Oxalis in the ground

Michael Mace mikemace@att.net
Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:08:34 PDT
>> I would love to hear Mike's success with planting Oxalis in the ground.

Alas, the news is not good.

When I first got my Oxalis bulbs from Michael Vassar, I noticed that a lot
of them (especially the Oxalis obtusa varieties) produced copious offsets.
So I decided to try some of the extras in the ground.  I did it in two
locations:  A flat, well drained area with low competition from other
plants; and a rockery area in which I could slip the bulbs between stones.

Both locations do not get summer water.

In both areas, the bulbs bloomed well the first year, but faded away over
the next couple of years.  Meanwhile, the ones in the pots continued to
reproduce.

I don't know why the ones in ground failed.  Maybe they just don't like the
local soil (which is heavy clay).  I also know that the local mice love to
dig them up and eat them.  But they could not have dug up the bulbs that
were between rocks.  So I have a mystery.

People who think all Oxalis are invasive haven't tried to grow them in the
ground.

Mike
San Jose, CA



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