Tuberous acidic cultivation. Photos with a description of garden and indoor species of oxalis kislitsa
Kislitsa tuberous Kislitsa is known, perhaps, by everyone - different types this plant is found everywhere in Russia, and some have even become weeds in vegetable gardens. But the oxalis tuberosa (Oxalis tuberosa) is very rare in our country. Not surprisingly, her homeland is Central and South America. In Colombia, Peru, Bolivia and Chile, it is grown everywhere along with potatoes and is called "oka". Outwardly, the plant is inconspicuous, and its main value is underground. The tubers of this sour cherry contain a lot of starch - up to 25%. They are covered with fleshy scales, have a crispy flesh and a pungent taste. According to the level of oxalic acid content, the varieties are divided into two groups: sour varieties and sweet ones. And the color of the tubers are white, yellow, pink, bright red and purple. Interestingly, tuberous oxalis is not found in the wild. And it is impossible to propagate it by seeds - the flowers are sterile. It is bred exclusively with tubers. Growing conditions It is often written that the conditions for this vegetable are the same as for potatoes. In fact, they just prefer the same soil - loose and fertile. And they love the abundance of light. And then there are solid differences. This tubers ripen for a very long time - up to 160 days. Therefore, in the middle lane, it must be grown through seedlings: at the beginning of April, the tubers are planted in pots, at the end of May, the seedlings are transferred to the garden. But this is not a guarantee of success: the main problem is that in their homeland tuberous oxalis is grown in the mountains, at an altitude of 3000-4000 m. And it is cool there. At temperatures above 30 ° C, it stops growing. Therefore, in a hot summer, to get a harvest from her in open ground it is almost unrealistic - nodules begin to tie only at the end of August, when the heat subsides (the temperature for sour cherry should not be higher than 25 ° C). And they would begin to ripen only in November, but at this time it is already very cold. Therefore, this wonderful vegetable can be grown only in regions with cool summers and, preferably, in a greenhouse in order to extend the frost-free season. Leaving It is not necessary to water the sour cherry infrequently - once a week is quite enough. The norm is 5 liters per bush. Ate "to drink" more often, she develops a superficial root system and few nodules are formed. Tubers near the sour cherry are formed at the ends of the stolons, so the plants must be spud: the higher, the greater the yield. And at the same time, hilling will help save space - as the shoots grow, the shoots fall on the ground and each bush occupies a fairly decent area. With hilling, they do not fall and you can plant tubers more often. Usage Sour cherry tubers are used in the same way as potatoes - they are boiled, fried, baked and stewed. The Indians freeze and dry them. Washed frozen tubers are called "ohaya" - they are classified as the highest quality product. Flour is made from groaning, and desserts and cereals are made from it.
Tuberous oxalis (Latin Oxalis tuberosa)- a herbaceous tuberous perennial plant of the genus Kislitsa (Latin Oxalis), belonging to the family of the same name Kislichnye (Latin Oxalidaceae). The high nutritional value of Kislitsa tubers, combined with the plant's unpretentiousness to living conditions, makes the cultivation of Kislitsa tuberous in difficult climatic conditions The Andes, from Venezuela to Argentina, are very popular. In terms of cultivation volumes, Kislitsa is second only to potatoes.
What's in your name
There are no difficulties with respect to the Latin name of this plant, since Russian name is a literal translation of its Latin counterpart. That is, both the generic name and the specific epithet in Latin, "Oxalis tuberosa", mean exactly "Tuberous acid".Much more confusion arises with the local names of the plant, since the people of each country where edible roots are grown give the plant its own name. So, for example, in Bolivia it is "Apilla" or "Apina". The latter is also typical for Peru. In Brazil, its name echoes the name "Batata" (Sweet Potato) and sounds like "Batata-baroa" or "mandioquinha". In Colombia, there are as many as three names: "Hibia", "Huasisai", "IBI". In Venezuela, there are as many as four ... In New Zealand and Polynesia, where Tuberous acid has taken root well, it is called "Yam" (Yam).
