Malva bahamas planting and care. Instructions for growing mallow from seeds, when to plant

Description and features of the mallow flower

mallow flower has several names. It is popularly called a kalachik or mallow, and the more well-known name is a stock-rose. She comes from the Malvaceae group.

Mallow known as annual and perennial, there is a biennial variety. It takes its roots on the soils of African and Asian states and the lands of South and North America and Europe.

People have been interested in the stock-rose since time immemorial. Many thousands of years ago in Egypt and Greece, its healing qualities were discovered. It is enough to look at mallow photo, to appreciate how graceful and divine she looks.

She has a large, bright shade,. It was because of them that artists loved to draw her in their paintings. A stock rose will decorate any landscape project.

A very long time ago, mallow was considered a creation of God and was used for medicinal purposes. Mallow cosmetics very useful, nutritious for both skin and hair. Great for revitalizing and adding shine to hair.

From its juice, you can make nourishing face masks, after which the skin becomes elastic and rejuvenated. The petals of the plant are used as infusions for certain diseases.

Mallow perennial more common than an annual crop. Height over 1 meter. The color palette ranges from white and pink to maroon. It has a pleasant and fragrant aroma.

rose mallow can beautifully and gracefully decorate the gazebo and any hedge. Probably, many people remember how many such tall and beautifully flowering flowers grow along the fences in any village, this is the same mallow.

She will add zest to the design of the flower bed, as a single plant will become a bright spot in the garden. Mallow has many species and varieties, consider some of them.

Types of mallow

Mallow annual ( mallow forest) grows up to 130 cm. The difference for it is that the veins on the petals are darker than itself.

Mallow (mallow) is a hybrid species - grows in the southern part of Europe. May be one or two years old. Able to grow up to 200 cm. Flowers delight the eye with pink, red, white colors.

Mallow (mallow) is a musky species - a perennial of white or pink hues. The diameter of the inflorescence is about 6 cm.

Mallow (mallow) is a whorled species - it can be found in Siberia or in Western Europe. Tall annual up to 200 cm white or pink.

Mallow stock - this species is called garden mallow in another way. It occurs as a perennial, one-year-old and two-year-old. The maximum height can reach up to 250 cm.A real garden giant. The petals of this species range from white and yellow to pink, purplish-lilac and rich red.

Varieties of mallow

Mallow zebrina - petals are more than 10 cm in diameter of flowering, mostly pastel pink with darker veins. Popular one year old.

Black mother-of-pearl - the diameter of a blossoming bud is about 6 cm. Its flowers are unusually beautiful, rich purple. one-year-old.

The white or pink tower is a very well-known flower variety, with a stem height of up to 70 cm. The color palette has a white or beautiful pink tint. A perennial flower that will bloom until the very first cold weather. Frost resistant variety.

Malva hybrid - grows up to 2 meters. Flowers are white and pink, terry. Pretty big. Flowering occurs in early summer to early autumn. Perennial.

The stem rose royal is a big, very bright, lush beauty for all lovers. It has a fragrant aroma. The height of the stem is able to reach a height of 1.5 meters.

The stock rose carnival is a rather large mallow. It grows over 1.6 cm. Its flowers are on average 14 cm in diameter. The color palette ranges from white, red, pinkish and various shades of yellow.

The stock rose chartez terry is a large variety, reaches a stem height of 2.5 meters. Blooming buds delight with lush beauty and are usually large 13 cm in diameter. Malva terry favorite of any gardener.

The stem rose majorette is the smallest and relatively new variety. It grows only 0.8 meters, and its flowers are creamy chocolate or burgundy, large

Planting and propagation of mallow

Planting mallow elementary task. First you need to prepare the land, apply organic and mineral fertilizers to the soil, remove weeds. On too heavy soils, the stem-rose blooms poorly (choose light soils).

The place for the growth of mallow (stock roses) should be as sunny as possible. It must be remembered that the stock rose is tall and powerful, it has a serious root system. Because of this, mallow seedlings are recommended to be planted at least 0.5 meters apart.

A perennial stock-rose (mallow) should be planted and propagated by dividing the mother bush, do it at the end of spring or at the end of the summer season. She is not a capricious lady and is completely accustomed to a new place.

mallow seeds well adapted to life. In early May, seeds can be sown in open ground or a greenhouse. One hole contains 3 seeds. Sprinkle the moons with earth. If there is a threat of frost, it is better to cover young shoots with branches or a film. Under good conditions, the first leaves will appear within 12-14 days.

To home seedlings, mallow they are sown in the first days of spring, and at the end of spring the grown ones are transplanted to a landscape plot. Violent flowering in this case falls on the next calendar year.

Biennial or multi-year mallow in open ground sown at the end of the summer season. In the spring, overwintered seeds will hatch and grow. Flowering should be expected next season.

Undoubtedly, mallow can be propagated with ordinary cuttings. Plant the prepared cuttings at a depth of about 3 cm, at a distance of 10 cm from each other. When they go into growth, they dive and transplant them to a permanent place of residence.

Mallow Care

Mallow Care does not require a lot of time and skills. The most important thing is to do everything right. In dry weather, water mallow daily, but do not overfill. Water young plants more often so that they take root as well as possible, watering under the root, without disturbing the foliage.

During flowering, do not be too lazy to fertilize the stem-rose (mallow) with special dressings. Regular compost will do just fine. In the absence of nutritional dressings, mallow will bloom normally, and with additional nutrition, its flowering will become more luxurious and plentiful.

Mallow endures wintering safely, it will easily do without covering material. Only if the seedlings are still young, for safety reasons, it is best to cover them with foliage.

A common disease of mallow is rust. When it is detected, it is necessary to cut off and burn all diseased leaves. The disease is considered contagious and incurable. Watch your stock rose and then it will always be healthy.

Growing mallow will give any amateur gardener a pleasure. It's so nice to watch her grow and get prettier day by day. she will ask her master for only one thing, so that the care would be thorough and then she will eclipse everyone with her beauty.

mallow price

Buy mallow you can in the online store or at the flower market. The cost of one bag of seeds is from 25 to 45 rubles. You can also purchase a ready-made seedling. One spine at a price of 50 to 100 rubles. Part of the mother bush will cost from 300 rubles.

Review of mallow

Kira from Kaliningrad: “Well, finally I got myself such a beauty as mallow. I chose a terry variety and did not lose. I planted it in a flower bed near the gazebo, the mallow elegantly completed my design decision. It has actively grown and now I am proud to invite guests to summer tea parties, at the same time having a reason to show off beautifully blooming mallow.

