Mine has been doing the same thing, I've just been taking off the bad leaves and thinking it was normal since the plant has been doing so well otherwise, now I'm curious as to what others have to say.
Christine

I've had a few Oxalis over the years and loved each one but could never keep them going longer than a year. They always grew sparse after about 6 or 7 months and eventually died away no matter what I did. One succumbed to root rot because it's so easy to over-water them, the others are mysteries (one I think died from overcrowding but I'm not sure). I've gotten white spots on one before and selective leaves died away much like yours are, so I would love to know exactly what happened. I assumed it was a fungus or mold of some kind even though it would not wash away and appeared to be part of the leaf itself. I know that oxalis can be a little finicky in certain soils so I changed the soil to a less peaty mix, but it was too late.

How long ago did you divide and repot them?

If you have investgated your soil mixes and found them very porous with the iability to hold salts from your fertilizers or tap water, then I would say it could be a form of Botrytis, a disease.

This same thing happens to Begonia and a few other plants that I have completely done away with .I tried spraying disease sprays and it still comes back.
I have also tried switching into fresh mixes and pots and still to no avail..A new mix to rid the spores that could be on the old soil.

I've been told not to wet the leaves at all and have plenty of proper Not to let water splash up from the soil and touch the leaves.
I've also been told it's the soils fault, but I use very porous mixes, and I can say for certain it's not the soils fault that I use. nit the soils fault.
I've been told to provide proper ventilation too...
I've tried this route and it still bothers certain plants I use to have...Easy targets for disease I'd say..That's why I toss them so they won't affect other plants either

I swear once it affects the plant, it's in the blood..lol
Good luck with it..

This post was edited by meyermike_1micha on Wed, Jan 22, 14 at 14:27

I divided and repotted probably in August of 2013. The spots on mine also appear to be part of the leaves. I can't remember how much attention I paid at the time to the appearance of the rhyzomes, but I know I discarded a few. I am now wondering if perhaps the affected leaves are specific only to rhyzomes that are rotting. However, I don't believe I have ever overwatered as I tend to only give them a little water once a week.

I suppose I should mention that my shamrocks have never fully gone dormant before. They have periods where they look more tired, but they never fully died back. Is it possible that ceacing watering altogether for a month or two could help? Or cutting off all th eleaves in addition to letting it dry out to force dormancy?

The good/interesting news is that I have three plants with the same problem, so I can experiment a little to see what might work best.

Lunatic, how long is never? I would love to hear about your experiments!

If I was trying to keep this in a pot, anecdotes like these are what I would follow since every time I did try to keep them going, yep, they rotted. It would have been helpful at the time to know they were bulbs that go dormant, not so thirsty they can't make leaves, quite the opposite, but there was no internet last time I had any in a pot.

Maybe starting to go OT alert:
It's kind of a shame that shamrock Oxalis got left out of the group for which the normal process is to enjoy summer in the ground outside, cool, dry, dormant storage for winter. Why did everyone start insisting Oxalis stay in the pot? Nobody does that to Gladiolus. And why don't they sell packaged bulbs like they do Callas, Freesias, Amaryllis, elephant ears, Caladium, and so so many others?

I have had my shamrock since maybe summer 2010 or 2011. I can't quite remember. However, my significant other's parents have a green shamrock that they have had for at least 20 years, and they told me it has been the same way, never going completely dormant (it has been in the same window and possible the same pot that entire time, I think). It was a centerpiece at their wedding.

I looked up images of Botrytis, and I don't think it looks at all like that, but there weren't many pictures of purple shamrock either.

Also, I just stuck my finger in the soil to feel the rhyzomes of a few affected leaves, and they felt pretty firm to me, so I think I can rule out rot. I'm going to try letting them dry out.

For pics, O. triangularis.

Are you fertilizing it? Fertilizing is a surefire way to get spots in my experience.

Larry

Larry,

I believe I used Vigoro organic potting soil for the repotting (there's a possibility it was garden soil). I never use liquid plant food, but I have been known to mix in some Osmocote slow release pellets once in a blue moon and when repotting.

I have had two hanging pots of the purple oxalis for over ? 8 years .. never changed the soil & very little fertilizer. In hanging baskets in east window so I have to rotate the the hanger every morning so the plant leaves don't grow on just the east side of the pot! They always have a thread-like leaf & stem shrink & dry up all the time & I just pull this one off & figure this is just normal?! Here in zone 7 we get freezing temps in winter yet I have the original plant growing outdoors now for years & it always comes up every summer. I have started many, many oxalis plants from mine for others. Not sure what the soil is now in the hanging plants but it must not be very good & nutrients depleted after all these years!! I water daily as the water seems to run right through what little soil is still in the pots & maybe I think to give them some fertilizer water a couple times a year when I am fertilizing my other potted plants. They are not really a 'rooted' plant are they .... more like tiny bulbs at the base? They also fold up at night & open when the sun hits the east window & always full of the tiny pinkish/white flowers.
I hope the plant recovers for you Cassandra ... it really is a pretty little plant that survives despite my neglect!

I have the same thing. The leaves last a short time and then shrivel. I pull them off and then there's new ones.

Well Everyone,

As I had mentioned, I had divided the original plant into three, and the one I am still thinking of as the "original" has stayed in my apartment, whereas the two new ones have been in my office since September or so. I have been diligently removing affected leaves from the two at work, but the one at home I have more or less left alone.

I have noticed that the one at home seems to be bouncing back! It may be too soon to say (there are still a few odd marks on a few leaves), but I am starting to think maybe it was just a phase, so I am going to stop removing leaves from the two at work and see if they just need time to get back to full strength. I will also be restrictive in my watering until the plants indicate whether they really do want to go dormant.

In any case, I am optimistic!