Description
The external appearance of the aerial parts of Kislitsa tuberous does not differ from most of its relatives. This is a dwarf plant with petiolate complex leaves, consisting of three heart-shaped light green leaves with a small notch along the upper edge. They also like to droop during unfavorable climatic moments, folding their halves on either side of the central vein tightly to each other.On strong peduncles, racemose inflorescences of small yellow flowers are located.
But, unlike many other species of the genus Oxalis, the tuberous species has a stem. Moreover, the stem is on the surface of the earth, helping to create such compact bushes growing in New Zealand, as in the following photo:
In addition, there are underground stems or shoots (stolons), from which nutritious starchy tubers are formed, competing with potatoes and differing from it in a slightly pungent aroma. The color of the tubers covered with fleshy scales depends on the variety and can be yellow, purple-purple, reddish, or bright red.
Tubers can be eaten raw or made into dishes different ways, similar to the methods of cooking everyone's favorite potatoes.
Leaves, along with young shoots, are also suitable for food as green vegetables.
Tubers are sour and sweet
Some varieties of Kislitsa tuberous contain a lot of oxalic acid, which is harmful to the human body. These are varieties with sour tubers. To remove excess oxalic acid, the tubers are subjected to special processing... They are soaked in water for about a month, and then laid out under the daytime sun and cold nights so that the tubers get rid of moisture and acid completely.Sweet varieties containing oxalic acid in smaller quantities are not soaked, but given over to the sun's rays, which are also able to displace acid from the tubers, making them even sweeter. Such potatoes are suitable not only for side dishes and soups, but also for making sweet desserts.
Tuberous acid(oka) is an annual herb cultivated in the mountainous regions of South and Central America. Most of all, the vegetable is cultivated in the highlands of Peru, Colombia, Bolivia and Chile, where it competes with potatoes.
They eat tubers containing 25% starch, a lot of vitamin C, potassium and iron. Tubers, cylindrical, oval, white and yellow to purple in color, covered with fleshy scales, have a crispy structure and a pungent aroma. According to the level of oxalic acid, two groups of sour tuberous varieties are distinguished: sour varieties and sweet ones.
The use of acid in cooking and medicine
Like potatoes, tubers are used boiled, stewed, baked and fried. Chuno - frozen dried tubers, which are well stored and used for food after soaking in water, are made from acidic tubers. Chuno is used to bake bread, make flat cakes, bake bread, and sometimes get pure starch. Leaves and young shoots can be used as leafy vegetables.
As medicinal plant oka has many healing properties: it increases appetite, expels worms, heals wounds, reduces blood pressure, normalizes digestion, liver function - and this is only a small part of the medicinal power of this plant. No wonder the tuberous oxalis has been so highly valued since ancient times. The plant exists only in a cultivated form, it is propagated by cuttings and tubers.
Oxalis, also called oxalis, is part of the acid family, and this genus is represented by perennial and annual herbaceous plants. Under natural conditions, oxalis is found in South Africa, South and Central America, and also in Europe. In Ireland, it is a national symbol, the plant of St. Patrick, who is considered the most revered righteous man in the country. From Latin "oxys" is translated as "sour", this is due to the fact that the foliage of such a plant has a sour taste. In natural conditions, there are about 800 species of oxalis. Some of these species began to be cultivated in the 17th century, and from that very time they are grown both at home and in the open field. In European countries, this plant is also called "clover of happiness", and in Russia - " hare cabbage". The high popularity of acid plant among gardeners and florists is explained by the fact that it is a highly decorative and undemanding plant to care for.
- Bloom... WITH last days May or from the first - June until winter.
- Illumination... A bright light is needed, which must be necessarily diffused.
- Temperature regime... During the growing season, the air temperature should be in the range from 20 to 25 degrees, and during the dormant period - from 12 to 18 degrees.
- Watering... In the spring and summer, watering should be abundant, and in the cold season - from moderate to scarce.
