Wood sorrel ∗ The 10 best care and planting tips

Plant wood sorrel properly

The majority of wood sorrel species come from the tropical regions of the world, so they are cultivated as an annual. Wood sorrel (Oxalis acetosella), on the other hand, has a creeping, richly branching rhizome as a persistence organ, so that this species is suitable for ground cover. Moreover, this one will Wood sorrel Used as a medicinal and herbal plant for generations. How to plant correctly:

• In May choose a location in the light shade, with lime-poor, humus-rich, fresh-moist soil
• Dig small pits at a distance of 12-15 cm to enrich the soil with compost
• Insert the potted young plants down to the lower pair of leaves and water them in soft water
• Bulbous sorrel clover approx. Plant 5 cm deep into the substrate

Wood sorrel is often grown in decorative pots so that the leaves are ready to hand on the windowsill for use as a food ingredient. Use acidic bog soil as a substrate and add a drainage made of potsherds over the water drain.

Care tips

The care program for wood sorrel is less of a challenge for the gardener, in contrast to control as lawn weeds. In order to use the positive attributes as an ornamental, medicinal and culinary herb, only the following aspects must be taken to heart:

• Water sorrel regularly with lime-free water
• Organic fertilize from April to July
• Wood sorrel and other perennial species protect in winter with coniferous twigs and compost

Tropical clover beauties, like Mexican Lucky clover, put themselves in the limelight in a charming pot. These wood sorrel species spend the winter on the bright windowsill at cool temperatures between 12 and 15 degrees Celsius.

Which location is suitable?

Wood sorrel prefers a location in light shade, where no blazing sun can damage the delicate leaves and flowers. The plant feels in good hands in the protection of tall shrubs and trees. Lucky clover and its conspecifics like to take a partially shaded place on the balcony.

What soil does the plant need?

So that wood sorrel can fulfill its intended task to the fullest satisfaction, only a lime-poor soil is considered. The soil should be rich in nutrients and fresh and moist. In pots and balcony boxes, the plant gives its best in bog beds or Rhododendron soil, enriched with Lava granules(€ 14.00 at Amazon *) or Expanded clay(€ 16.35 at Amazon *) for good permeability.

When is the flowering time?

The delicate, white or pink flowers unfold from May to June. At this time, the content of ingredients is also at its zenith. After the visible flowers have wilted, the hour for the cleistogamous flowers strikes during the summer. These are buds that won't open. Here pollination takes place in the closed state. This fact in all probability contributes to the fact that wood sorrel is able to expand explosively.

Cut wood sorrel properly

If you cultivate wood sorrel for use as an ornamental, medicinal or kitchen plant, the scissors can only be used for harvesting the leaves. If, on the other hand, you regard the plants as weeds, consistent cutting will buy the clover the cutting edge in the long run. Repeatedly in the bed scythesto mow regularly in the lawn and along the embankment Cutting with scissors leaches the plant and prevents it from seeding.

Pour wood sorrel

Pour wood sorrel in beds and buckets only with lime-free water. Collected rainwater or decalcified tap water is ideal. If the irrigation water can be taken from a pond with nutrient-rich and soft water, there is no need to add additional fertilizer.

Fertilize wood sorrel properly

In an adequate location with humus, nutrient-rich soil, starting fertilization in April in the form of compost is usually sufficient, Horn shavings(€ 32.93 at Amazon *) or nettle manure. If symptoms of deficiency can be recognized, such as yellowed leaves and poor flowers, give an organic fertilizer every 4 weeks. In pot culture, wood sorrel gladly accepts a liquid fertilizer every 3 weeks from May to July.

Overwinter

The vast majority of wood sorrel species come from subtropical countries and are therefore not frost-resistant. This is why Glücksklee and colleagues are tended to be grown in beds or pots as an annual year. After the first frost, the above-ground parts of the plant all die off. Nevertheless, the mother plant took care of its continued existence in advance in the form of seedlings and underground runners. You should therefore cover these planting areas in the garden with coniferous twigs or compost so that wood sorrel can sprout again in the next season. Mexican lucky clover in a pot spends the winter on the bright windowsill at temperatures of 12 to 15 degrees. Wood sorrel cannot tolerate warmer temperatures and direct sunlight during the winter.

Propagate wood sorrel

In order to draw more specimens, the focus is on propagation by means of division. This method works best with wood sorrel or other perennial species. In spring or autumn, dig up a well-established plant, cut up the rhizome and place the segments in the ground at the new location. Direct sowing of the seeds is possible from May, if sufficient protection against pecking birds and voracious snails can be guaranteed.

Wood sorrel poisonous?

It is a very high proportion of oxalic acid that qualifies wood sorrel to be a slightly poisonous plant. If a large amount of this clover acid gets into the human or animal organism, this can lead to symptoms of poisoning. Nausea, vomiting and circulatory problems are to be feared, whereby the individual overdose depends on the respective physical constitution. For small animals such as rabbits, wood sorrel poses a deadly danger even in small quantities, so this plant is not suitable as food.
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How can you effectively control wood sorrel in the lawn?

Above Clover in the lawn nobody can be happy. Since wood sorrel is one of the particularly stubborn lawn weeds, the fight against troubled gardeners causes a lot of headaches. We have put together a brief overview of the most effective methods for you:

• In the early infestation stage, individual plants with the Weed cutter remove
• Larger clover spots with the spade lift out and repair with lawn plaster
• In the event of a minor invasion, mow the lawn briefly, scarify it in a checkerboard pattern, lime it and fertilize it
• Cover the grass area populated with wood sorrel with black foil for 6 to 8 weeks

If these four control methods fail, all that remains is to use the chemical club. Suitable Herbicides are Banvel M lawn weed killers from Compo or Anicon Ultra from Celaflor. These preparations kill wood sorrel without damaging the noble lawn grass.