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#44330 May 14th, 2007 at 05:58 PM
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Is there any way I can avoid "leggy" oxalis? I've got a nice bunch of them, but after woke up, they got really tall and droop over the pot. Should I put them back to sleep ... or ????

Momma41 #44354 May 14th, 2007 at 06:53 PM
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my oxalis get leggy when they don't get enough light. move them closer to their light source.

#50053 May 23rd, 2007 at 06:03 AM
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Thanks Jiffy, that was good advice because I was having the same problem. I moved them to an east facing window and they seem happier as long as a drowned them in water. They really can drink it up. Is that because it is blooming? I have lots of pretty pink flowers on it. And they are so cute opening and closing with the sun.

So how do you "put them to sleep" when the time comes? And how do you know when to do that?

i have the green with purple centers. Should they stay dormant one month or three?

Sorry for all the questions but I've never had these before.


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tkhooper #50185 May 23rd, 2007 at 09:44 AM
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You can start over by cutting it down to the dirt.Then give it plenty of water and it should stay compact as it grows when given enough light.I have very good luck growing them outside with plenty of sun.

littlelizard #50303 May 23rd, 2007 at 01:02 PM
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Outside you say, hummmmmmm...that's tempting. I'm in zone 7 do you think they would survive outside for me?

I'm definitely going to cut half of them down to the ground. I would like to have them more compact.

Thanks for the information.


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tkhooper #50305 May 23rd, 2007 at 01:11 PM
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ok I did it. I cut all of them down except for the short ones that have grown since I moved it and the flower stems. I just love the little flowers.


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tkhooper #50377 May 23rd, 2007 at 05:32 PM
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They should be alright I live in zone six and have great luck.

littlelizard #51219 May 24th, 2007 at 06:58 PM
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I cut mine down to about 4 inches when I put it outside about a week ago - they had grown ridiculously long and were flopping all the way over. I then put it outside on my deck - gets mid-day sun and is then shaded. It has new leaves and lots of flowers - YEA!

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Why are the leaves not all the same?
Before I put it outside, they were all the dark red centers!
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plants 'n pots #51232 May 24th, 2007 at 07:43 PM
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The leaves with only a purple outline could be sports or reverting back to the dominant parent, which might have been a solid green leaf.

Cut the two outlined leafs off. The newer smaller leaves look to have the purple centers so reverting might be the reason for the outlined leaves.

These plants can be planted in the ground, dug up in the fall to dry out, stored and replanted the following spring when ones frost date has passed.


herbalyn #51282 May 25th, 2007 at 03:48 AM
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Hey Loz yours and mine are the same. I have one of those with the purple outline too.


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tkhooper #51342 May 25th, 2007 at 05:22 AM
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I have a "Lucky" Oxalis as part of an outside pot on my east facing porch. It gets morning sun. I know little to nothing about this plant. Am I doing something wrong?? It is sounding like I can bring it in in the fall?? and what is "drying it out"?? I am all for saving as many of my flowers for next year as possible.


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JunieGirl #51448 May 25th, 2007 at 06:40 AM
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Hey Tammy... it's Lynne... not loz! lol :wink:

Junie - the only oxalis I have wintered indoors so far, was in a small pot - I got some from Cindy a little over a year ago. It did extremely well all year, until I moved it to a different window, and then had to be away unexpectedly for a week. My husband is not "plant oriented" at all, and didn't water any of them while I was gone - quite a few of them fried! :mad: boohoo

It has taken from mid-March while I was away, til just this week for Cindy's to show some signs of life again, but it's greening up, and I am THRILLED! clap flwr


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plants 'n pots #51647 May 25th, 2007 at 04:00 PM
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Sorry Lynne, I'm loosing what little mind I have left. I read over my posts and they don't even make sense to me half the time.

I'll try to do better.

I'm glad to hear that they can come back like that. I always worry when it comes to plants that go dormant. I haven't had a bunch of luck with those yet.


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herbalyn #51731 May 25th, 2007 at 06:00 PM
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Originally Posted by herbalyn


These plants can be planted in the ground, dug up in the fall to dry out, stored and replanted the following spring when ones frost date has passed.



Forgive my not knowing, but how does one do that??


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JunieGirl #51853 May 25th, 2007 at 10:07 PM
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One spring I had 6 burgundy oxalis left over from a plant exchange. Since I did not want 6 more houseplants I stuck them in the front of my perennial bed as a border. They multiplied all summer.

Before the first frost I dug them out as one would cannas. Shook off most of the soil, put them in a wide wash tub foliage and all and let them decompose. When they got slimy I dumped them into another tub so the top could dry and kept doing that till I had a mass of dried bulblets. Store them dry in the tub in a basement over the winter. In late spring after your area frost date, spread them on the ground, pat them in, water, and they will take off. Feed over the summer as you would any flowering perennial.

Outside they look like fluttering purple butterflies.

As a houseplant oxalis growing season is from fall to late spring, at which time the leaves and stems will start to fall off and the plant will go dormant. The plant needs a dark spot and no water so it can rest. Then it is brought out in the fall, watered, put in the light and it grows again. Planting outside reverses the process. Right now oxalis is almost given away at nurseries that sell houseplants. I saw some in 6" pots for $1.50. Those can be divided into three or four plants. That's quite a bargin for an edging plant.

herbalyn #51857 May 26th, 2007 at 03:04 AM
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I wish I had the fully purple.


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herbalyn #51895 May 26th, 2007 at 07:27 AM
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herbalyn thanks so much--I have really learned alot.


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