As soon as they do not call the mallow - kalachik, mallow, but its most common name is “stockkrose”, which in German means “stick of roses”. The mallow received this name for its powerful unbranched flowering stem from 70 cm to 2.5 m high with powerful inflorescences. Mallow is especially beautiful during the flowering period. It is no coincidence that many poets and artists describe the beauty of this flower. The plant is very loved by gardeners. It is hard to imagine a rural front garden without these graceful flowers.

Description of mallow

Mallow grows wild in Asia Minor. Today, more than 60 species of this plant are known. Mallow has been grown since ancient times - this is evidenced by the works of Hippocrates and Pliny the Elder, which describe the healing properties of mallow.

On one stem of mallow, you can count at least 70, and sometimes 150 flowers, shaped like roses. Flowers and stockroses are large, 10-15 cm in diameter. They come in different colors, with the exception of only blue and light blue. Depending on the variety, the flowers are semi-double, double and simple - non-double, having the shape of a wide bell. At the same time, they are all beautiful and graceful in their own way.

Mallow leaves come in different shapes: heart-shaped, round, incised or five-seven-lobed, pubescent, petiolate. The root of the flower has a spindle shape, it is very long and branched. The fruit is a polysemyanka, seed germination is up to 3 years. The flowering period of mallow begins in the second year of growth - from late June to September. As the flowering fades, the decorativeness of the mallow decreases markedly, but after flowering it is completely lost. The plant tolerates frost, drought well, it is unpretentious in care.

How to grow mallow from seeds at home?

Mallow is an unpretentious plant that does not require much effort to grow. It is possible at the end of spring, when stable warm weather sets in and the earth warms up, sow the seeds directly in open ground. A small hole is made 3 cm deep, a mallow seed is placed in it. It should not be expected that the plant will delight in the same year with its flowers. During this time, she will have time to form only a leaf rosette before the onset of cold weather.

It is better to propagate mallow through seedlings. The seeds of mallow are quite large. Before you start sowing, the seeds must be dipped in water and left for about 12 hours. It is better to use peat pots as containers for sowing. This is due to the fact that the mallow painfully tolerates transplantation, it may not take root, so in the future it can be planted in the ground directly in a pot. The optimum air temperature should be 18-22ºC. After 10-12 days, the first shoots appear.

When the sprouts get a little stronger, they need to dive. Seedlings also dive into peat pots. From time to time, seedlings should be taken out to a cool room and thus hardened. It is necessary to plant seedlings in open ground in late May - early June.

What should be the soil for planting mallow?

Malva loves light very much, so the area intended for its cultivation must be sunny. The plant also grows in partial shade, but in this case its growth and development will be somewhat belated, and the flowers are not so bright.

The soil for mallow should be loose, rich in humus. The bed for mallow must be made high, do not forget about drainage, which will protect the plant from root rot from stagnant melt water. It is best to make a bed along the fence - this will protect the mallow from drafts. In addition, the grown flowers can be tied to the pickets of the fence, they will become an excellent support for the elongated stem of the mallow. If the garden is located in a separate area, then in order for the flowers not to break from a strong wind, they must be tied to high stakes.

Mallow Care

The peculiarity of growing mallow is that it does not require any special care. Basically, it comes down to the following actions: timely watering, loosening the soil, destroying weeds, removing faded and withered flowers.

In order for the flowers to please with the brightness of colors, an abundance of inflorescences, it is recommended to feed the mallow with mineral fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen in the budding phase.

What pests and diseases threaten mallow?

The most terrible enemy for the stockrose is slugs. Of course, they must be fought. There is a simple process on how to collect them: small flat bowls filled with beer are placed in different places in the garden. A day later, you can find a large number of slugs in these bowls.

Of the fungal diseases, the mallow is affected by rust. Especially those plants that grow in proximity to a metal fence are exposed to the disease. The first sign of the disease is dark red spots on the back of the leaves. Such leaves are best separated from the stem. They should not be thrown into the compost pit, the surest way is to burn them.

Another disease found on mallow is powdery mildew. The plant will be protected from damage by spraying with a solution of colloidal sulfur or a fungicide intended for this purpose.

Mallow after flowering

In autumn, as soon as the mallow fades, it is necessary to cut the stems of the plant to ground level. It is advisable to fertilize the soil by adding humus and compost to it at the rate of 3-4 kg per 1 sq.m. Cover the plant for the winter.

Mallow perennial is a tall plant (80-120 cm) grown in flowerbeds, lawns, front gardens, etc.

Breeders have bred several of its varieties - terry, semi-double and simple. The latter has five-petalled, bright flowers. The intensity of their coloring towards the center slightly decreases. Terry and semi-double varieties have large multi-petalled flowers up to 12 cm in diameter.

Malva, the cultivation from seeds of which is considered the most acceptable, is an unpretentious plant. It can be planted in almost any soil. However, it is better if it is loose and permeable.

Seeds are sown in early May according to the scheme 50x50 cm. They need to be buried in the ground by 2-3 cm. This plant does not tolerate transplants, and therefore you need to immediately choose a permanent place for it.

The first sprouts appear in two weeks. At the very beginning, they develop rather sluggishly, and therefore they need to be weeded. Otherwise, the weeds will easily drown out the seedlings.

In the first year, the mallow does not bloom, but produces a rosette of large leaves. Of these, the following summer, stems grow with spike-shaped flowers, located at a height of about one meter from the soil surface.

It is better if the landing site is sunny - this is the best option for a plant such as mallow.

Growing from seeds is not the only method of its propagation. This can also be done by dividing the bush, but only if it is old enough.

This method is not very popular, but is sometimes still used by gardeners. In this case, it is necessary to add half a bucket of manure or humus under each new bush.

Malva, growing from seeds or dividing a bush which can begin in early spring, is not at all afraid of frost. However, in the first year of flowering for the winter, it is better to cover it with spruce branches. You can also use dry grass or fallen leaves for this. This is practically the only plant whose faded stems are not cut in the fall. The fact is that they retain snow, and this allows the mallow to winter better. They are harvested only in spring, leaving a small part of the stem - about 5 cm from the soil surface.

Due to its height, this plant is often used to hide any unsightly structures - fences, barn walls, etc. Black mallow is especially beautiful, the photo of which can be seen on the left. This is a biennial variety, however, with good care, it can germinate in the garden for up to 10 years or more.

For bouquets take stems with buds. The flowers are already open in the vase. They need to be cut in such a way that the height of the remaining stem above the ground is at least forty centimeters. Then the plant will develop better.

Mallow does not tolerate waterlogging, and therefore requires watering only in the driest periods.

Seeds begin to be collected in June. You can do this every 2-3 days, as the flowers fade very quickly. Next, the seeds must be dried very carefully in a dark room at a temperature of at least 35 degrees, otherwise they will become moldy.

Mallow, growing from seeds of which is not difficult, can decorate absolutely any area. She feels great in the southern regions, and in central Russia, and in Siberia.

