Clover comes in abundant varieties; master the propagation techniques to easily grow more potted plants

Clover is actually wood sorrel (Oxalis). Its leaves are very delicate and elegant, and many people call it the lucky clover. People believe that finding a four-leaf clover among them brings good luck, but all the clovers I have seen have three leaves.

Clover is a very easy plant to grow, and sometimes it can even easily become a weed. It has a great many varieties, nearly 800 of them, and it can be seen all over the world.

Clover can definitely be grown indoors and is very suitable as a potted plant. Planted on a windowsill with appropriate light, it can even produce beautiful flowers.

Clover grows small bulbs beneath the soil, and it reproduces by continually dividing these bulbs. It is a relatively slow-growing perennial plant that can easily spread into a large patch in a yard.

The leaf shapes and flower colors of clover vary. The flower colors include the common white, yellow, pink and red, and so on. The flower stems grow very slender, and the flowers look very fresh and charming. They generally bloom in spring and summer.

After spring warms up, you can repot and transplant them, and the most popular one is the purple clover, also called purple leaf wood sorrel (Oxalis triangularis). It has nearly black leaves that form a striking contrast with green-leaf clover. Each of its leaves is triangular, and overall the leaves look like fluttering butterflies.

The one on the left in the picture above is white clover (Trifolium repens), and the one on the right is purple leaf wood sorrel.

Many people who grow wood sorrel notice an interesting phenomenon: the leaves of clover slowly close at night, and after absorbing appropriate light in the morning, the leaves slowly unfold again. When caring for clover, you only need to avoid frequent watering and keep it warm in winter, and it will grow very well.

The stems and leaves of clover have very slight toxicity and basically will not cause harm, but children or pets should be prevented from eating them by mistake.

In the wild I have also seen many varieties of clover. Their forms differ and their flower colors are numerous. For example, the white-flowered clover below can grow even in poor soil.

When cultivating clover, you must use slightly acidic soil with good drainage, and avoid using alkaline soil. If the soil is rich in organic matter, the bulbs of the clover will continually divide, which also helps promote flowering.

If you want clover to grow better, it is best to give it a few hours of light each day, and provide appropriate shade when the afternoon sun is strong, avoiding excessive direct sunlight, otherwise the plant easily wilts and in severe cases may wither.

Clover can also grow well in shaded environments, but this affects the color of the leaves. Giving it appropriate light each day will make it grow more attractively.

As shown in the picture above, purple wood sorrel needs more light, otherwise the leaf color easily fades and flowering is also affected.

Clover needs more water during its growing period, so you must provide well-draining soil and avoid growing it in low-lying spots. The soil should also not stay wet or waterlogged for long periods, otherwise the roots easily rot. It has very low fertilizer needs; generally, giving it a diluted organic fertilizer solution once every one or two months is enough.

Propagating clover is also extremely simple. It is not propagated by stem or leaf cuttings, but by dividing the tubers at the base. When repotting in spring and autumn, remove the old soil, separate some of the bulbs, and replant them in loose, fertile soil. They will quickly grow into new potted plants.

If the clover is planted in the ground, you need to be careful. They self-sow and reproduce, which is also why clover can keep multiplying.

As long as a suitable environment is maintained, the bulbs beneath the soil of clover will continually divide, allowing you to keep propagating it by division.

When growing clover indoors as a potted plant, it is best to place it on an east- or south-facing windowsill with appropriate scattered light. Keep the growing temperature at around 20 degrees, and keep the minimum growing temperature above 7 degrees.

If your clover spreads excessively in the yard and you want to eradicate it, you cannot just pull off the stems and leaves; you also have to dig up the bulbs.

Some clovers with beautiful flowers are very suitable for growing as potted plants. The leaves grow especially lush, and they can also produce lovely small flowers that are very appealing.