Malva perennial: planting, care and cultivation of seeds in the open ground

This beautiful flower has been known since antiquity. Unpretentious mallow was grown everywhere from South America to Asian countries. And today this plant continues to enjoy great popularity. It is easy to propagate the mallow, and it will not be difficult to take care of it.

Malva perennial: a botanical description

Most often, perennial mallow is grown in the plots.

• The height of its peduncle can exceed 1 m. Powerful stems stand straight.
• The size of the leaves depends on where they are located. The largest will be closer to the roots. The taller, the smaller the leaves.
• Mallow flowers are large, sometimes reaching 12 cm in diameter. They can be either simple or double or semi-double.
• Their color is very different: from dark red, almost black, to white. There are mallow pink, yellow, orange tint. Long flowering.
• The seed box is a dense ring, which is why the mallow is also called a “fist”.

Variety of species and varieties

The genus of mallow includes about 6 dozen species. Among them are such popular mallow, as musky, Sudanese, wrinkled. These are perennials.

• Forest mallow, from which all these species came, is a two-year-old plant. It grows quite high - above a meter. The flower is characterized by the presence of dark veins. The most beautiful variety is “Black Mother of Pearl”, the petals of which have a rich purple color.
• Musk Mallow is a perennial. The height of this plant is small, and the flowers are quite small. But they differ in a delicate aroma. Fans appreciated the varieties "White Tower" and "Pink Tower", which bloom until late autumn.
• Sudanese mallow is also called hibiscus. It is added to tea, and also used as a medicinal plant.

Often can be found in gardens and hybrids. They can be very tall, up to 2 m. Their terry flowers of various shades are extremely decorative.

Growing mallow from seeds

Flower lovers grow mallow in two main ways: seeds and cuttings. Let's talk about the first option.

Sowing seeds in open ground in spring or before winter

Of course, mallow can be propagated by self-sowing, but in order to plant plants, flower growers usually plant seeds themselves.

Mallow is an unpretentious flower, so in most of Russia it can be planted in open ground both in spring and autumn.

In spring they do it like this.

1. In April, the bed is dug up.
2. Seeds are planted in shallow grooves and sprinkled with a thin layer of earth.
3. Shoots usually appear after three weeks. They, if necessary, are thinned out.
4. If we are talking about low-growing varieties, the distance between plants can be about 40 cm. For tall mallow, the distance needs to be increased to 60 cm.

Since the roots of young plants are close to the surface of the earth, drying of the soil must not be allowed. In the hot season, mallow is regularly watered. And flowering should be expected next year.

You can sow seeds in the middle of autumn, in October.

1. Shallow holes (3-5 cm) are dug at a distance of about half a meter from each other.
2. Sprinkle the seeds with soil and peat.
3. In order for them to safely winter, it is advisable to mulch them with fallen leaves, sawdust, and straw.

How to grow mallow seedlings at home

Most often, those who have purchased bags with varietal seeds begin to grow mallow at home in seedlings.

1. Soil for sowing can be used any of those that are sold in specialized stores. But preferable is one that is designed to grow flowers, rather than vegetables.
2. Planting seeds is better not in a common box, but in separate cups.
3. Close up should be at a shallow depth, not deeper than 1 cm.
4. It is recommended to moisten the soil from the spray gun.
5. After the emergence of seedlings, the seedlings are occasionally rotated so that sunlight falls on it from one side or the other. Otherwise, the seedlings will grow tilted to where more light comes from.
6. The optimum room temperature is 23 - 25ºС. Seedlings are planted on the beds when they are no longer threatened by frost.

In order for a young mallow to take root, it is best not to shake the roots of the plant off the ground, but to transfer the flowers into the holes along with a lump of soil.

Reproduction of mallow by perennial cuttings

This is a very popular method, which is preferred by many lovers of this plant. In the fall, in the garden at home or with friends they notice mallow, distinguished by especially spectacular colors. Cutting the stalk in the spring, you will know for sure which beauty you will get.

In order to propagate the plant in this way, cut the stem cuttings, 9-12 cm long. The places of the cuts can be sprinkled with wood ash.

Cuttings are planted in glasses or hotbeds, in loose fertile soil. For better rooting, they are covered with a jar or film on top, periodically aired and watered.

A sign of successful rooting will be the young shoots that the plant will give. After that, mallow can be planted in the flower garden. It is advisable to choose a sunny place on a hill for it, where groundwater will not stagnate.

Outdoor Care

Growing mallow is not difficult. Those with whom it grows as a perennial know that every spring mallow begin to rise from the ground, becoming higher every day.And in the summer, flowers of various colors bloom on them.

Caring for the mallow is simple.

1. It requires regular watering, do not save on water.
2. Weeds need to be pulled out in time, and the soil - to loosen.
3. To make the plant look most decorative, wilted flowers are removed.

Mallow also responds well to fertilizer application, especially with a high nitrogen content.

Tall plants should be tied up, as strong gusts of wind can break them.

If you do not plan to receive seeds from mallow, after flowering is better to remove peduncles. In any case, this will need to be done in the fall. If the flower grows in climatic conditions, where severe frosts occur, for the winter it is better to cover it with fallen leaves, branches of conifers.

Diseases and pests of mallow

One of the main pests for mallow is slugs. A drug like Thunderstorm helps them best. Bright blue granules need to be scattered on a bed to forget about slugs for a month.

The plant can also suffer from rust, which is manifested by the formation of characteristic reddish spots on the leaves. Sick parts of the plant are immediately removed.

If the mallow is suffering from such a common disease as powdery mildew (the risk is especially great when tomatoes are grown nearby), then the plants must be treated with a fungicide solution using a spray gun.

Use in landscape design

Mallow is unusually picturesque, thanks to its bright large flowers of various shades. And since the flower stalk of this plant is high, it will most effectively look in group plantings near the walls of houses and near fences. White wattle and daubs of Ukraine immediately come to mind, which in the warm season literally drown in blooming mallow.

 

Also, mallow can be used in the background of flower beds, planting low plants forward. And you can do the opposite - place one or more of the most spectacular mallow in the center of the flower garden and surround them with color-matched neighbors.

What is the difference between mallow and stock roses

Often in the flower beds you can find a stock rose, which, although it belongs to the family of malvaceae, it is a special kind.

Real mallow does not have such large terry flowers. And besides, the stock rose has a richer color palette. Flower stalks need a garter, and she herself easily propagates by self-sowing.

Anyone who has a land plot can recommend this wonderful plant - mallow, which will delight the owners with its flowering all summer and will decorate any garden very much.