Mallow perennial bush is very beautiful flowers that are widespread in rural areas, but also look great in home gardens, thus decorating landscapes in the summer.

Blooming flowers enliven the environment, and bring a good mood.

Mallow, from a strong stem, flowers sprout, and such a flower, in our climate, is considered a biennial plant.

The perennial bush mallow has an impressive size, the flower has a rough and hairy stem 2–3 m high. The leaves are long, lobed with a diameter of 30 cm.

The flowers are large, 4-5 cm in diameter, which are located in the "bosoms" of the leaves, in the upper part of the stem.

The color of mallow flowers is very diverse: white, pink, pink-purple, maroon, dark red, and even almost black (Nigra variety). Less commonly used are yellow mallows.

The plant blooms from late June to October.

Growing mallow

The plant needs light soil, likes partially or completely sunny areas.

A young plant needs a good amount of water, but do not overdo it so that there is no swamp, and in winter, from severe frosts, it is better to cover it slightly with straw or hay. When wet, the leaves may turn orange.

MALLVA - GROWING FROM SEEDS, LANDING, CARE

Affected leaves should be plucked and burned.

Mallow reproduction

Mallow is propagated by sowing seeds in May-June, in pots or in a garden, country plot, etc. Seeds are stored in a dry, not steamed and slightly damp place for four years.

When the seedlings produce 2-3 leaves, they are transplanted to the right place at a distance of 30-60 cm. Seeds are collected after the flower has matured.

The next year, planting this plant is done in a similar way.

If the flowers are cut after flowering, the seeds will not ripen and the flower will bloom again.

Uses: In a large garden, mallows are well suited to create large flower groups where smaller flowers such as hyacinth or carnation can be planted in the center.

Mallow can be planted to cover fences, walls and entrances, as garden shrubs, like honeysuckle or the large, ever-flowering clematis shrub.

It is better not to plant mallows in close combination with roses.

In medicine: Raw flower, used in the treatment of rhinitis, gastrointestinal and respiratory tract.

Mallow - growing from seeds

Colorful mallow flowers can be seen in many flower beds and front gardens. They are very decorative and look beautiful due to their large flowers of bright colors. Cut branches of mallow (which is often called stock-rose) look great in vases, decorating any room.

Among the varieties of mallow, one- and perennials are distinguished, but the most common, perhaps, are the two-year-old species of this plant. Meanwhile, growing mallow from seeds, as a rule, is not at all difficult. Let's find out how to do it.

Planting mallow seeds

It is better to plant mallow in open ground immediately to a permanent place, since this plant has very long roots, and it is quite difficult to transplant without damaging them.

The distance between the seeds (which, by the way, are quite large) should be at least 60 cm. Throw 2 or 3 seeds into each hole, but after germination they need to be thinned out, leaving only the strongest and strongest plants. If you want to save all the sprouts, you should carefully dig and transplant them into a prepared bed.

It should be noted that when growing mallow from seeds, they retain their germination capacity for about 3 years, but it is advisable to use them for planting not immediately, but after 1.5-2 years. This will ensure that your plant will bloom this year.

A permanent place for growing mallow should be selected carefully. Since the stems of this flower are very long, be careful: strong winds can break them. That is why the mallow is usually placed near the support - fences and hedges, or planted near the pergola. The soil for mallow is selected nutritious and moist. Demanding flower and sunlight - it should be enough for good growth and subsequent flowering.

So, after planting seeds in the ground, they should be given special attention. After 10-12 days (depending on air temperature and weather), you will have the first shoots. At this time, weeds will need to be weeded so that the plant can develop rapidly, moisten and loosen the ground.

It is also possible to sow mallow seeds and seedlings. This is best done using peat tablets or pots so as not to damage the roots during a subsequent transplant. The temperature in the greenhouse should be 18-20 ° C, then the seeds will germinate in due time, and they can be transplanted to a permanent place. With the seedling method, this is usually done in mid-May, when the frosts are already behind. But first, you should harden off your seedlings with regular airing. Also, don't forget to dive the mallow sprouts when they have three true leaves, and leave the seedlings to ripen.

Interestingly, mallow reproduction is also possible by self-sowing, when its seeds fall and scatter around the surroundings. But this happens mainly with simple varieties, but decorative terry and other types of mallow are usually propagated by cuttings or seeds.

Mallow is an unpretentious plant, so further care for an adult plant is simple. It should be watered abundantly, weeded and loosened the ground once a month. It is also recommended to regularly fertilize the soil. In the first year, if there are enough nutrients in the soil under the flower, it may not be fertilized, but if you want your mallow to acquire luxurious and large flowers next season, then it is advisable to pamper it with complex mineral fertilizers or humus and compost.

Also take note that two-year-old mallow can freeze in winter. To prevent this, it is better to cover the plant with dry foliage or spruce branches in the fall.

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Mallow (lat. Malva), or mallow, or kalachik, or stem-rose - the type genus of the Malvaceae family - a herbaceous plant, usually annual, sometimes biennial and perennial. Today, about 30 species of mallow grow naturally in the temperate climates of North Africa, North America, Asia and Europe. Mallow was cultivated in Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece: a description of the healing properties of the plant was found in the writings of Hippocrates and Pliny the Elder. In the twenties of the last century, scientists discovered ecological plasticity and high fodder qualities in mallow. And large bright pink flowers have always aroused the admiration of artists who depicted them in paintings, and poets who sang about them in verse. And how to imagine a Ukrainian hut without a mallow growing near it in the front garden? Or a Ukrainian towel without its bright pink flowers...

The most famous and ancient representative of the forest mallow genus is a plant with a straight, lying or ascending stem 30-120 cm high, first fluffy and hairy, and then naked. Mallow leaves are heart-shaped, rounded, incised or five-seven-lobed, pubescent, petiolate. Large, up to 12 cm in diameter, wide bell-shaped flowers with characteristic purple stripes of 1-5 pieces are hidden in the axils of the leaves. In some species, inflorescences form brushes. Depending on the variety, single or double flowers vary in color from almost black to white. Petals oblong, obovate, deeply notched. Mallow root spindle-shaped, branched, long. The fruit is a polysemyanka, seeds remain viable for 2-3 years. Mallow blooms from June to August, it is frost-resistant, drought-resistant and unpretentious in care.

Types and varieties of mallow

The genus mallow in culture has about 60 species of ornamental plants. The progenitor of this genus forest mallow is an annual plant. And species such as Sudanese, hybrid, musky and wrinkled mallow are predominantly perennials. True, it must be said that not all flower growers include all these species in the mallow genus, considering, for example, that Sudanese mallow, or hibiscus, as well as wrinkled mallow, or stock-rose, although they belong to the mallow family, but are related to another kind. Let's not quibble: the plants are so similar in characteristics that it makes sense to combine them into one section on care and cultivation.

