Oxalis withering away... ?

I recently got some Charmed Wine Oxalis, and immediately re-potted it in some fine coconut coir with some Zebrina that was doing well in my bathroom, and gave it fertilizer-water.

When I was removing the soil, there was only the finest of fine root structure - understandable... since they're supposed to be a bulbous plant. But there didn't appear to be much bulbous-root action either.

The plant only seems to be doing OK. Parts of it seem relatively healthy... but every few days, there's at least one or two kinda slimy limp dead shoots. I know the plant can go dormant... but I don't think dormancy means slimy gross limp dead-looking - and searching for a "dormant Oxalis" picture on the Internet hasn't yielded any results.

Anyone have an idea what's going on? The container is still in my bathroom, about 4-5 feet from the window, and getting plenty of filtered West sunlight. The Zebrina I repotted it with still looks great, I mist/spray them about once a day, and the shower is used twice a day. I don't think it's over watered, I really only "water" it *maybe* once a week. It does get a bit warm in there in the afternooner hours, when the sun gets around to that side of the house.

Thanks so much for any advice you can share!

Rose

Can you post some pictures? Slimy usually suggests rotting which would be from too much moisture. Watering frequency is going to vary based on a number of factors so it's hard to say whether once a week is too much, just right, or too little. If the pot you put it in is very large relative to the size of the plant that makes it much easier to overwater things (especially since you said it doesn't have much in the way of a root system to take up the water), and if your pot doesn't have a drainage hole that could contribute as well. I also seem to remember reading in another thread that coir by itself is not necessarily an ideal potting medium so it may not drain well enough. Misting them once a day when they're already in a humid bathroom is also likely not necessary and could result in them just spending too much time wet as well.

Oxalis needs lots of light to keep it growing thick and healthy. Four to five feet from a filtered western exposure may not be enough. If it's not getting enough light, it might be starting to go dormant. If you are misting it on top of the humidity from your daily showers, it could make the already dormant portions appear seem slimy.

It does sound like a lighter hand on the watering bucket might be helpful. Check the soil at the drain hole - if it feels moist, withhold water until it feels dry. Oxalis will appreciate a soil that you can keep damp (not soggy) but will still have plenty of aeration. I used to tend this plant for my mom in a south window behind shears & used Foliage-Pro 9-3-6 on it because it contains ALL the essential nutrients, but you would do well with any other 3:1:2 ratio fertilizer (like MG 12-4-8 or 24-8-16, both 3:1:2 ratios as well).
No matter what you do, the plants will at times look ratty. They may be telling you they need a rest. I've had good luck withholding water at that time for several weeks and letting the plants die back before starting my water/fertilizer regimen again.

Burned leaf margins could be a sign that soluble salts levels in the soil are too high, or you're using too much fertilizer, but collapsing stems usually meant too much water/too little air in the soil.

Fertilize every couple of weeks with a 1/4 strength dose, ONLY when the plants are growing well, unless you're using a soil that allows you to water profusely at every watering (so at least 10-15% of the total volume of water used exits the drain hole), in which case you can fertilize more frequently at low doses with no concern for salt build-up.

Al

Thanks for the responses... guess I need to try not to kill 'em with kindness! There's new shoots coming up, so it must not be too far gone.

Any idea how long the lifespan should be for a stalk? Is this one of those plants that kinda has stuff in "rotation"?

Thanks again!
Rose

I don't think you could put a time limit on how long a stem with last. It depends greatly on the amount of light they receive and the temperature they are kept at. However, you should allow it to go dormant through the winter months (as you already know). When the day's get shorter the plant will begin to decline. When it doesn't look good anymore, allow it dry out and die back. I take mine to the basement in a dark corner and let it sit until early spring. At that time, I bring it back outside and begin to water it and in no time, it's full and lush again. Years ago, I figured I just killed it and threw it out. If you get a chance to grow them outside you will see how much fuller they get. I have a couple in small pots that look like shrubs. They are inexpensive, easy to care for and gorgeous too. A near perfect plant in my book!

I'm starting to think maybe it isn't a good idea to have this plant in the same pot as the Zebrina... They look really nice with each other, but the Oxalis "special needs" seem like they might require separation...

I haven't had to remove any more yukky stems in a few days...

This message was edited Aug 27, 2009 3:11 PM

This is the light they get at 3:00 in the afternoon, from a west window...

Those are very pretty together. I never thought to pair them up. They must be getting a decent amount of light there. Still, they will triple in size outside or nearer to a bright window.

I just switched the pots to let the Oxalis get a little more light... The Pilea seemed to like it on the back of the tank, and since they're supposed be more tolerant of low light, they should do OK.

I just hope the Zebrina doesn't start going too crazy... I've seen what hideous woody monsters they can grow into at garden centers - and I like these 'lil guys just the way they are. Well, maybe they could grow a little longer down the sides of the pot!

growgirl, when the Oxalis starts to go dormant, what might it look like? Do all the stalks die off and all you're left with is a lump in the dirt where the "bulbs" are?

Thanks!

The stems turn tan and wither away to about the size of thread. They collapse down onto the soil and you can clear them away with a swipe of your hand. After doing so, all you see is an empty looking pot, as the bulbs are below the surface of the dirt. They leave no bumps to indicate where they are. That's why it's so easy to forget they are there and throw the dirt out or plant over them.