How to Care For an Irish Shamrock Houseplant
St. Patrick's Day is once again nearly upon us. If your lucky enough (pun intended!) to get an Irish Shamrock houseplant as a gift, you're going to want to know how to take proper care of it.
Shamrock is a type of oxalis. Oxalis plants are easy to grow and take proper care of if you keep these three important things in mind.
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Instructions
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Place your Irish Shamrock houseplant in a sunny or partly sunny window. Irish Shamrock plants must have sunlight to thrive. Take care that you do not allow your Shamrock to touch the window in any way as the heat can scorch the leaves.
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Keep the soil moist but never soggy. Some peat moss on the top or making use of the new watering systems such as Aquaglobes are a good idea if you are afraid you'll allow your shamrock to dry out. If you allow your shamrock plant to be kept in soggy conditions, the roots could mold and kill your lucky shamrock. May not feel like such a lucky omen when this happens! This is why I love the Aquaglobes.
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In the winter, your plant will go dormant. When this happens, let it go without water for a couple of months and keep it in a dark, cool area like a well insulated garage or basement. Don't worry, your shamrock will come back to life when the dormant season is over. To guage this time, monitor the trees and plants outside. When they start to sprout and gain new leaves, it's time that you begin warming it up and watering it. Similar to poinsettia care.
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Tips & Warnings
If your shamrock's root ball is a tangled mass, you can divide it (during the dormant season) by cutting it in half and then in half again with a sharp knife. You can then re-pot your new tubers.
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Comments
View all 15 Comments-
hi I wonder if any one can help me.My shamrock plant I brought as a tiny little snippet is growing like lightening.What do I do with it? The pot it is ion is too small.Do I re pot it or doesn't go outside? Ii have no idea I have never had one before......please help.
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my shamrock's have gone a bit stringy!
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2hope4
Apr 24, 2010
Can you help me? I have my Mom's shamrock plant and it's never looked as nice as when she had it. Right now it's looking nearly dead. Since watering and letting it drain well have not improved it, I've been letting it go somewhat dry and now it's developed a couple new shoots but I'm still not too optomistic. But I've never known about it's need for a dormant period, so I have not given it one for more than 3 years. Can I put it in a dark cool place now even though it is April? I'm very sentimental over it and would hate to lose it! -
aliveinhim
Mar 30, 2009
Great article! Thought I'd pass along that African Violet planters are ideal for growing oxalis. No worries about rot, since the tubers are kept nicely moist, never soggy, by the unglazed inner pot absorbing water through its walls from the water-filled outer pot. I live in a high desert climate so appreciate the convenience of not having to be tied to constantly checking the moisture level of the planting soil. I've had one oxalis in such a planter for nearly ten years!
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aliveinhim
Mar 30, 2009
Great article! Thought I'd pass along that African Violet planters are ideal for growing oxalis. No worries about rot, since the tubers are kept nicely moist, never soggy, by the unglazed inner pot absorbing water through its walls from the water-filled outer pot. I live in a high desert climate so appreciate the convenience of not having to be tied to constantly checking the moisture level of the planting soil. I've had one oxalis in such a planter for nearly ten years!