Mallow is an annual.
So, forest mallow (Malva sylvestris), or Kalachiki. This biennial plant is grown here as an annual. It grows up to 120 cm, its flowers are characterized by the presence of darker veins than the shade of the flower. Popular varieties are zebrina mallow, which is distinguished by large flowers of pale pink color with dark red veins. The Black Pearl variety is also in demand - dark purple flowers up to 7 cm in diameter with black veins.

Mallow is perennial.
Musk mallow (Malva moschata) is a low perennial - no higher than a meter. Fragrant flowers of white or pink musk mallow reach a diameter of 5 cm. Sometimes this mallow is called nutmeg. Popular varieties are "White Tower" and "Pink Tower" 70 cm tall with snow-white or bright pink flowers, respectively. These varieties bloom until frost.

Sudanese mallow, or Sabdariffa hibiscus, or Sudanese rose, is a biennial plant grown for its fruits, which have long been one of the components of fruit drinks with medicinal value. The shrub form of Malva sabdariffa var. Sabdariffa and the tree form Malva sabdariffa var. Altissima.

Stock rose, or wrinkled mallow, or wrinkled alcea - it is conditionally called mallow. The plant in nature reaches two meters in height, its flowers are 3 cm in diameter, yellow. Is a perennial. Garden form - stock-pink mallow, or stock-rose (Malva alcea). Perennial plant, reaches 90 cm in height. It has varieties with both simple and semi-double and double flowers, similar to peonies. For example, the Chater's Double Strain variety is a terry mallow with large flowers of different colors, while the Single Mixed variety has simple flowers resembling hibiscus. Stock rose varieties also differ in size: the “Powder Puffs Mixed” variety, for example, reaches a height of two meters, and “Majorette Mixed” is a dwarf plant (up to 75 cm), but with large semi-double flowers.

Mallow hybrid (Malva hybrida) - perennial with several stems, height - up to 2 m. The flowers are white or pink, double, very large. Blooms in June-September. Popular varieties "Chaters Double", "Gibbortello", "Powder Puffs".

You should know that almost all varieties of forest mallow are annuals, and varieties of other types of mallow are predominantly biennials or perennials, but this division is conditional: both among forest mallow varieties there are perennial varieties, and among conditional perennials there are annual varieties.

Growing mallow annual and perennial from seeds

How to grow mallow.
If you do not want to make extra efforts and are not in a hurry to see the mallow bloom this year, you can sow seeds directly into the ground in May or June. But then your mallow before the onset of winter will only have time to form a rosette of leaves, and it will bloom only next year. If you want the mallow to bloom this summer, you should sow seeds for seedlings in January-February. But even if you are ready to grow mallow as a biennial or perennial plant, the seedling method is still more reliable than the seed method. For both annual and perennial mallow, this process is the same, the only difference is when to sow. The annual mallow is sown in the middle of winter, planted in the ground in May, and blooms in the middle of summer. Biennial and perennial mallow is sown in May, it is planted in the ground in August or September.

Mallow seedling.
Mallow seeds that you have stored for a year or two or bought in a flower shop, it is advisable to soak for 12 hours in warm (45ºС) water before planting to soften the hard shell of the seeds and facilitate the germination process. It must be said that mallow seeds, which remain viable for up to three years, germinate much better in the third year of their storage than in the first two years.

For sowing mallow for seedlings, it is better to use peat pots, since mallow roots do not tolerate transplantation well and often do not take root in a new place. The temperature for seed germination should be 18-22ºC, then seedlings will appear in two weeks. If you sowed mallow in a container, then after the seedlings have three leaves, you will have to thin them out so that there is a distance of 2-3 cm between seedlings. Removed sprouts can be saved by carefully diving them into peat pots. When the seedlings grow up and get stronger, it needs to be hardened, taking it out for several hours in fresh, cool air. In May-June, seedlings can be planted in the ground directly in pots.

Planting mallow

Soil for mallow.
Choose a sunny area in the garden (mallow grows in partial shade, but loses its brightness and stem height) with good drainage and loose loamy, humus-rich soil. The place for sowing should be high so that the roots do not rot from standing melt water. It would be nice if the site was protected from winds and drafts. It is best to plant the mallow along the fence: there will be a support nearby, to which you can tie the stems. If your soil is poor, it will have to be fertilized by mulching the area with humus. But more on that later.

Planting mallow in the garden.
Seedlings of annual mallow are planted in open ground in mid-May. Planting seedlings of two-year-old or perennial mallow in the ground is carried out in August-September.

Mallow flower - rules for growing and care

Biennial and perennial mallow seeds can be sown directly into the ground. This is done in the spring, in April-May, after late frosts. Small holes are made in the soil up to 3 cm deep and 2-3 seeds are placed in each. Depending on what kind of mallow you plant, the distance between the seedlings should be from 25 cm to 50 cm. The hole is covered, the earth is crushed and moistened. If you are not sure that summer has finally come, put covering material on your bed so that the sprouts do not suffer from possible frosts. Under favorable weather conditions, seedlings will hatch in two weeks. When the seedlings have 3-4 leaves, they need to be thinned out, leaving one tall seedling in the hole.

Malva - care

How to care for mallow.
Growing mallow is a simple process, since mallow is a non-capricious plant. Regular moderate watering, especially in dry summers, loosening the soil and weeding, timely removal of wilted flowers are mandatory requirements for caring for mallow. In addition, it would be good to feed the plant before budding with mineral fertilizers with a predominance of nitrogen.

A tall mallow needs to be tied up so as not to break under strong gusts of wind, so plant it along the fence or dig in tall pegs to tie the plant. Well, if you want to make a perennial from an annual, immediately after the mallow has faded, cut off all the flower stalks so that the seeds do not have time to start. That's the whole care for the mallow.

Diseases and pests of mallow.
Slugs infect mallow. They are collected by hand: put small bowls in different places, pour beer into them and in a day go around and collect the slugs that will crawl to get drunk. Of the few diseases that affect mallow, the worst of all is rust, which is easy to catch near metal fences. The disease manifests itself in the fact that dark red spots appear on the back of the leaves. Affected leaves must be removed and burned. Sometimes powdery mildew appears on mallow. You can fight it with a solution of colloidal sulfur or a specialized fungicide.

Malva after flowering.
In autumn, after the mallow has faded, the stems are cut to ground level. At the same time, you can fertilize the soil by mulching it with humus and compost at the rate of 3-4 kg per m2. Mallow should winter under shelter from spruce branches, fallen leaves or straw.

