Description of the mallow plant, rules for planting and caring for mallow in the garden, recommendations for reproduction, tips for combating diseases and pests, curious notes, species and varieties.
Malva (Malva sylvestris) belongs to the representatives of the flora included in the Malvaceae family of the Malva genus of the same name. This family is very extensive and can include both herbaceous plants and vines, as well as shrubs and trees. The genus itself has about 120 varieties. Mallow prefers to grow in areas with a temperate and warm climate, namely in the southern regions of the European part of Russia, in the Crimea and the Caucasus, found in Western Europe and northern regions of the African continent, captures the lands of Asia Minor and northwest India. It can grow both in forested areas and in bright park areas, often acting as a weed.
| Family name | Malvaceae |
| Growing period | One-year, two-year or long-term |
| Vegetation form | Herbaceous |
| Breeding method | Seeds or vegetatively (dividing an old bush, rooting cuttings) |
| Landing period in open ground | Aug. Sept |
| Landing rules | The distance between seedlings should be at least 70-80 cm |
| Priming | Loose, nutritious with good drainage |
| Soil acidity values, pH | 6, 5-7 (neutral) |
| Lighting degree | Sunny location or light shading (western or southern location) |
| Humidity parameters | Not demanding on air humidity, but you need to carry out abundant watering 2-3 times a week |
| Special care rules | Need feeding twice a year |
| Height values | Within 30-200 cm |
| Inflorescence shape or type of flowers | Single flowers or racemose inflorescences |
| Flower color | Shades of pink or purple |
| Flowering time | June to September |
| Decorative period | Summer |
| Fruit type | Boxes from single-seeded nests |
| The timing of fruit ripening | September |
| Application in landscape design | Group plantings, mixborders, shelter for backyard buildings |
| USDA zone | 4–9 |
The plant got its name thanks to the term in the old Roman dialect, rooted in the Greek word "malasso", which has the translation "soften". All due to the fact that in ancient times, healers used leaf plates for medicinal purposes. In Russian, the "mallow" is somewhat similar in the form of its fruits to the church prosphora (prosphora) - a round loaf that is accepted by believers during the sacrament.
All representatives of the genus are divided into annuals, biennials or perennials with a branched and long rhizome. The stems can grow straight or trail along the surface of the soil. There is also sufficient branching of the shoots. Stems can reach the height of indicators from 30 cm to two meters. At the same time, at the base, they are measured in diameter up to 5 cm. The surface of the stems is with sparse pubescence. Since the growth rate of mallow is rather high, by the middle of summer the stems reach their maximum height parameters.
Along the entire length of the shoots, leaves unfold, characterized by an integral shape, but they are lobed (divided into 5-7 lobes) or finger-dissected outlines, round-cordate. In addition to a solid edge, the edge can be serrated, serrated-crenate or curly. The foliage surface is pubescent. The leaves in the root zone are attached to the stem due to the long petiole, while the petioles of the stem leaves are already shorter. The color of the foliage is dark or bright green. Stipules have a lanceolate shape; elongated cilia are clearly visible at the edges. The color of the stipules is pale green.
The flowering process in mallow lasts from the beginning of summer days to September. When blooming, large flowers open, the corollas of which have funnel-shaped outlines, reminiscent of the wide-open horn of a gramophone. The buds originate in the leaf axils, where they are clustered in several pieces. In rare cases, the flowers are arranged singly. Mallow inflorescences are usually crowned with the tops of the shoots and are characterized by a racemose shape. Oblong-oval leaves with a ciliated edge form a subchannel. The calyx has a division almost to the middle into lobes, triangular in outline. The corolla takes on a wide variety of shades of pink or purple. Today there are types and varieties with white, purple and crimson colors. The corolla is 3-4 times larger than the calyx. The length of the petals in it is 2.5 cm, their shape is obovate, the surface is deeply grooved.
After pollination of flower gramophones of mallow, ripening of fruits begins, represented by a box with a large number of nests (10-13 units). The boxes are often called "kalachiks" because of their rounded outlines. Each nest contains one seed. If we talk about their mass, then in 1 gram there are up to 300-500 seed units. When fully ripe, the fruits disintegrate into achenes.
Today, it is customary to grow in gardens not only basic varieties, but also their garden forms, since the latter have larger flowers and interesting colors. The plant is not difficult to care for and if you adhere to some rules, it will become a real decoration of the personal plot.
Rules for planting and caring for mallow in the open field
- Landing place. Both in nature and in the garden, the location is selected in accordance with the natural needs of the mallow. There are species that prefer a sunny and open flower bed, others prefer partial shade. But it is important to remember that if there is a lack of lighting, the stems will stretch too much, the size of the flowers grinds, and the color will be very pale. The best choice would be a southern or western orientation of plantings. It is necessary for the plants to receive several hours of direct sunlight per day. It also follows that protection from gusts of wind should be provided, since some varieties have rather high stems, although their thickness at the base is significant, but due to sharp gusts they are capable of breaking off.
- Soil for mallow light and fertile (rich in humus) is required, while the moisture indicators are average. Necessarily high drainage properties. The reaction of soil acidity is neutral, pH 6, 5–7. To increase the fertility of the substrate, organic fertilizers are mixed into it - on the basis that 5 kg of compost or rotted manure must be added per 1 m2. Before planting, it is loosened and well moistened.
- Planting mallow is carried out during the period of August-September, but you need to pick up a cloudy day or carry out the manipulation in the evening. It is recommended to place the seedlings at a distance of 50–70 cm. The pit is dug out more than the root system of the seedling and the plant is placed in it. Then the hole is filled to the top with soil and abundant watering is carried out. If the variety assumes stems of high parameters, and the bush will grow alone, then pegs should be dug in next to which, as it grows, the shoots will be tied. When planting in a group, such tricks will not be needed, since the plants will serve as protection to each other.
