should Special attention pay attention to the composition and quality of fertilizers. When feeding, you need to remember:
- You cannot fertilize the flower immediately after transplantation, as such a load can be harmful.
- It is allowed to feed only healthy plant, that is, before applying fertilizer, it is advisable to make sure that there are no pests and diseases.
- First, you need to water the flower well to avoid burning the roots.
- In winter, feeding should be done 2 times every 3 months.
Food from the table can be used as fertilizer. Suitable for watering are water in which eggs were boiled, coffee grounds mixed with water, or tea leaves.
Oxalis requires complex mineral fertilizers that contain calcium, potassium, phosphorus, nitrogen, and sulfur. They should be used in strict accordance with the instructions.
Doing everything necessary requirements, you can get a plant amazing beauty. Oxalis will become worthy decoration any interior. Flowerpots can be placed on various stands. They will look very beautiful on multi-level podiums. Interesting solution will be a combination of different types of sorrel in one design composition. Unusually beautiful leaves and flowers will delight the eye throughout the year. Do not despair if at first the flower does not meet all the requirements. Careful care comfortable place and the owner's love will be given good result.
Oxalis has and medicinal properties. This plant has long been used for inflammatory diseases, wounds and ulcers. It helped well with poisoning, helminths, and was used as a diuretic and choleretic agent. Today, many housewives add oxalis to salads and hot dishes.
Flower of happiness
Human rumor also attributes to this plant magical properties. It has loving energy and brings happiness to the family. An important condition is to receive it as a gift - you can exchange flowers with someone or receive a shoot. The presence of a flower in the house brings the family together, relieves depression and relieves tension. It is customary to give it to lonely people to find their other half. Protects against quarrels and conflicts, creates a calm atmosphere in the house. Girls love to make wishes on him. It is better to do this after sunset. Such signs add mystery and interest to this beautiful creation of nature.
Oxalis - wide famous plant which gained popularity thanks not only to its unusual appearance, but also wide application V medicinal purposes and even for its gastronomic benefits.
In Russia, sorrel is called hare cabbage, sour clover, and clover of happiness. These are not all the names of useful indoor plants.
The homeland of indoor oxalis is South Africa, South and Central America.
Some representatives of the numerous Kislicaceae family, numbering about 800 species, are also common in Europe.
Trifoliate leaves of sorrel look like clover, so it became very popular in Ireland, and in many other countries European countries It is considered a symbol of happiness and it is customary to give it to loved ones as a symbol of good luck, prosperity and success.
It has trifoliate or finger-compound leaves on long petioles that fold into dark time days, for protection from direct sunlight and under any mechanical impact. For this feature, it is sometimes called butterfly wings.
Due to the abundance of species, it can be perennial or annual plant, grass, subshrub or shrub.
There are tuberous and bulbous species, but many species of sorrel form rhizomes. May be dark purple, lilac or green leaves. Five-petalled flowers can be white, pink and yellow flowers. In many species, the flowers close in the same way as the leaves.
Benefits of sorrel for humans
Oxalis is often used in cooking to give sour taste various dishes. In it high oxalic acid content.
You can make an excellent refreshing drink from it.
In addition, oxalis is often used in folk medicine for the treatment of diseases gastrointestinal tract, strengthening the immune system, in the treatment of wounds and various ulcers and a huge number of other pathologies.
How to properly care for a plant
Landing
Prefers loose soil . For planting, use a mixture of 3 parts of leaf soil, peat, humus and sand, taken 1 part each.
To the bottom flower pot A drainage layer of small fragments of brick or expanded clay must be placed. Young plant can be obtained from bulbs, tubers, cuttings and even flower leaves.
Watering and humidity
Kislitsa - moisture-loving plant. In summer, the flower should be watered 2-3 times a week, in addition, it should be sprayed daily. When the temperature drops, watering is reduced, making sure that the soil in the pot remains slightly moist, and spraying of the flower is stopped.
When the dormant period begins, watering is reduced to a minimum. U various types the rest period occurs at different times.
Temperature and lighting
Loves light very much. At home, it should be placed on the south and west sides. Optimal temperature for its development + 20-25°C.
The flower should be protected from direct sunlight. They can cause leaf burns.