- Air humidity... It grows well with air humidity, which is typical for living quarters, but if the room is too hot, then sometimes moisten the foliage with a spray bottle.
- Fertilizer... During intensive growth, top dressing is carried out 1 time in 15–20 days, for this, mineral complex fertilizers are used in half the dosage recommended by the manufacturer.
- ... It starts after flowering and lasts 4-6 weeks.
- Transfer... Young bushes are transplanted every year, and adults - once every 2 or 3 years.
- Reproduction... Most often, nodules are used either daughter bulbs, and more rarely - the seed method.
- Harmful insects... Aphids, scale insects and spider mites.
- Diseases... Fusarium and gray rot.
- Properties... This plant has medicinal properties, its foliage contains a large amount of vitamin C.
As mentioned above, the oxalis genus includes a large number of species, among which there are perennials, annuals, as well as bulbous and tuberous plants. Trifoliate or palmate petiolate leaf plates with a complex bend open in the morning and fold in the evening. The foliage also reacts to mechanical irritation or to very bright light. The foliage color can be purple, green or burgundy. Small, regular-shaped flowers can be colored pink, yellow, white or purple colour... Like foliage in the evening or before bad weather, the flowers close. Ripe seeds are in a shell that breaks at the slightest touch. Most often in indoor conditions cultivate triangular sorrel and four-leaved sorrel. In Europe, room acid is very often used as a gift for a Christmas tree, because there is such a sign that if such a flower settles in the house 1 day before the New Year, it will bring prosperity and happiness with it.
Caring for sour at home
Illumination
In order for the cultivation of sour cherry to be successful, it needs to create conditions that are as close to natural as possible. She needs a large number bright light, however, it must be diffused. Never let the direct rays of the sun hit the foliage.
Temperature regime
In the warm season, the flower prefers to be at an air temperature of 20 to 25 degrees. In winter, it is removed to a cooler place, if this is not done, then flowering may not occur.
In the spring-summer period, water the plant abundantly, but do not allow liquid stagnation in the root system of the bush. V autumn time watering is reduced, and in the winter months, watering should be scarce and rare, but it is impossible to allow complete drying of a clod of earth in a pot.
Oxalis grows and develops normally without regular spraying of foliage from a spray bottle. But if the room is very hot and stuffy, then spraying the flower will be very useful, for this they use not cold pre-boiled water. However, the flower cannot be moistened in winter.
In some species of oxalis, a dormant period is observed in winter, the duration of which ranges from 4 to 6 weeks. Track the sour, when it finishes blooming, if the foliage begins to fly around en masse, then you should reduce watering and remove it to a cooler place, where it will stay until the end of the dormant period. However, in some cases, the foliage does not fly around, and the plant simply stops growing, in this case it also needs to be removed to a cool place so that it has a good rest. Watering the bush at this time is very rare and not big amount water, but the lump of earth in the pot should not dry out. Immediately after young shoots begin to grow, the flower is transplanted into a new soil mixture and returned to its usual place, while watering is resumed and do not forget to feed it in a timely manner.
Top dressing
The room acid must be systematically fed, using a mineral complex fertilizer for this. Top dressing is carried out during the growing season and flowering with a frequency of 1 time in 15–20 days, while using a nutrient solution of such a concentration that will be half the recommended by the manufacturer (see the package).
Sour acid transplant
While the flower is young, it needs to be transplanted once a year; older specimens are subjected to this procedure much less often, namely, once every 2 or 3 years. Before you start transplanting a plant, you need to choose a suitable container. Experienced florists it is recommended to use a wide pot, since in this case several bulbs and tubers will fit in it, as a result of which your house will be decorated with a spectacular lush bush. To avoid stagnation of liquid in the root system, a good drainage layer must be made at the bottom of the container. This plant does not differ in demanding soil mixture, therefore, for its transplant, you can buy a ready-made universal soil mixture, or you can compose it yourself, for this, combine sand, sod, leafy and peat soil, which are taken in equal shares. However, when choosing a soil mixture, one must take into account the fact that if there are too many nutrients in it, then this will provoke a violent growth of foliage to the detriment of flowering. They transplant the bush very carefully and take it along with a lump of earth.