Healing properties of mallow

Mallow has long been known in folk medicine. The beneficial properties of mallow have been studied by healers in many countries. For example, an infusion of mallow flowers and leaves treats stomach inflammation and intestinal disorders. Hot baths with steamed leaves or flowers of mallow (mallow) help relieve swelling of the spleen. The forest mallow grass is a constant component of chest collections. In the form of lotions and compresses, a decoction of mallow flowers is used for skin diseases to relieve itching and to heal wounds (obviously, due to the mucus contained in the mallow). Mallow is also used in medical cosmetology to restore the epidermis and prevent pustular rashes. Preference in folk medicine is given to mallow flowers, because they have a higher content of sugars, vitamin C and carotene than leaves. The main thing is that mallow preparations do not give unwanted side effects and have no contraindications. Useful properties of mallow:

- expectorant;
- emollient;
- reparative;
- enveloping;
- anti-inflammatory;
- fortifying.
Mallow tea for cough: 2 teaspoons of finely chopped flowers (or leaves) pour a glass of boiling water and leave for 10 minutes, strain, drink 2-3 cups a day. You can add honey, but then the tea should not be warmer than 40ºС.

Every year in May, Kamigamo Shrine in Kyoto and the city host the Aoi Matsuri festival dedicated to mallow. People put on bright clothes, walk through the streets of the city with dances and songs. This holiday is hundreds of years old...

Mallow flower planting and care, mallow photo

Mallow is a plant that is as simple as it is charming. This is a favorite flower of the older generation, a resident of front gardens and garden beds, places where ordinary plants often did not survive. In former times, this “provincial” plant was not favored by professional flower growers and decorators, but recently the attitude towards this flower, which is pleasant in all respects, has changed dramatically. Mallow has become a full-fledged decoration of gardens and parks, and its varietal diversity is now so great that you can pick up a plant for any, even the most fastidious taste.

Mallow, or otherwise stock-rose, belongs to the Malvov family, whose representatives grow in abundance in southern Europe and Asia Minor. For the most part, these are tall perennial or biennial herbs with whole alternate, palmately lobed or dissected leaves and very large flowers that are collected in spike-shaped inflorescences. At present, about 60 species of stock-rose exist and are cultivated in culture in different volumes, but pink mallow has received the greatest distribution due to its outstanding decorative properties. However, do not confuse the mallow (stock-rose) with the mallow, which also belongs to the mallow, but is a representative of a different family.

Malva has long been loved in Rus', revered and considered it a symbol of the sun and honesty. Malva was considered capable of saving the home from evil spirits, therefore they planted it directly at the exit from the house, and young people, wanting to get the favor of a lady dear to their hearts, gave her a scarlet stock-rose, always cut off with their left hand (from the heart) and before sunrise, so that dew drops remain on its petals. In general, in ornamental gardening, the stock-rose has been known for almost six hundred years, even the name was given to it not simply, but with a meaning indicating, however, the structure of the plant - the stock in translation means a trunk or a stick. This flower is loved in many countries of the world, including here, in Russia.

Plant features

The stock rose pink is truly a giant among flowers, it has dark green, erect shoots with slight pubescence, sometimes reaching a height of three meters and a diameter of 15 centimeters, forms funnel-shaped flowers of various colors - from crystal white, soft pink and rich -yellow to bright red, purple and even almost black.

Mallows are adaptable plants, they are characterized by high drought resistance, amazing cold resistance, resistance to weeds, as well as most pests and diseases. Stock roses usually bloom very profusely and for quite a long time, often until late autumn. Their seeds germinate very well, even from self-sowing, hence the important plus - the absence of problems during reproduction.

In general, mallow is a perennial plant, but most often it is cultivated only as a biennial, and this is correct, because in the third year the mallows bloom much worse and sometimes even die, but if you pay enough attention to the plant, the flower can please the eye for a significant period of time, sometimes even more than ten years.

reproduction

As already mentioned, mallow can be easily propagated by seeds. It is a little more difficult to do this by resorting to the method of grafting or dividing the bush. Most often, seed propagation is still used, so we will dwell on it in more detail. With seed propagation, the stem-rose is grown in two ways - by sowing in open ground or in a greenhouse for seedlings.

At outdoor cultivation mallow seeds are sown directly into the soil. You can sow before winter, but it is better to do it in the spring, as soon as the soil warms up and the danger of returning frosts has passed. Some experts strongly recommend sowing stock-rose seeds at the end of April, during this period, supposedly, there is more moisture in the soil, but most still tend to sow in early May.

Seeds are sown usually three in each hole. They are prepared in advance in loose soil. The planting depth is usually 1-3 cm, and the distance between the holes is about 25-50 cm. It must be remembered that the mallow does not tolerate transplanting quite well, so it is better to sow its seeds immediately in the place where it will constantly grow.

If the weather is warm and humid outside, the seeds will germinate in two weeks.

Mallow - all the secrets of growing

Thinning of seedlings is done when the seedlings have two true leaves. Usually one of the most developed seedlings is left in the hole.

The next option is cultivation through seedlings. For these purposes, its seeds are sown in the soil of a cold greenhouse or, even better, in small containers with earth that need to be placed in a cool place. The optimum temperature at which the seeds germinate after 12-14 days is 18-20°C. The seedlings that have appeared should be thinned out to a distance of about 2 cm between plants, and older plants should be planted in separate pots or greenhouses and left there for growing. Already sufficiently strong seedlings should be transferred to a permanent place. This is usually done in August or September. The optimal planting pattern is one in which the distance between plants is approximately 25-50 cm.

Both presented technologies involve growing a stock rose in a biennial culture, that is, plants will bloom only next year in the summer. You can grow mallow in an annual crop and achieve flowering in the same year. To achieve this effect, seeds must be sown in greenhouses from late January to early March, and then planted seedlings grown in open ground in May. It is quite natural that with this method of cultivation, you can achieve flowering already in the middle of summer, moreover, such seedlings grow well in pots.

As for the growing conditions, the stock-rose is not very demanding on them, but if you want to pamper your plant, and with it yourself then with the lush flowering of fragrant buds, then the mallow should be planted in an open sunny and wind-protected place. Preferably on deeply cultivated and moderately moist soil. In this case, the plant will surely reward you with its beauty. Remember that with a lack of nutrients in the soil, the mallow loses its brightness and height.

About care

It consists in regular weeding, loosening, as well as watering in dry weather. If the soils of your site are poor, then you need to provide them with good nutrition. This is achieved by fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers. Do not forget about diseases and pests.

Mallow is a tall, powerful plant, it can easily break under a gust of wind in the prime of life. Therefore, it is worth helping him - strengthening, tying him to stakes that can be decoratively decorated - painted to match the foliage. If the removal of plants immediately after flowering is not included in your plans, but you, on the contrary, want to extend the life cycle of the crop, then you need to cut off the inflorescences immediately after flowering, leaving shoots 4-5 cm high, this will allow the stock rose to endure the winter without problems. Adding frost resistance to plants can cover them with dry foliage, spruce branches or mulching with peat, humus, sawdust. Overwintered plants will immediately begin to grow in spring.

