Thursday, March 15, 2012

Oxalis over winter

From here:
Oxalis that are grown from bulbs require lots of water; they wilt if the soil is allowed to dry out. They will sometimes wilt during the hottest part of a hot summer day and it’s therefore best to protect them from strong midday sun. They are also heavy feeders and should be planted in a well-drained planting medium to which some soil or compost has been added. During the growing season they require regular applications of fertilizer or their foliage will etiolate.
In the fall, if the plant is not being overwintered in a bright indoor location, pots of oxalis bulbs can be allowed to dry off by withholding water. The pots should be moved inside before there is a danger that the bulbs will freeze, although the foliage can be exposed to frost as that will hasten its drying off. The pots with their bulbs can then be stored in a cool, dark location for the winter.
In early March the pots can be brought out of storage and watered. New growth will soon appear at which time the plants should be placed in strong direct light. By mid-May, when they are put outside, they will already be in bud. If the bulbs have been potted for a couple of years, they should be dumped out of their pots in the spring and the bulbs collected. They can be replanted, about three cm apart in new potting mix, and given water and good direct light to encourage growth.

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