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Posted 5M ago by @1118jess

Help! Why is she so droopy!

#PurpleShamrocks
2ft to light, indirect
7” pot with drainage
Last watered 5 months ago
Best Answer
Hey Jessica πŸ‘‹ Oxalis can droop for a few reasons...

Number one is overwatering, same as most plants! Lol these babies REALLY like to dry out between waterings! I always sticky finger in the soil and if it's not dry I hit snooze on Greg so it learns my Oxalis's own rythmn, and then check again a few days later. Most (though not all! Lol) Houseplants like to dry out before being watered again.

Next is a soil thing... Yours looks quite dense, which is maybe related to the overwatering as it's probably holding more water than your Oxalis's really likes. These Oxalis grown from corms and too dense a soil just suffocates them. I would think about gently taking her out and putting her into some fresh soil with perlite mixed through it so she can "breathe" a bit more easily, it'll also help water to drain faster through the soil and stop that overwatering issue.

At half a metre from the light she should be fine, they like LOTS of light, but I have to hide mine in the shade when it gets really bright because they get sunburn quite easily and that can cause droopiness too!

She also doesn't like drafts! Oxalis like nice, stable temperatures and moderate humidity.

But I would definitely get her into some nice fresh soil with good drainage and I think she'll bounce back (remember it'll take her a week or so to get used to her new pot and soil so you might not see it right away). I tend to snip my Oxalis quite frequently... When leaves get old and tatty looking, or when those pretty wee flowers dry up I snip those off too so mine only had to concentrate on new growth! She's produced four new corms this year I'm really proud of her! πŸ’š And is just starting to slow down for the approaching autumn... Don't be worried if she dies down towards winter it's totally normal! You may find all the leaves disappear and she'll go dormant, but she'll pop right back up come spring! πŸ₯° Xx
Also... I found when I overwatered mine that the leaves stopped opening up properly. They open with the sun and close again at night, so if they're not opening I think we've definitely found the problem πŸ’š xx
The purple shamrock will droop when you just finish watering, if overwatered, or if not watered enough. If that’s not confusing enough, it can get simply too leggy from needing more sun. So, first question I have is how much sun? How long between watering relies on how much sun and heat. I’ll show you my outdoor lucky quartet. They’re telling me they want water. (All folded up). Let me know if I can help at all.
I was nearly ready to ditch my shamrock as the seeds germinated but then looked really ill. I moved it so I could deal with it later. Turns out all it needed was the filtered light from my Elkhorn. It’s an amazing plant to watch as it closes for the night or after watering. Loving life again!
Mine is in a terracotta pot and I need to water it every 7 days otherwise it droops.