Oxalis is highly resistant to diseases and various harmful insects. However, if it is weakened by improper care, then aphids, red spider mites and scale insects can settle on it. If aphids have settled on the plant, then it is treated with soapy water (for 2 tablespoons of water, 2 tsp of liquid soap), from spider mite get rid of with the help of Actellik. If he was attacked by a scale insect, then first the insects need to be removed from the flower with your hands, after which it is sprayed with Aktara. If necessary, after 7 days, the acid is re-processed. When using chemicals, do not forget about precautions: spraying the flower is carried out only on fresh air, at the same time wear gloves and protect the surface of the substrate in the pot from getting the drug on it. If the bush is treated with soapy water, then after a few hours it must be removed with clean water, and do not forget to also protect the surface of the soil mixture.
If a drainage layer was not made at the bottom of the pot when planting acid, then with excessively abundant watering in the root system, stagnation of liquid may be observed. This contributes to the development of fusarium or gray rot. Both of these diseases at the initial stage of development can be easily cured with Fundazole.
Reproduction methods
Seed propagation
Oxalis growing in wildlife are propagated by seeds. However, flower growers this way reproduction is not often used, since it is relatively long and ineffective. But if you have a desire to grow a flower from a seed, then you can try to do it. Step-by-step instruction sowing seeds:
- The first step is to prepare a suitable soil mixture. It should include sand, peat and leaf humus (1: 4: 4).
- At the very beginning of spring, evenly distribute the seeds over the surface of the substrate, while you do not need to cover or sprinkle them on top with earth.
- Cover the container with glass (film), which will maintain the high humidity necessary for germination (about 100%).
- Rearrange the crops in a cool (from 16 to 18 degrees) and well-lit place, the light must be diffused. Make sure that the substrate in the container is a little damp all the time, for this you need to regularly water it with a spray.
- Remember to ventilate your crops every day.
If everything is done correctly, the first seedlings will appear after 7-30 days (depending on the freshness of the seed).
Reproduction by daughter bulbs
It is much faster and easier to propagate a flower vegetatively. To do this, during transplantation at the bush, you need to carefully separate the daughter nodules or bulbs that have formed around the taproot. After that, several of them are planted in one container and covered with a not very large amount of substrate on top. After that, the pot is removed in partial shade and do not forget to occasionally conduct moderate watering. When young shoots appear, the container is rearranged in a well-lit place, protected from direct sunlight, and after 4-6 weeks your house will already be decorated with an abundantly flowering lush bush.
Immediately after the end of the dormant period, when the first new leaf plate forms on the bush, the tuber must be removed from the pot and all the substrate removed from it. Rinse it carefully in a pinkish potassium manganese solution and divide it into several parts with a sharp, disinfected instrument. Places of cuts on the dividers need to be sprinkled with coal powder, after which they are planted in individual pots. Then they are transferred to a well-lit place (the light should be diffused) and they are provided with regular watering, which is carried out immediately after the clod of earth in the pot dries out. Top dressing of delenoks is carried out 1 time in 15 days, while the first time fertilizers are applied a week after planting.
It has long been known that oxalis has medicinal properties... The aerial part of the bush was used for scurvy, as well as for treating wounds and ulcers, and also as an antidote for poisoning with mercury or arsenic. In alternative medicine, such properties of the flower were widely used as: choleretic, wound healing, antihelminthic, anti-inflammatory and diuretic.
Since the foliage contains a lot of vitamin C, its use is recommended for colds, as well as to strengthen the body's immune system. Kislitsa is also widely used in cooking, for example, healthy and tasty tea is prepared from it, and it is also put in green borscht, cabbage soup or kvass.
