Kislitsa - care and reproduction at home, photo species

Kislitsa (oxalis) (Oxalis) - unpretentious perennial herbaceous plant of the sour family widespread in indoor and garden floriculture. The birthplace of sour - Mexico and the countries of South Africa. In nature, it is often found in moderately warm areas of Europe, South and Central America.

Oxygen grows rapidly, forming many rosettes in the process of growth, consisting of three- or four-lobed leaves on long petioles. The color of leaf blades, depending on the variety, varies from emerald green to dark purple.

Be sure to pay attention to the beautiful nightshade plant.

Oxal blooms in medium-sized single flowers collected in umbrella inflorescences. Petals of different varieties can be painted in white, pink, red or yellow.

Useful properties of acid

Oxygen is known to folk medicine as a plant that has a beneficial effect on the human digestive system (stimulating appetite, accelerating metabolic processes, relieving heartburn). Decoctions and infusions from the leaves of the plant are sometimes used to lower blood pressure, treat stomatitis and diathesis.

However, it is important to know that oxalis is a poisonous plant, with prolonged use it can cause nausea, digestive upset, and kidney problems.

Sour: home care. Briefly

Caring for acid at home. In detail

Flowering sour

The sour plant at home usually blooms throughout the summer. At this time, long thin stalks regularly appear above the leaves, bearing umbrella inflorescences, combining several medium-sized white, pink, red or yellow flowers.

Temperature mode

Oxygen grows well in a cool room at an air temperature of about + 18 ° C, but higher temperatures are not afraid of it either, it is able to endure heat without loss of decorativeness up to + 25 ° C.

In the cold season, for a full wintering, the plant is transferred to a room where the air temperature is + 12- + 15 ° С (only for Depp acid, warmer conditions are needed - at least + 16 + 18 ° С).

Spraying

Sour acid does not have special requirements for environmental humidity, it can grow without damage to health in the rather dry air of urban apartments.

However, in the hot season, it is better to periodically spray the plant with clean water so that it does not lose its decorative effect.

Lighting

Photophilous acid but she needs direct sunlight in a very limited amount. The plant is best kept on the eastern or western windowsill, in the morning putting a flower pot on the sunniest window in the house. With a critical lack of light, the plant ceases to bloom and slows in growth, its leaves stretch and turn pale.

Watering Sour

Domestic acid loves water, but does not tolerate waterlogged soil: with stagnation of moisture at the roots, the plant often rots. In summer, oxalis is watered every 3-5 days with warm, settled water. In autumn and winter, the frequency and volume of irrigation is reduced to the minimum possible: the soil is moistened a little, not allowing it to dry out.

Sour pot

In order for the surface root system of the sour to develop well, a shallow but wide capacity is selected for the plant.

A thick layer of drainage is necessarily poured to the bottom of the pot so that moisture does not stagnate at the roots.

Priming

The substrate for growing oxalis is selected light, nutritious, necessarily slightly acidic. The soil mixture can be prepared independently from garden soil, horse peat, humus and sand (perlite). The components are taken in a ratio of 2: 2: 2: 1 and mixed thoroughly.

Fertilizer and fertilizer

Caring for acid at home involves regular dressing of the plant with complex mineral compounds during the period of active vegetation. Fertilize enough once every 3-4 weeks, while it is recommended to use a half dose of drugs so as not to overfeed the flower.

Transfer

Young plants grow very fast, therefore, they need new, more spacious pots every year. Transplantation of sour acid that has reached adulthood can be carried out less often - once every 2-3 years.

The procedure is best performed in the spring, until the plants start to grow actively, by the method of transshipment, when the old earthen lump is completely preserved when transplanted into a new pot.

Acid pruning

Pruning is not necessary for the plant, since sour acid at home with proper care and itself forms beautiful compact bushes. To maintain a decorative appearance, you can periodically pluck out too long or vice versa short leaves, as well as remove wilted flowers along with peduncles.

