From MLive.com
http://www.mlive.com/homeimprovement/stories/index.ssf?/base/features-0/1110712663314130.xml

Sunday, March 13, 2005
By John Hogan
The Grand Rapids Press

You don't need the Luck of the Irish to grow shamrocks -- or to find them.

Local growers have been nurturing this perennial favorite so they'll be ready for St. Patrick's Day.

"They really aren't that difficult to grow," said Dave Molesta, who had thousands of the delicate plants shoulder-to-shoulder in his greenhouses.

By now, they've shipped 15,000 plants to customers throughout the Midwest, including Meijer stores, though there still are plenty for local customers, said Molesta, a fourth-generation grower at Molesta Floral and Greenhouses, 2960 Madison Ave. SE.

"We still have several thousand," said Jim Everhart, general manager. "We even sent some Fed Ex to Florida for a customer who can't get them in the Southern quadrants."

The Latin name for shamrock is 'Oxalis.' Not all are green, however. A purple version of the traditional shamrock, called 'Oxalis triangularis,' is native to South America. Over the years, the purple clone has become equally as popular as the green.

A living legend

The shamrock, a three-leafed clover, has long held a place in Irish culture. It is widely believed St. Patrick in the fifth century used the shamrock to illustrate the Christian doctrine of the trinity, or how there could be three persons in the one God.

"He was a good storyteller, and the Irish accepted his word for it," boasts packets of shamrock seeds sold by Ireland retailers.

Also called the "seamroy" by the Celts, the shamrock was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring.

My first experience with shamrocks came during a visit to Ireland three years ago. A kid outside a pub in Waterford was hawking them. "Shamrocks for sale. Fresh-picked today."

A nearby store sold shamrock seeds packaged by The Shamrock Gift Company of Dublin.

Growing instructions were encouraging, even for the novice: Shamrock seeds need to spend a day in the refrigerator. Then they can be sprinkled on top of moistened soil specifically made for starting seeds. Cover the pot with a clear plastic bag to create a greenhouse effect. Put in a warm, well-lit spot. Seedlings should appear within three weeks.

I followed instructions, but made a tactical error by putting them on a sun-drenched deck. The peat pots were bone dry by afternoon, as were the hair-thin shamrocks.

New growth

Shamrock plants that come already started, such as the ones sold by Molesta, also are easy to grow but do have a few basic requirements. They like cool air, moist soil and bright light -- but not direct sun.

The Oxalis shamrock is a bulb, and like all bulbs, needs a period of rest to do their best.

Molesta suggests when your shamrock starts to look "punky," stop watering. Remove the leaves after they've turned brown.

Set the pot in a cool, dry location, such as the basement, for two to three months. The purple shamrock only requires about a month of rest.

When it is time to wake them, give them water and an all-purpose house-plant food. In short order, new growth will appear.

© 2005 Grand Rapids Press.