Oxalis and how to get rid of it.

Now the Oxalis plant is another of those loved or cursed plants. There are a few very lovely types available in white, pinks and variations between. The most common type and the one most people think of when they hear the word oxalis however, is the common yellow flowering type.

Now the more pretty and fancy types can be purchased as bulbs or already flowering pot plants, in various Nurseries, and can even be quite expensive. On the other hand while the common yellow one may also often be found in Nursery grounds, they are never for sale. (Or shouldn’t be!)

This pale clover leaf type and bulb, with its pretty yellow flowers can be quite eye-catching, and possibly desirable. In someone else’s garden, but most definitely not in mine! Everyone I know that has it, despairs at ever getting rid of it, as it is so prolific. Also as it spreads from little bulblets attached to its own, that drop off at the slightest touch, pulling them up can in fact spread them further, rather than actually help in eradicating them. They are also fairly resistant to weed Killer too, so eradication is not possible with a one step application. However whilst total eradication may not be possible they can be controlled. If you keep at it.

When we first moved into this place 4 years ago, among many other problem plants, we also had major infestations of this yellow oxalis all around the yard.

Now on my father’s farm he never had a problem with oxalis but he did have a major headache with both Bracken Fern, and Blackberry. The Blackberry was brought under control fairly easily with irregular spraying. However with the Bracken, he brought it under control with constant slashing. Now he realised that he would never fully eradicate it this way but by constantly slashing the Bracken, he was therefore forcing the plant to use all its energy and nutrition into constantly struggling to make new growth. Thus he was weakening the plants resources, and the plant itself. At the same time as well as not only stopping the bracken from spreading and chocking out the grass, this allowed the cattle to graze among them. Now the cattle would not actually eat the ferns but they would occasionally step on the fronds breaking them and in turn helping to keep new growth down.

With this thought of not actually ever totally eradicating the Oxalis, simply controlling it, I decided to put my father’s Bracken Fern theory into practise with my oxalis. Where possible I have pulled up the plants and bulbs, carefully removing all the bulblets I could find, and then, smothering the whole area with leaf mulch and mower clippings etc, making new growth just that little bit harder. I then simply kept following up by removing any new growth I could find. Where it was difficult to get to the bulbs I kept spraying them with weed killer when I could. After 4 years of this I still have oxalis in our garden but no-where near the quantity that was there originally.

Recently I glanced at a gardening article in the Weekly Times and it was by a top “TV” Gardening expert, and I was quite chuffed to find that his advice on how to control Oxalis was the same as I had devised from my own father’s experience. The only weakness with this theory, as he also pointed out, is that you simply have to keep at it and not let the oxalis recover and spread again.

I was reminded of this lately with all the talk about New Year’s Resolutions and how they never work. Now as such there is no problem and every advantage in making resolutions, whether they be New Year’s ones or simply situational ones at any time.

These resolutions are nearly always good ones and ones that will either benefit ourselves or those around us, so if you are thinking of making a resolution to change some area of you life, I would encourage you to do so. And not to wait for the next New Year either!

However like my Oxalis problem, it won’t be easy and it won’t be achieved with a one-off application of resolve. Permeant and ongoing change can be achieved; but you will have to keep at it and work on it.

Sometimes, like when I pulled the oxalis out by hand, you will achieve the correct effect by your own labours. At other times you might need to use neutral help like I did when I used the mulch to retard (Note not fully stop.) future growth, you also will find that these other competitive activities will help diminish the appeal of, and time available, for those old habits of yours. At other times, like when I used weed killer, you will need outside and specific help to achieve your desired results. Like in most things in life, genuine change seldom comes from one action and one source. To achieve most goals in our lives we need to desire it; to work at it; to keep at it; and to call in expert help when necessary. Even to use the ideas and examples of those who have gone before us, adapting them if necessary to our own situation, like I did with my father’s original theory.

How’s your life-garden growing? Got any Oxalises in it? If so what are you going to do about them? Remember, it’s your Garden! If you don’t make a start, no-one else will either. They may be more than happy to help you but they can’t do it all for you. You have to make that first call, and sometimes even ask for help: Walter