Rest period

The plant goes to rest in winter, a signal for the onset of the dormant period is often the mass drying of the leaves for no apparent reason. During wintering, the acid is transferred to a cooler room and its watering is reduced to the minimum necessary. When young shoots begin to appear from the bulbs - the dormant period is over, the plant is returned to a well-lit window.

Growing acid from seeds

Oxygen seeds are sown superficially in containers filled with loose nutrient soil, sprayed crops from the spray bottle and covered with a film or glass. With sufficient lighting, regular watering and ventilation of the greenhouse, shoots appear after 10-30 days.

When the seedlings form 2-3 real leaflets, they can be neatly diced into individual containers for further cultivation.

Reproduction of acidification by division

Propagating sour acid is very easy. The plant forms many nodules throughout life, which quickly overgrow with new shoots and foliage. When transplanting, the mother bush is divided into parts, trying not to injure rather fragile roots. The resulting delenki are planted in new pots and left in a well-lit place without watering until a young shoot appears. Further, the new sour ones are looked after as usual.

Propagation of acidity by stem cuttings

On the mother plant, shoots with several leaves are selected, cut off and put into water to form strong roots. When the roots reach a length of 1.5-2 cm, the plant is planted in a pot with a light, loose substrate.

Diseases and Pests

Domestic acid is rarely sick, it endures tolerably not the most favorable growing conditions like low air temperature, too dry air, insufficient lighting. However, some errors in the care can still cause damage to the health and attractive appearance of the plant:

• Oxalis rot with excessive watering and stagnation of moisture in the soil. In this case, all damaged areas are immediately removed, after the diseased acidic is better to transplant into a fresh substrate and in the future carefully monitor compliance with the irrigation regimen.
• Dry leaves of sour when the plant is in the sun for a long time and at the same time it is not timely watered The dried-up foliage is removed along with the petioles, after which the optimal regime of watering and lighting is adjusted.
• Kislitsa does not bloom, if she is too hot or not enough sunlight. it is better to keep the plant on a well-lit window, shading from the bright sun.
• Tubers rot if during planting they were too deep in the soil or the plant is kept in the cold for a long time. In this case, it is better to transplant the sour acid and transfer it to a warmer room.
• Oxygen growing slowly in low light. Being in the shade, it sometimes even blooms, but cannot form a lush bush.
• Burns on the leaves appear under the influence of direct sunlight. The plant should be shaded from the hot sun or even removed for a while from an overly lit window sill.

Pests infrequently "encroach" on acid, but sometimes it is still attacked by a mealybug, whitefly, scutellaria, and spider mites. It is best to deal with them with special insecticides.

Types of homemade acid with photos and names

Bowl Oxide (Oxalis bowiei)

A compact variety with small light green triple leaflets and graceful pink flowers rising above the greenery on long thin peduncles.

Oxalis deppei (Oxalis deppei)

An unusual variety of oxalis, in which small bright scarlet flowers and spectacular four-lobed leaves of two-tone color (maroon core and grassy green edges).

Purple Oxalis (Oxalis purpurea)

A tiny plant with bright pink or white flowers and rounded three-lobed leaves of a gray-green hue, the surface of which is slightly pubescent.

Red Oxalis (Oxalis rubra)

A fairly large variety (up to 40 cm high) with three-bladed fleecy leaves of a juicy green hue and small saturated red or pale pink flowers.

Oxalis ortgiasii

A common variety with medium-sized bright yellow flowers and ternate reddish-brown leaves, whose segments are heart-shaped and pubescent.

Triangular Oxalis (Oxalis triangularis) or Regnella Oxalis, purple

A fast-growing variety with dark purple three-lobed leaves, the edges of which are decorated with dark purple border. It blooms with small milky-white or pinkish flowers, collected in inflorescences of several pieces.

Ferruginous Oxalis (Oxalis adenophylla)

A decorative ground cover variety with silver-green cirrus leaves, dissected into many fragments, and large pink-lilac flowers, the petals of which are covered with a network of raspberry veins, and the core is painted in maroon.