Types of acid with photos and names
Triangular oxalis (Oxalis triangularis), or purple oxalis
This type is most popular with flower growers. It is a tuberous not very tall plant, the three-lobed long-petiolate leaves of which are decorated with specks of dark purple color. The leaves of such a flower are similar to the quivering wings of a butterfly, which is why it is also called "Madame Butterfly". During flowering, small flowers form, which can be pinkish, white or lilac.
Four-leafed oxalis (Oxalis tetraphylla)
Or oxalis deppei. This species is cultivated both indoors and outdoors. Greenish four-lobed leaf plates have a middle brown-red color. Flowering lasts a relatively long time, during which inflorescences are formed, consisting of flowers of a raspberry-red hue. This species is also called "lucky clover" in England.
Oxalis bowiei
This species is distinguished by its thermophilicity. The height of the bush is only about 20-25 centimeters, the leathery leaf plates have a greenish color, and the flowers on long peduncles are dark pink.
Common oxalis (Oxalis acetosella)
In this species, the bush can reach a height of about 10 centimeters. Its multi-lobed leaf plates are greenish-gray. And large pinkish flowers are decorated with veins and specks of a different color shade.
Multi-colored oxalis (Oxalis versicolor)
This species is highly decorative. During flowering, it is decorated with white flowers with red stripes. When the flower is open, it is white inside, and a red border runs along the edge.
In addition to these species, the sour cherry Obtus, oka (tuberous), carob, nine-leafed, poor, milky-white, nasturtium-shaped, succulent, jointed, pressed, triangular, etc. are also cultivated. However, all of them are grown in open ground.
Most of the several hundred species of oxalis existing in the world are wild, inconspicuous plants, sometimes considered weeds. But at the same time oxalis - oxalis, as the name of the culture sounds in Latin, these are decorative cultures loved by many flower growers.
Since in nature, sour woods live in a variety of regions and conditions, these small, herbaceous plants- welcome guests in the gardens and room windowsills from the north of Europe and Russia to the south of the African and American continents.
Description and features of oxalis oxalis
Sour greens, some varieties of which are used for food, have a pleasant sour taste. This is due to the unusually high oxalic acid content. And since the feature was noticed a long time ago, it determined the name of the entire genus.
Oxalis has been known as a garden plant for more than three hundred years. During this time, folk names appeared for some varieties.
This nickname, derived from the resemblance to the "lucky" four-leaf clover, was given to Depp's oxalis. The four-leaf oxalis, in the photo, or the flower of family happiness, is also called the iron cross due to the contrasting pattern on the leaves.
The curly leaves of oxalis in most varieties are divided into three or four parts, less often there are plants in which there are five or nine such parts on the leaves. But there are some interesting exceptions.
For example, the oxalis palmifrons flower shown in the photo has leaves of 15-19 lobes, which gives the rosette a unique, futuristic look. 
The leaves of the sorrel, holding on long petioles, can be not only green. Not uncommon - purple, violet, orange-red or variegated color of the leaf plates.
The flowers of the sorrel, in the photo, do not stand out in size, but they are very diverse, and sometimes even unique. Corollas are simple or, which is much less often terry, can be single or collected in sparse inflorescences. At the base of the corolla there are five smooth petals, the colors of which will be the envy of a rainbow.
The range of colors of sour cherry includes all shades of lilac, yellow, pink, red and cream. In many species, the flowers are completely white or decorated with thin veins of purple or pink. 
Like the leaves of the sorrel, its flowers are very sensitive. In many varieties, the corollas are closed not only at night, but also when the weather worsens or even when touched. The leaves in the same cases are simply folded.
Triangular oxalis (Oxalis triangularis)
As a room culture, oxalis oxalis began to be grown only in the last century. Florists were attracted by the opportunity to decorate the windowsill with a spectacular plant from distant countries with little or no hassle. A striking example of this can be considered purple or triangular oxalis, once exported from Brazil.
The species owes its names to the structure of the leaves and their color. Most of the medium-sized plants of triangular sorrel are striking with a thick purple hue, and on the leaf plates, in addition, spots or strokes of a different color are perfectly distinguishable.
