Indoor plants are a wonderful decoration for any home. In addition, in addition to beauty, they are beneficial to the health of its inhabitants. Well, if the plant is unpretentious in care, then it has no price at all. It is to such plants that the indoor oxalis belongs, resembling a flock of butterflies that have landed on a bowl.
Oxalis is a very beautiful indoor flower. At first glance, it seems that many butterflies are sitting in a bowl on the branches. It is on butterflies that the leaves of this plant look like, having colors from bright green to dark purple. The flowers of the oxalis also come in different colors, depending on the type of plant. Like the wings of butterflies, the leaves of the sorrel are folded in pairs at night. People also call sour cabbage "hare cabbage", "butterfly", "clover of happiness". This flower in Europe is given for the New Year, so that it brings prosperity and happiness to the house.
General information
In the world there are about eight hundred species of oxalis. This plant was named Oxalis (sour), as the leaves of this plant taste sour. Sour acid juice contains a lot of oxalic acid, vitamin C and carotene. Some species of this plant are even eaten. All types of oxalis differ from each other in the shape and color of leaves and flowers. It can be both perennial and annual. The indoor oxalis is much more beautiful than the forest oxalis. In houses, sour cherry is most often grown, which has a triangular leaf shape and a dark purple color.
Home care
Oxalis is a very unpretentious plant, it easily takes root in the ground and quickly throws shoots. This plant is prkatically not susceptible to disease.
Sour acid care is quite simple:
- the plant loves light, so it can be kept on any window, although it is not desirable on the northern one. In summer, it is better to shade the window a little.
-This flower needs to be watered evenly, it does not like too much moisture and too dry soil. Therefore, when planting acid, a good drainage layer is needed. It is better to choose a wider pot, since the roots of the plant are on top.
- the optimum temperature for keeping it in the summer is from 20 to 25 degrees, and in the winter from 12 to 18.
- in summer and spring, it is necessary to spray the leaves of the acid plant with water.
- this plant loves cleanliness, so you need to remove dry leaves and flowers.
- during flowering, it is advisable to feed the sour cherry once every three weeks.
- after flowering, the sorrel comes to rest. At this time, the plant must be cut almost to the root, leaving stems up to 2 cm high above the ground, put the plant in a cool dark room and reduce watering. When young shoots appear at the acid plant, it must be exposed to the light.
When applying these simple rules in the care of acidic sour, the plant will look gorgeous and delight the eyes of others. But, even if this plant is simply planted in a bowl, placed in a bright place and maintained with sufficient watering, the plant will feel quite comfortable, and dry leaves and flowers will still have to be removed, as they spoil the appearance of the plant. In the spring, indoor sour cherry can be planted in open ground, and in the fall, it can be planted again in a bowl and placed in the room.
Each owner, having started this beautiful plant, over time, develops for himself ways and techniques of caring for it. He sees how, where and under what conditions the plant feels good and what does not suit him.
Reproduction of acid
Oxalis can be propagated in several ways. You can separate the tuber and plant it in the ground, you can tear off a leaf with a part of the stem, put it in water until roots appear (for 40 days), then plant it in the ground. Also, you can propagate oxalis and seeds, but this is a more laborious process. In early spring, it is necessary to prepare a substrate of peat, sand and compost in a ratio of 4: 1: 4, place it in a seedling dish. Spread the seeds over the surface of the soil and cover with glass or foil in order to create a greenhouse environment with high humidity. Move the dish to a cool, well-lit room, periodically remove the glass (film) for ventilation, moisten the crop from a spray bottle.
The most common oxalis in homes
Most often, the following types of acid can be found in houses:
- triangular oxalis with purple leaves
- four-leaved oxalis, the leaves of which have a burgundy base and bright green edges