Selection of varieties

Particular attention should be paid to mallow varieties, of which a sufficient number have already been bred to date. The color range of stock roses now varies from delicate whites, creams and pinks in varieties Swan Princess, Peach Dream And apple blossom, to scarlet in the variety Queen of beauty and chocolate chestnut, black in the center of the variety Nigra. Flowers of elk and orange-pink shades are possessed by varieties Rosina And Queen Salmon; in the variety sunlight inflorescences are golden yellow. Variety Crimson King bright raspberry color, variety Violet- purple, and varieties Maroon And Bordeaux are maroon in color. Among modern varieties there are also variegated.

In addition to the fairly widespread varieties with bell-shaped flowers familiar to us, such as the variety Single with flowers of a brilliant texture of all colors, spectacular semi-double and double forms were bred. The densely double English varieties of the series are of particular value. Chaters Double Mixed with plant height up to 200 cm and large (up to 15 cm in diameter), similar to peonies, flowers of various colors. Very decorative terry flowers of rich colors are also distinguished by cultivars of the series Powder Puffs Mixed reaching a height of 150-200 cm.

In addition to the usual tall varieties, low-growing forms of stock roses are widely used, for example, medium-sized (up to 90-100 cm high) Pinafore Mixed and dwarf (up to 60-75 cm) Majorette Mixed variety groups with large semi-double flowers of various colors.

Seeds of most varieties of stock roses are quite freely available in most stores in the spring that specialize in the sale of plants and seeds; varieties and attractive variety mixtures are also often on sale. For example, the variety mixture is especially popular summer carnival, which is a magnificent duo of dark green foliage and large, up to 15 cm in diameter, double flowers with an amazing variety of colors.

The height of the plants is small, usually it is 1-1.5 meters. Garland is a variety of amazing plants with a stem height of up to two meters with terry, reaching a diameter of 12 cm, strongly reminiscent of roses, flowers of various shades. They will not leave anyone indifferent.

Using stock roses in landscapes

As for the methods of application, then the mallow knows no equal. After all, her plants look great in group plantations with other ornamental and deciduous plants, she goes well with cosmea and sunflower, rudbeckia and phlox. The stock rose is often used to create magnificent compositions on the lawn, to decorate flower beds, mixborders and discounts. Since mallow is a high flower culture, it is ideal for decorating the background of flower beds, it is often used even to create hedges, or simply as a screen for low outbuildings, fences and other buildings that are not decorative. The existing low-growing varieties of mallow are perfect for pot compositions, they will look great in vases, capacious planters, containers that will elegantly decorate your patio, porch, porch, windows and balconies of apartments and private houses.

Blooming mallow is great for cutting. Plants for bouquets are best cut at the bud stage, they bloom very well and stand in water for more than a month, often without losing their decorative qualities at all, pleasing the eye with elegant flowering.

Nikolai Khromov, candidate of agricultural sciences, Researcher, Department of Berry Crops GNU VNIIS them. I.V. Michurin, member of the NIRR Academy

Tags: perennials, flowers

Stem rose - planting and caring for flowers in the garden
Malva: planting and care. Types and varieties of mallow LS Malva - stock-rose (Malva) - features, varieties Malva - Vienna Dacha
Planting and cultivation of perennial Mallow (Stock Rose) Mallow, stock-rose

This highly decorative plant with large, showy, bright flowers adorns many gardens and front gardens. Having a two-meter stem with flowers up to 12 centimeters in diameter located along, the mallow looks impressive. The variety of colors is amazing. In the cut, in the front garden, in the mixborder, along the wall of the house - mallow is appropriate and royally beautiful everywhere: growing from the seeds of this plant is not difficult even for inexperienced flower growers.

The representative of the family of the same name - Malvaceae - it can be both one-year-old and two-year-old. It depends on how you land. The stem is on average one and a half to two meters, but it can be more. Flowers of different sizes in different varieties. They are in the form of an open bell or form brushes.

The leaves are like hearts. The root is strongly branched and has a great length. The fruit contains many seeds. They keep viability for three years.

The plant has many names. One of them, the most popular - stockrose. The plant is excellent in every way.

Seed cultivation methods

Mallow is propagated by seeds. But there are four ways of seed propagation. They do not differ in execution, but give different results.

1. The first is sowing in an apartment and obtaining seedlings of an annual mallow at the initial stage. It is planted in spring in garden soil and blooms in the year of planting.
2. The second is sowing at the same time in the ground in the spring. These seedlings will not bloom in the first year.
3. The third way is sowing immediately into the garden, but in the fall. Seedlings will bloom next spring much earlier than seedlings.
4. The fourth way is to grow seedlings, but not an annual plant, but a perennial one. Sowing takes place in May, and the seedlings move into the ground in September.

By the way. The easiest is the third way. The most traditional, guaranteed and most commonly used is seedling. The principle of growing seedlings in both the first and fourth methods is the same.

Step-by-step instructions for growing mallow seedlings

It is carried out at the end of winter, from the last days of January to the beginning of March. It depends on the region, climate, conditions.

First you need to pick up the pots. Since each seedling of mallow should be in an individual pot. A young plant does not like even the slightest injury to the roots. Therefore, the best choice for this method is peat pots.

Advice. Having grown seedlings in peat pots, they can be installed in the soil of the garden, right in the holes. No transplant or even transshipment is required. The root ball is not disturbed. The plant continues to develop without an adaptation period.

The soil is prepared as follows. Buy or harvest peat.

Add some well-sifted fine sand to it. Disinfection in any convenient way:

• strait with a solution of potassium permanganate;
• calcination in the oven;
• freezing.

After that, the soil should stand for about two weeks moistened, preferably covered with a film. And you can fill them with peat pots.

Mallow seeds, whether collected from their flowers or purchased, should not be stored for more than three years. Before sowing, they are soaked in water at a temperature of forty-five degrees. The fact is that the hard shell of the seeds should soften, which will accelerate germination.

By the way. It has been noticed that the seeds of all types of mallow in the third year after harvest have better germination and germinate more amicably than those that have been stored for a year or two.

Two seeds are sown in each pot in order to increase the germination guarantee by 50%. A weak sprout is then easy to remove.

Crops are covered and sent to a temperature regime of + 20ºC. Seedlings will have to wait half a month. All the time, the soil must be moistened and condensate removed by lifting the film.

Advice. Not everyone chooses personal peat pots. Many, despite the recommendations, will sow mallow in seedling containers in a solid planting. This will also raise the germination guarantee. But when three leaves appear, the seedlings will have to be thinned out so as to leave a distance of three centimeters between them. If the extracted sprouts are strong, they can not be thrown away, but dived into peat pots.