But unpretentious indoor culture is not only purple. Green oxalis triangular is no less elegant and decorative. Against the background of large three-lobed foliage, small white flowers stand out, willingly opening buds all year round.
Four-leafed oxalis (Oxalis tetraphylla)
The Mexican sour cherry species in Europe has become one of the most popular as garden plant... Oxalis four-leafed has a second name - depp's oxalis. The culture is easily recognizable thanks to the four-lobed leaves with brown, reddish or purple patterns on the leaf blades.
The perennial four-leaved oxalis propagates by seeds and daughter scaly bulbs formed by autumn, which can be eaten. The flowers of this species are reddish-pink, simple, with wide, rounded petals.
Oxalis bowiei
Bowie's oxalis is a graceful, flowering species with plants growing to a height of 25 centimeters. As a horticultural crop, this warm oxalis is grown in regions with warm climates.
The species attracts attention with large pink flowers towering above the foliage on long thin peduncles.
Common oxalis (Oxalis acetosella)
The native European species can be seen in coniferous and deciduous forests, as well as in gardens where oxalis ordinary pleases with white or lilac-pink flowers and light green three-lobed foliage. Perennial flowering unpretentious look falls in the spring and early summer.
The peculiarity of the plant is the presence of the usual, shown in the photo, acidic flowers, which open above the surface of the soil, and cleistogamous, hidden from sight under the fallen needles and foliage. If ordinary corollas attract insects, then very small, 3 mm in diameter, closed flowers are self-pollinating.
Ferruginous oxalis (Oxalis adenophylla)
Winter-hardy ferruginous oxalis is often grown in gardens as an unpretentious ground cover plant with a height of only 10 cm. Florists are attracted not only by the undemanding culture, but also by its decorative qualities - silvery feathery foliage and pink-lilac flowers with raspberry veins and a spot at the base of each petal.
Multi-colored oxalis (Oxalis versicolor)
This plant cannot be confused with other representatives of the numerous oxalis code. Thanks to the effectively twisted white petals with a bright red border, the oxalis multi-colored in some countries is called "Christmas candy". Indeed, the buds are very reminiscent of traditional licorice candies and adorn a very small plant in an amazing way.
Variegated oxalis stands out not only for its bright flowering, but also for very small, almost needle-like foliage. Today, the species, indigenous to southern Africa, is actively cultivated both as an indoor and greenhouse plant, and in the gardens of warm regions.
Oxalis obtusa
Another South African oxalis is an unpretentious indoor and garden view, distinguished by its small size and many colors of flowers. A rosette with a diameter and height of no more than 10 cm, depending on the variety, can be decorated with acid flowers, as in the photo, cream, yellow or other shade.
In many varietal specimens, a ring of a color brighter than the background is noticeably closer to the center of the corolla.
Tuberous oxalis (Oxalis tuberosa)
In a long line of existing varieties, oxalis tuberous, or, as the plant is called in its homeland, in South America, oka is not an ornamental, but an agricultural crop.
It is actively grown not for the sake of foliage or flowers, but thanks to edible starchy tubers, which, in terms of nutritional value and yield, compete with potatoes more familiar to Russians. 
Depending on the cultivated variety of tuberous acid, the peasants of the countries of the Central American region collect tubers of white, yellowish, pink or purple hue. After collecting, they are stored dried or eaten after all available types of culinary processing.
Oxalis Convexula
The popular indoor species of oxalis stands out for its modest size, fleshy small foliage and rather large, especially compared to the leaves, flowers of a pink-salmon shade. At the disposal of flower growers varieties not only with simple colors sour, as in the photo, but also with terry corollas.
Adenophylla oxalis (Oxalis adenophylla)
Adenophyllum oxalis is known by the gardener as Chilean oxalis or silver shamrock. Plant with silvery foliage and pale pink flowers easily tolerates frost and can winter even in the middle zone. The culture is used on alpine slides and for border decoration.
Unusual colors and decorativeness of oxalis - video