# Oxalis



## Trithor (Nov 10, 2013)

Does anyone have a way of getting rid of oxalis? From pots it is not too difficult, just repot the plant, paying close attention to plucking all the oxalis out from between the growths and roots. But how do you get rid of it from a basket, short of destroying the plant and its container?


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## ALToronto (Nov 10, 2013)

New one for me - what is it? A type of fungus?


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## Paphluvr (Nov 10, 2013)

ALToronto said:


> New one for me - what is it? A type of fungus?


No, it's a weed kind of like clover that gets small flowers that develope into seed pods. When the pods are ripe they split open and spray the seeds everywhere. If you're in a quit spot when it happens you can hear the seeds hitting things a fair distance away.


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## Secundino (Nov 10, 2013)

There are hundreds of _Oxalis_ - alone in southern Africa - and some of them are difficult to erradicate. If you mean those that make tubers and/or bulbs, there is no other way than repotting and getting rid of EVERY little piece; wash the roots and look again for any left. 
The little ones, without tubers but lots of seeds - well, if you can't beat them, join them. I have them in some baskets and after a few year I like them. Nothing to do, as far as I know.


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## NYEric (Nov 10, 2013)

If you pull the leaves enough times they die off.


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## gonewild (Nov 10, 2013)

Learn to pull the oxalis with one hand. 
Grasp the plants close to the base and giggle as you slowly pull. If you get good at it the roots come out. 

Keep a glass of wine or bottle of beer in the other hand and enjoy the sport.


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## SlipperFan (Nov 10, 2013)

If you are very careful, you can take a small paint brush and paint roundup on the leaves.


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## cattmad (Nov 10, 2013)

with genera like cattleys I have used roundup very weakly at about 20ml to 100 litres with fertilizer, gets rid of oxalis and the catts dont seem to mind, even the ones in spag. 

I would not recommend that for paphs & phrags though.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Nov 10, 2013)

I've heard that tiny drops of Round-up, using an eyedropper, can work. I find oxalis more of a pain with my cacti. The spines get in the way, so I can't pull it up....and Oxalis is very drought tolerant. Even several months without water won't kill it.


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## Trithor (Nov 10, 2013)

I am busy with my seasonal re-pot (I generally re-pot every second year, and do half the collection at a time). This year I have decided to do my whole collection in an attempt to get rid of the oxalis once and for all. About 5 years ago there was non of it, but then I brought home a raffle plant in a basket that was full of oxalis. As much as I tried to pluck the oxalis out from between the growths, I could not, and over the next couple of years it spread to nearly all my baskets, and from there it was just gravity to the benches below
I follow the 'Gonewild' method religiously, but I am slowly drowning in wine and the oxalis has got me beat! It is the source in the hanging baskets that I need to eradicate. I will try selective and careful paintbrush Ridder.


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## abax (Nov 11, 2013)

It's the English Ivy of the pot plant world! Good luck with the paint brush.


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## jhbgrower (Nov 11, 2013)

Oxalis in South Africa has adapted to the climate and conditions by developing bulbs. To just pull it out will thus not work, since some of the bulbs are so small one cant even see it. 

Removing the current substrate and rising the roots will be the best option I think.


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## John M (Nov 11, 2013)

Gary, I know the type of Oxalis you are having issues with. It has yellow flowers and long tap roots, not little bulbs....and it spreads like crazy by seed. Hint: when you use a bit of Round-up, don't use it as a liquid. You WILL lose a drop onto the roots of your orchid and that will be death to the plant. First of all, repot and pull those tap roots as much as you can. Then, when the Oxalis begins to come back, Mix a tiny amount of the Round-up concentrate with some thick, heavy yogurt or warm, smooth peanut butter, etc. You want to make a nice, smooth "non-drip" paste. That way, you will not have any accidental drops getting onto your orchids as you work. Don't forget that you don't need to paint every leaf, just one or two on a plant with suckers and runners, will do the job. The poison travels down the stem to the tap root and kills it. Repeat applications to the same pots, as more Oxalis grows, will be necessary until all the seeds that lie dormant on the surface of your pots has germinated and been treated.


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## Dido (Nov 11, 2013)

good luck this bastard turned into cold resistent here too, you cannot kill it only by hand and round up....
I feel with you, nearly every cyp pot it is in....


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## Trithor (Nov 11, 2013)

Back from work, repot another 50 or so paphs, then I indulged in the 'Lance Method', a cold glass of white wine and wiggle them oxalis!
The reality is that the repotting will remove 90%, but unless I attend to all the 'shadecloth plants', it will all have been a waste of time. I guess I am going to have to use the 'JohnM' method and put the oxalis on a diet of poisoned peanut butter


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## jtrmd (Nov 11, 2013)

I just pull it as I see it. I used Round up,but it always found a way back into the GH somehow. All that work with a q-tip to only see it again a month or two later. I assume the seeds from outside are finding their way through the Swamp Cooler. They may even be in the mix I buy from OFE for all I know. At least you only have Oxalis. I have ferns that like to pop up from time to time also.lol!