Seedlings must be sprayed all the time, and with early sowing of seeds (February), organize its illumination.

Before May, the stronger seedlings are hardened. To do this, they take it out into the air, starting from a quarter of an hour and up to several hours. In May or June (depending on the time of sowing the seeds), planting begins. If these are peat pots, they are simply placed in the hole. If the seedlings are in a container, you need to act very carefully so as not to damage the core roots.

Landing is made on a sunny site. In shading, the mallow will not grow to its full height, and the flowers will be weakly colored. Also, drainage must be present in the soil, or an elevated place is chosen - rotting of the roots will destroy the plant. Wind and draft can break the stems. If the site is windy, it is better to plant the plant immediately along the fence or wall. You can read more about soil fertilization at.

Important! Planting of annual mallow is carried out around mid-May, plus or minus two weeks. Planting seedlings of biennial and perennial species is carried out during August - September.

Features of soil sowing

The structure of the soil should not be heavy. Loam rich in humus is best suited. If the soil is poor, it needs to be improved. This is done with the help of humus. Well-rotted manure is kneaded. They mulch the surface of the area where the mallow will be sown. On top of five centimeters, humus is sprinkled with peat.

spring

Spring sowing occurs as follows.

1. A three-centimeter deepening is made in the peat.
2. The distance between the recesses is about 10 cm.
3. Three seeds are placed in each recess (previously soaked in warm water for half a day).
4. They are covered with peat, watered.
5. If there is no guarantee that the return frosts have passed, you can cover the spring crops.
6. Shoots will rise in 12-14 days.
7. Thinning (leave one sprout) is carried out when three leaves are formed on the stem. It depends on the selected plant variety and its final growth parameters.

autumn

Autumn (September) sowing has its own nuances. Preparation of soil, seeds, depth of holes remain the same as in spring. But the distance between them is immediately left constant, that is (depending on the variety) 25-40 cm.

It is not enough to sprinkle plantings with peat; they will have to be carefully covered even closer to winter. Fallen leaves or straw will serve as a covering material. In the spring, when shoots appear, the shelter will need to be removed so that the shoots do not sprout. But at night, especially while maintaining return frosts, they will have to be covered with a film.

Growing mallow

This process is not difficult. The plant does not require much, and to satisfy its requirements, you do not need to be an experienced grower at all.

Watering

Moisture young mallow needs a lot and constantly. Especially if the summer time is marked by droughts. But, since it does not tolerate soiling of the roots, it will have to be watered in small portions. The amount of water, of course, increases as the plant matures and its root system branchs out. But for an adult plant, watering is reduced.

By the way. The usual mode of moistening normal soil in the summer under an adult plant is weekly. During the flowering period, the volume of water increases slightly. Before the dormant period - is reduced.

Loosening and weeding

For some reason, there is a persistent misconception that the soil above the mallow roots should not be loosened. Perhaps this is due to the fact that it is not necessary to do this when growing this plant as often as for other flowers. For example, it is not necessary to loosen the soil after each watering. But once a month this procedure is worth carrying out - mallow roots also need air, like any flowers.

But you need to weed the plant regularly. Anyway, young. All weeds are removed as they appear.

top dressing

If the soil is sufficiently fertile, only two top dressings per season can be carried out, and both with compost or humus.

Cosmetic care

Like all large-flowered plants, mallow requires the timely removal of old flowers. Up to five flowers are formed in each stem axil. And if the dried one is not removed, the rest may not develop.

Advice. Mallow may need a garter, otherwise the stems will break and the plant will die. But not all are tied up, but only thin-stemmed varieties. Or plants that are planted in an open area and do not have a support in the form of a fence or wall.

After the plant has finished flowering, it is pruned to a level of 30 cm above the ground. In this case, next year it will grow even more.

In autumn, adult cut bushes are covered with spruce branches, under which the mallow hibernates. It is only necessary to open them in time in the spring so that the plant does not get wet.

By the way. If you want to turn an annual mallow into a perennial (for example, you really like the variety, color, shape of flowers), you need to do the following. Immediately after flowering, remove all flower stalks so that the seeds do not have time to start.

Getting rid of pests

Mallow rarely suffers from a few diseases. The most dangerous of them is powdery mildew. It is best to fight it with a solution of colloidal sulfur, or using a fungicide. For prevention purposes, it is worth planting a flower in an area where the plants are not infected with powdery mildew.

Another disease that occurs from time to time is rust. It infects mallow growing along metal fences. The back side of the sheet is covered with rusty spots. These leaves are removed. The best way to avoid rust is to plant mallow away from a metal fence.

Of the pests, the slug is dangerous. He eats the plant almost completely, leaving only a bare trunk. You need to collect them manually, or by setting traps. In the event of an invasion, you can use chemical treatment from slugs.

reproduction

The best way to propagate mallow is to collect boxes in the fall - polyseeds. You can buy seeds, of course. But it is not known what is packed in opaque paper bags, when it was collected and how long it was stored. If it is not possible to purchase seed material from a trusted seller, you need to be prepared for surprises of off-grade matching or poor germination.

Advice. Seeds are collected from plants that are selected for varietal affiliation. We need the best specimens, the most ripe ones.

The pods mature and begin to open. They must be removed and dried for about ten days at + 25 ° C. Then the seeds are cleaned of debris and stored with fifty percent humidity at a temperature of + 10 ° C for up to three years.

But what if the seeds are still purchased from a good manufacturer. Gorgeous plants have been planted and grown, but these are hybrids, that is, the packages are labeled F1. In this case, the collection of seeds is possible, but useless - flowers with native varietal characteristics cannot be grown from them.

Important! Hybrids can also be propagated. There are two ways to do this - dividing the bush (basal cuttings) and stem cuttings.

An adult perennial plant is divided into root cuttings in the spring. Greens from the stem are cut after flowering, in summer. All their sections are treated with an antiseptic (activated carbon powder). The lower sections are dipped in Kornevin. And rooted in boxes with earth, covering them with a film or banks.

Application in garden design

For mallow, the use in garden design is so wide that it can be considered indispensable.

It is used:

The best varieties

Despite the species diversity of plants of this family, a limited number of varieties are grown on the plots. Most loved by flower growers, professionals and amateurs, the following.

Table. Descriptions of varieties of mallow.