Soil and fertilizing
IN active period flower development from April to September, should be applied to the soil complex mineral fertilizers, 1-2 times a month.
You can buy fertilizers at flower shop. The fertilizer concentration indicated in the instructions for sorrel must be reduced by 2 times.
Caring for the plant during the dormant period
With the coming of autumn a period of rest begins. The plant notifies its owners about this by stopping growth and drooping leaves.
It should be trimmed, leaving 1-2 cm of petioles and placed in a dark, cool place. A basement or under a bathtub is perfect. There is no need to water or fertilize the flower during this period.
Flower diseases and pests
Very disease resistant. But if not cared for properly, the flower can still get sick.
- Aphid. To combat, you can use an insecticide solution or remove aphids from the leaves with a soft sponge soaked in a soapy solution.
- Spider mite. The affected leaves are removed and the flower is treated with an insecticide.
- Shchitovka. The control method is the same as for spider mites.
- Gray rot. May occur at low temperatures and excess moisture. The affected leaves are removed and the plant is treated with an insecticide.
Treatment with insecticides is carried out outdoors, wearing rubber gloves.
Transfer
Oxalis is replanted every spring, at the end of the dormant period. For replanting, it is better to use wide flowerpots in which several tubers or bulbs can be placed. This is done to make it more decorative.
The flower is carefully placed in a new pot along with a lump of earth, soil is added and be sure to water.
Reproduction methods
Seeds
Typically, indoor wood sorrel is not propagated by seeds; compared to others, this method of propagation more difficult.
Seeds are sown on top of the substrate. There is no need to cover it with soil.
You just need to cover the box with the seeds with film or glass to create a greenhouse effect. Do not forget to ventilate the seeds and moisten the soil every day. It takes a lot for germination to occur. sunlight and temperature +16-18 degrees.
Tubers and bulbs
Taken for landing from 5 to 10 nodules or bulbs, which are placed in the ground to a depth of 2 cm.
With regular watering and sufficient lighting, in about a month the sorrel will become a fully grown plant.
Cuttings and leaves
To propagate for planting, cuttings or leaves of an adult plant are used.
To begin with, cut a cutting or leaf placed in a glass or small jar of water. After the roots appear and get stronger, the sprout can be planted in the ground.
By dividing the rhizome
After the dormant period is over, the rhizome of an adult plant is pulled out of the ground, treated with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate, then divided into small parts and plant each one separately.
The cut areas must be treated with charcoal.
Problems when growing at home
Kislitsa unpretentious plant, at proper care there are no problems with it. You just need to take a few things into account and take proper care of it.
- Kislitsa does not open leaves. The cause may be dry air or soil.
- Plant fades. If this happens in autumn-winter period, no need to worry. The plant is simply preparing for a period of dormancy. In other cases, the cause may be excess moisture or deficiency in the soil nutrients.
- The leaves are drying up. Check whether the flower is suffering from direct sunlight and whether it has enough moisture.
The most famous types of sorrel
Popular plant with bright purple leaves and small white flowers. It has excellent decorative qualities.
This is often the common name for indoor oxalis. They call her a butterfly for the ability to fold leaves. It comes with purple or green leaves.
Oxalis Regnelli (triangular) small herbaceous plant with leaves of violet, purple, less often Green colour. Surprises with its trifoliate compound leaves triangle shaped.
It is the species of oxalis most similar to clover. Its green leaves are very reminiscent of hearts.
The purple or pink leaves of this species look most like butterflies. It is for this similarity that the species received its name.
Day and night
Day and night - one common name for wood sorrel. Flower got it for the ability to fold leaves in the evening and unfold at sunrise.
Good morning
Many people call the sorrel flower " Good morning" The ability to open the leaves towards the sun gave the flower such a cute name.
Madame Butterfly
Madame butterfly is also, already known to us, sorrel. The butterfly flower fully lives up to its name. Tender leaves of the plant seems to float in the air.
Indoor plants help people who spend most of their lives in concrete multi-story boxes to be closer to nature, teach them to appreciate beauty, help get rid of depression and even heal. For many centuries they remain close to us, decorating and cleaning our homes and making daily life happier and more joyful.