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You don’t have to be
Irish to wear green on St. Patrick’s day, and you don’t really need a green
thumb or a Leprechaun to grow shamrocks indoors.
Most ‘Shamrocks’ sold in
garden stores or florists are a member of the Oxalis family (or wood
sorrels) which contains more than 300 species. Most grow from small bulbs
or tuberous roots, some are green and some have maroon leaves, and most fold
up their leaves at night and open during the day. White clover, black
medic, hop clover, and four leaf clovers have also been portayed as
Shamrocks. But the true Irish Shamrock is Trifolium dubium, which is a
yellow flowered clover, and unfortunately is not easy to grow indoors…thus
it’s the Oxalis plants, which are fairly easy to grow indoors, that are sold
instead.
So, how do you take care
of your ‘Shamrock’?
Shamrocks like cool air
(low 70’s during the day and 50 – 65 degrees at night). Warmer temperatures
make them go dormant quicker.
Shamrocks like moist
well drained soil. Let them dry just slightly between waterings, but don’t
let them totally dry out.
Shamrocks like bright
light while growing indoors. If you use an artificial light, keep it on for
12-14 hours each day.
Shamrocks like to be
feed every 2-3 weeks when they’re actively growing or flowering (usually
winter and spring), and not so often when they stop blooming or slow down in
growth. Using a water soluble fertilizer like Miracle Gro works just fine.
And do remember that
most (but not all) Shamrocks will go dormancy period (s) during the year.
Leaves begin to yellow, the plant looks tired and just shuts down. Stop
watering, cut off dead foliage, and place it in a cool dark area. When new
leaves begin to appear, bring it back out and start the growing cycle all
over again. |