Variety	Characteristics
	This perennial plant is called Alcea rosea in Latin. Despite the fact that it can grow in one place for years, pink mallow is grown in culture as a one- or two-year-old plant. One of the tallest representatives of the mallow - can reach a height of two and a half meters. The name does not limit the color range - the flowers can be, except for pink, almost any color from the red-blue-violet range. Pink mallow blooms in the second year. Flowering time - July-September. Can be with simple and terry flowers.
	Of course, this is a close relative of the pink mallow, only wild. However, it has already become so “cultivated” that it will soon force other species out of the gardens. It is distinguished by a special unpretentiousness, resistance to cold. Growth is also high - about two meters. And huge, the color of condensed milk, corrugated flowers.
	The name of this type of mallow is given because it has a wonderful, strong, memorable aroma (it is also called nutmeg). The rest of the species smell not so intense or practically do not smell. In addition, this plant is compact, grows up to a meter. At the same time, it has rather large flowers up to five centimeters. The flowers are densely arranged, and the bush looks very elegant.
	It is also grown in gardens and vegetable gardens, in flower beds, as an ornamental plant. In addition to being decorative, it also has numerous medicinal properties. Grows up to one and a half meters. Blooms all summer long. The flowers are small and delicate. This species is the most thermophilic, therefore it is most often grown as an annual.
	A direct relative of the forest species of mallow. They even look similar, but the zebrina is much larger in terms of stem height and flower parameters. In addition, it is resistant to cold, disease, and is grown as a perennial.
	Striking splendor. Reminiscent of a mixture of roses with a lush carnation. Height can grow from 75 to 200 cm. There are many terry varieties of various colors, mostly all of the same color. This species is more capricious than a plant with simple flowers. To maintain decorativeness, it needs careful cosmetic care.
	It really looks like a garland - flowers are so often located on the stem. Mostly terry types, but can be simple. The height of the stem grows about 180 cm. It is a biennial plant.

Mallow grows in nature from North America to Asia. This plant existed in ancient Egypt - in the treatises of Hippocrates, its healing properties were described. The original mallow flowers have served as an inspiration for artists and poets at all times. And it rightfully occupies a leading place in the gardens, standing out among the thousands of species of various flowering plants.

If you walk in the summer along a village street or a gardening community, then from a distance you will see tall stems strewn with large multi-colored buds. This is a stock-rose (mallow) blooming - the heroine of our today's story. We will talk about some features of this plant, about growing mallow, in this review.

Now let's clarify the terminology a bit. "Mallow" is the common name of a family in which not all species are of such outstanding growth. For example, mallow is a weed that creeps along the surface of the earth, although some gardeners cultivate it in a cultural form. Althea officinalis is also a relative of our beauty.

And that plant, which everyone basically calls “mallow”, has the biological name “stock-rose”, or in Latin “Alcea rosea”.

The stock-rose seems to be created to create a decorative fence, so they are most often grown along the borders of the plots.

Mallow: a little about the biology of the plant

Mallow or shto-kroza pink (or Alcea rosea) is a herbaceous plant that belongs to the species of stockkrose of the mallow family. It is an annual or biennial (depending on the method of cultivation) with a long, straight, strong stem reaching a height of two and a half meters.

Blooms from July to September. Large flowers, up to 12 centimeters in diameter, are eagerly visited by bees, collecting pollen and nectar from them. The color palette of mallow is diverse, it has all shades from white to purple.

Mallow reproduces well with its own seeds that have fallen to the ground. If you do not thin out such self-seeding entries, the stockrose thickens and runs wild.

Mallows are drought tolerant, cold tolerant, and disease resistant.

Sowing seeds

Growing mallow from seeds can be done in different ways.

• Rassadny. This method is recommended for some varieties, and is also used for growing in an annual crop.
• Early planting of seedlings can ensure that stock roses bloom in the first year of the growing season.
• Sowing seeds in open ground in spring. In this case, the plants will bloom next year. This is the most common growing method.
• Sowing outdoors in autumn. Those that emerge in early spring will bloom a little earlier.

Growing seedlings

The seedling method is used to obtain flowering plants in the year of sowing. In accordance with local climatic conditions and stock-rose varieties, seedlings are sown in February or March. Naturally, with such an early sowing, there is a need for additional illumination of seedlings.

If possible, you need to sow the mallow in separate cups, since its delicate, fibrous roots do not tolerate picking. If the plants outgrow the container in which they were sown, it is necessary to use the transfer method with an earthen clod (for example, they do with seedlings of peppers).

If sowing is done in one large container, then the distance between the seeds must be maintained at three to four centimeters.

Soil for sowing is used ordinary peat, which is sold in gardening stores. Heavier soils at the seedling stage of cultivation are undesirable.

Mallow seedlings are easy to care for. It is enough to provide good illumination, especially on the northern windows, and timely watering. Do not forget about the humidity of the air, in winter heated apartments the air is very dry and therefore it is recommended to regularly spray the seedlings with sprinkling.

It is necessary to plant a stock-rose in open ground in late May - early June, along with heat-loving crops. The weakest frost has a detrimental effect on tender seedlings, although if tunnel or other temporary shelters are used, planting can be carried out at an earlier date.

Spring sowing in open ground

As mentioned above, mallow is afraid of frost, so it should be sown when the threat of return frosts has passed. The depth of seed placement is 2-3 centimeters, the distance between them is from five to ten centimeters, in extreme cases, with thickened seedlings, mallows can be thinned out. Or you can sow in holes in which several seeds are placed, subsequently leaving one strong plant each.

Stockroses planted at the end of May do not have time to bloom in the same season, and if they form buds, it is better to remove them in order not to take away the strength of the plant.

Autumn sowing in open ground

In autumn, mallow can be sown in two ways:

• incorporation of seeds as in spring sowing;
• wild landing.

The first method allows you to get full-fledged flowers on stockrose in spring much earlier than seedlings, at the same time as those sown in spring. Here you need to carefully monitor the seedlings and cover them in time with the likelihood of frosty nights.

The second way - wild - is that the flowering stems of the plant with seed pods are laid out on the soil in the right place and they go under the snow. In the spring, they sprout safely, simulating reproduction by the type of wildlife. Such plants then turn out to be more resistant to stress and disease.

Stock rose care

Mallow seedlings are very moisture-loving, so they need to be watered regularly and plentifully. Watering is best done infrequently, but give enough water. However, it is better not to top up than to pour, the roots of the stock-rose can rot from waterlogging. In any case, you need to act in accordance with the weather conditions and the condition of the plants.

Reduce the amount of watering by using mulching. Compost or rotted sawdust works best as mulch.

Grown stock roses need to be fed twice. The first time two weeks after germination or planting seedlings, the second - in the budding phase of plants. Mallow will also live well without top dressing, only the size of the flowers will be slightly smaller.

Diseases and pests

There are practically no pests on mallow, and with good agricultural technology, it rarely gets sick. The main disease is leaf rust. When it appears, it is necessary to remove the affected leaves, and treat the plants themselves with a copper-containing preparation, for example, Bordeaux mixture