Mallow flower: growing from seeds and subsequent care

Mallow is a decorative flower with large, bright flowers. These flowers decorate many garden plots. Cut branches of mallow placed in vases also look good. Grow mallow from seeds It's not difficult at all. To do this you need to know a few simple rules.

Content:

• Plant characteristics
• Growing mallow from seeds
• Preparing seeds and choosing a planting site
• Soil preparation
• Care after landing

Plant characteristics

Mallow is a plant of the mallow family. Depending on the planting method, it is divided into annual and biennial plants. Mallow has a long stem that can reach two meters or more in height. Bright large flowers, 12 cm in size, are placed along the stem. The flower has the shape of a bell, the leaves are in the shape of hearts.

There are many varieties of mallow, their colors range from soft pink to rich dark purple. The flowering period of mallow occurs in July and August, some varieties bloom throughout the summer. The plant tolerates cold well, but is afraid of frost. This flower successfully resists diseases and can withstand drought.

Growing mallow from seeds

Mallow can be grown from seeds. There are three ways:

• growing seedlings from seeds
• planting seeds in open ground in spring
• planting seeds in autumn

To choose one method or another, you should take into account the following information.If you grow mallow from seeds first seedlings, then it will bloom in the year of planting.

Mallows planted with seeds in open ground will not bloom in the year of planting. Seeds planted in the fall will germinate in the spring, and will bloom earlier than the seedlings. Each method has its own characteristics that must be taken into account when planting seeds.

Growing seedlings:

1. Planting begins in February or March, depending on the climatic conditions of the region.
2. Each flower should be planted in a separate glass; peat pots are best suited. In the same cups, the plants are subsequently planted in open ground.
3. Peat soil is used for sowing.
4. Plants need additional lighting.
5. For normal growth, it is necessary to maintain the room temperature at about 18 - 20 degrees.
6. Seedlings need to be sprayed regularly.

Young sprouts need hardening; to do this, they are taken out to a cool place for a while every day. landing seedlings are produced at the end of May or at the beginning of June, again depending on climatic and weather conditions.

Spring planting in open ground:

1. Planting takes place at the end of May, after the risk of night frosts on the soil has decreased.
2. Seeds are planted to a depth of two to three centimeters.
3. Maintain a distance of 5–10 cm between bushes.

Video on how to grow mallow from seeds to seedlings:

Autumn sowing:

• Planting takes place in September
• Make holes 3 cm thick
• The distance between the holes is approximately 40 cm
• Plantings are sprinkled with peat
• For the winter, crops are covered with straw or fallen leaves.
• In spring, seedlings will appear early and will need to be protected from frost.

After familiarizing yourself with the conditions for growing mallow, you can choose the most suitable option.

Preparing seeds and choosing a planting site

Planting material can be purchased at a flower shop. Before you start landing seedlings, you need to prepare the seeds. To do this, they are soaked in warm water for 12 hours. Thus, the seed shell will soften and germination will accelerate. In just two weeks you can expect the first shoots. You must first check the seeds for germination.

2 or 3 seeds are planted in one hole, and after germination the strongest sprout is left. Mallow seeds have excellent germination. They germinate well within three years, and three-year-old seeds germinate much more efficiently than annual ones.

Mallow is a light-loving plant; in the shade its flowers begin to fade and they develop a dull color. For planting, choose places well lit by the sun. It is better to plant flowers on a small hill so that rainwater does not accumulate in the roots. The root system of this plant is very developed; too much moisture can cause it to rot.

The ideal place is located along a fence or walls of a building. This way you can protect the mallow from the winds, and you can also create a hedge in this way. Mallows also look impressive in group plantings. Mallow is used in landscape design. It is used to decorate lawns and flower beds.

When choosing a location, it is worth considering the fact that mallows are susceptible to diseases such as powdery mildew. Therefore, the plant needs to be planted in areas where this disease has not been observed over the next two to three years. The choice of location must be approached with all responsibility; the intensity with which the flower will bloom and grow depends on this.

Soil preparation

The soil for planting plants must be prepared in advance. To do this, they carefully dig it up. It is better to fertilize poor soil before planting. To do this, it can be mulched with humus. The soil should be nutritiously moist. For mallow it is better to choose loose soil. For seedlings make the following mixture:

• two parts of land from the site
• part of sand
• part of the humus

During the growth process, frequent fertilizing is not required. Fertilizers need to be applied once a year. To do this, use a complex of minerals for garden flowers.

Care after landing

After planting, the soil should be compacted and watered well. After two weeks, shoots will appear and will need to be weeded regularly. The soil needs to be loosened periodically. Young plants require abundant watering; as they grow, watering is reduced.

Before budding begins, the mallow should be fed with mineral fertilizers. In order for the plant to bloom profusely, the flower stalks must be removed as soon as they fade, before seeds begin to form. Mallow does not require special care; the fact is that it is an unpretentious plant.

Mallow does not need a lot of water. It is better to water in small portions, but more often. After watering, the soil should be loosened to provide fresh air to the roots. Mallow stems are fragile and can break in the wind. To prevent this from happening, they can be tied to pegs. Mallow cannot be replanted. This plant has a fairly branched root system, it can be damaged during transplantation and then the flower will die.

Faded flowers need to be cut off. After the plant has flowered, it is prepared for winter. The mallow is cut to ground level, the soil is fertilized with compost, or humus can be used.For the winter, the plant is protected from frost by covering it with straw or dry leaves.

Mallow is a beautiful plant that will become one of the best decorations for any garden plot. This undemanding plant does not require special care. It can be easily grown from seed, I don’t even have much experience in gardening.