Comments on: Shamrocks (Oxalis)

By: judy tooley

judy tooley — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:53:27 +0000

Drooping leaves
Now that my shamrocks have made it through the windows
being changed. I noticed when I got home today that
the one I started last year is drooping. It’s been
very healthy up until now. Is there something wrong?
I also bought a new purple shamrock with the big leaves.
The ones that are drooping are the green ones with a
slight purple underneath.
judy tooley

Hi Judy
It could be exposure to colder temperatures. Any disrubtion in their normal environment can stress the plant causing the leaves to droop. Wait and see, it should send out new leaves.

By: judy tooley

judy tooley — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:04:47 +0000

I will tell you one thing about my shamrocks. I had this one pot of
shamrocks that I bought at walmart that is pretty healthy and when I
pulled off the dead leaves, I accidently uprooted just one of them
and planted it in another pot which at the time was just one leaf.
Now this one leaf has grown into dozens full of blooms. I noticed that
during Lent that my shamrocks bloom the most during the year. Now
that I’m getting new windows tomorrow I’m worried that it might hurt
my plants since it will only get up to 48 degrees. How do I keep them warm?
judy tooley

Hi Judy
Put your shamrock plants in a box or cooler to keep them warm, although I think they would survive 48 degrees for a short time.

By: jeffsteward

jeffsteward — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 22:55:26 +0000

What should I do if I put my plant away for rest period (so I can separate anmake more plants) and it blooms a large amount in my gararge?

Hi Jeff
Apparently, your shamrock is done resting. Bring it inside and enjoy the flowers.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:55:32 +0000

I have a beautiful green oxalis (indoor houseplant) that I’ve had for several years and it has never gone dormant. It now seems like it is bursting out of it’s pot…the center cluster of leaves/flowers are perky and pretty, but the outside leaves are droopy. I’ve had a number of people tell me that I need to divide and re-pot, but I’m afraid of killing it! I know you’ve answered a number of questions on how to do this, but could you give me idiot-proof directions? Even after reading all of the above, I’m still confused. What is a corm? What is a tuber? What do these things look like? When I take my plant and ease it out of it’s pot and dump it on the table, then what? You said to repot when it is dormant, but my plant has never been dormant. I’ve seen, too, that the corms/tubers/whatevers need to have “eyes.” What does this mean? I am really dumb with this stuff…it is a miracle my plant has survived this long with me caring for it and I am so scared to re-pot it. Any help would be much appreciated!!

P.S. I live in eastern PA and it is now COLD here…even though my plant is inside, should I wait till spring?

By: Jane Robbins

Jane Robbins — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 18:04:19 +0000

Pill bugs
I have a very old Shamrock that has grown very well. From time to time it’s leaves become lighter and not very happy. In the past I have given it a “haircut” and trimmed all the leaves off. It always recovers nicely. Today after it’s “haircut” I noticed a couple of roly-poly bugs on the pot. I kept it in the sink and washed the bugs down the drain. I kept watering the plant every few minutes and managed to “flush” out about 20 of these bugs. Do you think the bugs were the problem or has it been going dormant?

Hi Jane
It doesn’t sound as if the roly-poly bugs are the problem. They sound like Pill bugs. They could be minimally feeding on the roots but for the most part feed on decaying organic material and will not harm the plant. Your shamrock may have been trying to going dormant at times. You don’t mention any fertilization. A houseplant fertilizer once a month when it starts to grow again will help perk up the plant.

By: Ashton

Ashton — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:43:15 +0000

Purple shamrock hardiness
Also, if i plant the bulbs outside in a flower bed….will the bulbs freeze and die in the winter and not come back the next year or will they come back when the weather is nice…..and when is a good time for me to plant the bulbs in the flower bed?

Hi Ashton
Purple shamrock are not hardy. They are a native of Brazil. If you live in a frost-free area, then you can plant them outdoors in early spring. Keep in mind, that some complain that they can get invasive. If you have freezing winters, then you need to grow them in a container and bring it indoors for the winter.

By: Ashton

Ashton — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:37:52 +0000

Okay…I absolutely love my purple shamrock plants. I have a couple questions on care though….i live in albuquerque and in the summers here it gets pretty hot, i wanted to plant some oxalis bulbs in my front lawn in a flower bed this summer. when is a good time to do so, if this is even something that would work? Also what is the smallest size pot they should be planted in? I have a couple bulbs planted in very small like 2inch pots because they are “cute” haha. anyhow thanks for the help!

Hi Ashton
You can plant purple shamrocks outdoors in your flowr bed in late winter/early spring as soon as any danger of frost has passed.
It sounds like you’re having fun planting them in pots! I would plant 3-5 in a 4 inch pot depending on how big the bulbs are to allow room for more growth. They will spread. A 6 inch pot can hold 6-9 tubers. Have fun.

By: Jackie

Jackie — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 00:05:22 +0000

Dormant?
A friend gave me her Oxalis plant before she moved to Arizona. She could not take it on the plane. It had originally been her mom’s. It bloomed right after I brought it home and I took that as a good sign, but since then the leaves have been dying off and getting fewer. Should I just let it go dormant?? Is that what it is trying to tell me?? I don’t want it to die. What should I do?

Hi Jackie
Your oxalis plant is most likely going dormant. Let it go and it might perk up in early spring. The shock of being moved probably didn’t help. Check the corms to see if they are firm and make sure the soil drains well when you water. Be careful not to over water esp. in winter.

By: Meda

Meda — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 17:42:26 +0000

hola feliz año, una pregunta cuando se puede ó se debe sembrar el Oxalis regnellii (treblo morado)

Gracias

By: Katie

Katie — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:36:15 +0000

Hello there. I have had a green shamrock plant for two years now and it has always done very well, even in the window in my dorm room. However, I’ve noticed that it’s starting to look a little “sad” – even new leaves are droopy and purple, and there aren’t near as many shoots as there were in the summertime, when it was flourishing. However, there’s quite an abundance of white blooms on it, which gives me hope. I’m really attached to this plant, so I’d appreciate any insight. Thanks!

Hi Katie
Your shamrock may be going into a dormant stage (resting).