Malva perennial - planting and rearing

Botanists call mallow a mallow, and dacha kalachikami. There are two varieties of mallow - decorative and fodder. An ordinary garden flower is a two-year-old plant up to 2 meters high with petals of different colors: red, yellow, purple or white.

In the seeds of mallow contains up to 15% of the oil, which is used in cosmetology. Young leaves and seeds are edible.

Description and types

In the territory of the former USSR, 15 species of mallow are grown. Decorative are:

• Curly - plants height of 60-180 cm, flowers up to 1.5 cm in diameter, blooms from July to September, is more often used as ornamental plants.
• Mauritian - grows wild in the Non-Black Earth, sometimes it is wild in wastelands. Height up to 1.5 meters, the flowers are rare, simple, bright pink with raspberry veins.
• Rod, shtokroza - height 70-170 cm, flowers simple and terry, yellowish.
• Musky - has a pleasant aroma, the height is not more than a meter, the flowers are small, very numerous.

The most famous representative of mallow is pink or shtroroza. This is a perennial plant that is grown as a two-year and one-year plant. The height of the stems is about 2 meters, it is decorative from the middle of July to the first autumn frosts.

All the marshmallow blossom from July to September. The largest corollas reach a diameter of 10 cm. Flowers in mallow can be terry, semi-double, simple. The color of the petals is any, except blue and blue. Derived varieties of varying heights, from dwarfs to giants.

Malva is suitable for cutting. From it make huge solemn bouquets. In the vase flowers unfold gradually, starting from the lower ones.

Plants in the garden are planted in the background of the flower beds as a beautiful background. They are suitable for decorating old walls, unsightly corners of the garden. Malva is well combined with large shrubby camomile flowers: cosmea, echinacea, nivian.

Planting mallow

Plants are grown from seeds. Prosvirniki easily reproduce without the participation of man - self-seeding. The seeds are sown directly into the garden. In the first year a lush rosette of leaves is formed, on the second - a flower spike develops. Special varieties and growing through seedlings allow to receive blossoming specimens in the year of sowing.

Seeds of mallow retain their germination capacity not more than 3 years, and biennials rise better than fresh ones. Seed material at the bales is large, so it is easy to sow immediately to a permanent place, observing the right interval. There are no problems with the germination of seeds.

The seeding depth is 2-3 cm. Seedlings appear after 2 weeks. Thick shoots can be carefully planted. The best time for this is when the plants formed several leaves.

The kalachik has a long rod root, which is severely injured during transplantation, after which the seedlings do not take root well. Therefore, it is better to sow seeds at once, at a distance of 70-90 cm.

Transplant and Reproduction

Malva can be transplanted even in the second year, but before the flower spike appeared. Plants are transferred to a new place, excavated with a large clod of earth.

Hybrids are recommended to propagate by green cuttings or division, since otherwise they do not inherit parental traits, and some are completely infertile. In the spring, cuttings can be obtained by separating the sprouts from the common root. In the summer, the stems are cut and rooted in a greenhouse.

Podzimniy sowing

Experienced gardeners practice podzimny sowing mallow. With this method, plants bloom in the first year without growing seedlings. The shoots that have risen early in the spring will have to be protected from frost, covering them with film.

Select a location

Nature seems to have specially created the mallow for planting along fences and walls. High stems, covered with garlands of large spectacular flowers - a usual picture for a village front garden or suburban area.

The plant is unpretentious, grows well on any soil, even saline, tolerates sunshine and shading. Kalachiki will blossom even in a dense shadow, climbing self-sown under the thick crown of a tree.

Picking up the place you need to take into account that the mallow has a long stem root, so you can not plant the seeds in the lowland, where the water stagnates and the underground part of the plant rot. Avoid places in a strong draft, as a tall plant can break down. A good solution is to grow flowers along the fence, to which you can tie stems, when they are covered with heavy flowers.

The soil

The bastard prefers light soil with a neutral reaction, seasoned with fertilizers. Clay soil is undesirable.

The soil must be prepared beforehand: thoroughly dig, fertilize. In the hole add organic - two glasses of compost or humus.

For seedlings, make soil mixture:

• part of the garden land;
• part of sand;
• part of the humus.

Care and cultivation of mallow

Seeds for seedlings are sown in March - then the plants bloom already at the end of July. Each seed is placed in a separate glass so that it is not transplanted. Plants planted in a common box are quickly intertwined with roots and suffer greatly during picking.

The best temperature for growing seedlings is 18-20 degrees. Glasses are kept in the room in the brightest place, preferably on a glassed-in loggia. When there is a lack of light, the seedlings are stretched, they get sick, they take root long in the open ground.

Care of seedlings comes down to a rare watering. Feeding and sprinkling kalachikam not required.

Seedlings are planted in the open ground when the spring frosts stop. The approximate date is the end of May. The scheme depends on the varietal features and design of the flower garden.

In the garden plants almost do not require care. With regard to the kalachiki, the principle operates-planted and forgotten. Occasionally, after weeding, you can gently loosen the soil around the bush. To plants always looked attractive, it is enough to cut off the secular shooter.

To flowering was abundant, do not let the plant tie seeds, remove the stems immediately after drying the coronals.