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## Missgreen (Nov 12, 2013)

I eat it. Yummy


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## cnycharles (Nov 12, 2013)

Missgreen said:


> I eat it. Yummy



Be careful; some of the oxalis family (or all, not sure) have oxalates, or oxalis acid. I believe it is somewhat persistent in the human body, and not for doing good... Other tasty greens in North America also have oxalates in small quantities (like lambs-quarters) so you have to be careful what and how much of some things you eat
I'd be happy if someone were able to confirm or clarify this a bit as most of this was told to me over time by different people


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## ALToronto (Nov 12, 2013)

Oxalic acid leads to bone loss. Don't know if it has other negative effects, but this alone is a big one for me.

We have tons of it outside, but so far, I've avoided pot infestations.


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## John M (Nov 12, 2013)

cattmad said:


> with genera like cattleys I have used roundup very weakly at about 20ml to 100 litres with fertilizer, gets rid of oxalis and the catts dont seem to mind, even the ones in spag.
> 
> I would not recommend that for paphs & phrags though.



Talk about "Playing with Fire"!!! I would NEVER, EVER spray any plant that I wanted to keep alive with a herbicide, no matter how diluted, *period*.


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## NYEric (Nov 13, 2013)

I found oxalis seed on my walls about 5' high above the plants!


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## Trithor (Nov 13, 2013)

Sometimes when I water, I can feel the seeds hitting my face as the water causes the pods to explode. So it does not take long for the plants to start sprouting all over. Another amazing thing is how quickly the tap root grows!


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## gotsomerice (Nov 13, 2013)

Not A Fan Of Monsanto!


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## sweaver24 (Nov 16, 2013)

I just pull it whenever it pops up. But it's quite a survivor, and no matter how thorough I am, I still find a tiny plant every once in awhile. 

Interestingly, there's a greenhouse near me that sells the stuff--different varieties that they claim are cultivars and rare varieties. So far I haven't been tempted to buy any. 

There used to be a commercial orchid grower here in town that had quite a bit of oxalis in many of their pots. One of the growers tried to tell me it was some sort of "ornamental ground cover." I do admire clever marketing strategies, but that was probably going a bit too far.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Nov 16, 2013)

Oxalis species can be really great, mainly in the yard. Not all are annoying pests. O. adenophylla has gorgeous grey-green corrugated leaves. Unfortunately I have never kept it alive past a season or 2. But the purple "shamrock" Oxalis that are sold everywhere are great. I planted mine in my yard, comes back very well every year.


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## Ray (Nov 17, 2013)

SlipperFan said:


> If you are very careful, you can take a small paint brush and paint roundup on the leaves.



I use a q-tip.


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## cnycharles (Nov 17, 2013)

We have trifolium (purple leaves) in pots out in one of the greenhouses right now


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## ALToronto (Nov 17, 2013)

cnycharles said:


> We have trifolium (purple leaves) in pots out in one of the greenhouses right now



This is like selling dandelions - I actually saw someone at an organic farmers market selling some "non-invasive, edible" varieties. I didn't buy any.


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## SlipperFan (Nov 17, 2013)

Non-invasive dandelions? I don't think so!!!


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Nov 17, 2013)

In the yard it's not invasive. My small clump comes back every year, but never spreads no gets larger.


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## orcoholic (Nov 18, 2013)

Ray said:


> I use a q-tip.



Do you need to take the wax off first?


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## cnycharles (Nov 18, 2013)

ALToronto said:


> This is like selling dandelions - I actually saw someone at an organic farmers market selling some "non-invasive, edible" varieties. I didn't buy any.



 if they plant it I try to grow it. As irony, there are some pots that have weeds bigger than the oxalis (it's not as vigorous as the light green variety that's in orchid pots and everywhere else  )


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## Trithor (Nov 18, 2013)

I have quite a few pots where the paph has disappeared and there is only oxalis left. I like to think that the disappearing paph is the result of the oxalis rather than my poor culture.


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## orcoholic (Nov 18, 2013)

There is a product called Diuron 80. It kills the oxalis and doesn't seem to effect the orchids. I've used it twice - both times several years ago - with no apparent harm to the orchids. Diuron 80 is a powder and is not expenxive. It also comes in liquid form, but the name escapes me.

I'm pretty sure it's been used by Hawaiian growers for a long time. Tom or John from Parkside told me about it and I guess their Hawaiian suppliers told them about it.

It was not easy to find, but a local Agway (farm supply store) got it for me.


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