- Watering when caring for mallow, abundant is necessary. It is carried out 2-3 times a week. But it is important not to bring the soil to acidification, since it is possible to provoke rotting of the root system. Air humidity during cultivation does not matter. Watering should be carried out only after the soil next to the stem dries up.
- Fertilizers when caring for mallow, it should be applied rarely. Usually, nutrients are sufficient from the soil, since a nutrient substrate enriched with compost is used. But for the fastest build-up of green mass and acceleration of growth, fertilizing with nitrogen content, for example, urea, mullein or ammonium nitrate, is recommended. Also, many growers feed, both organic and complete mineral complexes (for example, Kemiroi-Universal) twice during the growing season - before and after the flowering process.
- Wintering this representative of the flora is not a problem. Usually, young specimens tolerate frosts more persistently (often up to -35 degrees), but it happens that you need to provide them with shelter, protecting them from freezing.
- General advice on care. The plant is rather non-capricious in care. In order to prolong flowering, it is recommended to remove wilting flowers. Then this process can end only when stable frosts come. If the stems reach a height of 2 meters, it is recommended to provide support. When it is assumed that the mallow will be grown as a perennial crop, then it is necessary to cut off the peduncles in time at the end of flowering so that the seeds do not have the opportunity to set. If you want to grow bushes of a lower height, then in the spring it is recommended to pinch all the tops of the mallow shoots. Since plant transplantation is poorly tolerated, the planting site should be carefully considered. Experienced gardeners advise periodically rejuvenating old specimens, since it has been noticed that it is young bushes that tolerate frosts more easily.
- The use of mallow in landscape design. Mallow looks best in group plantings and mixborders. Such tall stems covered with flowers look beautiful, with trees and shrubs serving as a background. At the same time, there are types used for cutting, since such a bouquet can serve as an ornament for 1, 5 weeks.
Some people use such tall plants for planting near technical backyards, along fences and fences, to hide an unsightly compost pile or toilet from the eyes. By means of mallow stems, spectacular hedges can be formed. Often, such plantings are used to plant gardens, parks and streets.
Read more about growing lavater
Recommendations for breeding wood mallow
To get new bushes of mallow, it is advised to use the seed method or vegetative - rooting cuttings or dividing the bush.
Propagation of mallow with seeds
Sowing can be carried out either directly into the ground after collecting seed material or growing seedlings. If sowing is done in a school (a bed intended for seedlings), then it is best to do this in May. Then the seeds are distributed in grooves, 3 pieces per hole at a distance of about 70–80 cm, and covered with soil. Then watering is carried out. Usually, at the end of 8-10 days, you can see friendly sprouts. When the seedlings grow a little, they leave only one stronger plant. But only with the arrival of the end of summer or in September, young plants are transplanted to a permanent place in a flower bed. The distance between them is maintained approximately 40-50 cm, as the mature bushes begin to grow strongly. Such mallows will please with flowering only in the second year of the growing season.
In order to grow mallow seedlings, seeds should be sown in pots with the arrival of April. It is better to use seeds harvested two years ago, since their germination capacity is higher. Before sowing, it is recommended to soak the seed in warm water for about 12 hours. When sowing, 3 seeds are placed in each planting container, taking into account the container volume of about 3 liters. The soil for sowing is selected loose, nutritious with neutral acidity (approximately pH 6, 5–7). Watering is necessary after sowing. Pots are placed in a well-lit place (but shaded from the direct rays of the sun at noon) with heat indicators of 20-22 degrees.
But here, too, the seedlings can be seen after a little more than a week or a maximum of two. When the time for planting comes (August-September), the mallow seedlings are transplanted into a flower bed. To eliminate the risk of damage during transplantation of the root system, separate peat pots can be used during sowing. Flowering often occurs in the same year. It is important to note that the varietal traits of the parent plants may be lost during seed propagation.
Propagation of mallow by cuttings
This method is often used for high-value varieties or those with double flowers. Usually, blanks are cut from basal shoots in the spring or stem shoots with the arrival of summer. Before planting, the sections should be treated with any rooting stimulant (for example, heteroauxin or Kornevin). Cuttings are planted in pots with a peat-sand mixture and watered. When the seedlings are fully rooted (usually after 10-14 days), then in the fall they can be transplanted to a flower bed in the garden. For planting, you should select the evening hours or the day so that it turns out to be cloudy.
Reproduction of mallow by dividing the bush
This method is also applicable to preserve the parental traits of mallow. If the bush has become very large, then in the spring it is dug up, the soil is carefully cleaned from the roots and the root system is divided into parts with a sharp knife. It is not necessary to make the plots very small, as there will be problems with their rooting. Each of the parts must have a sufficient number of root processes and stems. Planting in a new place is carried out immediately after division, only the sections are sprinkled with charcoal powder for disinfection.
Disease and Pest Control Tips When Growing Mallow
When growing wood mallow, most often problems arise due to the high humidity of the environment and soil in warm climates. Then a fungal disease such as rust … The disease affects all aerial parts of the plant and is clearly distinguishable due to the formed pads with various shapes and sizes. When they crack, a ginger powder begins to pour out, which is a fungal spore. Thus, the infection spreads from diseased plants to healthy ones.
When the rust enters the last stage, the pads merge into strips of rusty color, the foliage begins to turn yellow and flies around ahead of time, and then the whole mallow bush dies.
To fight the disease, it is recommended to cut off all leaves with red marks and then treat the plant with fungicidal preparations, which include sulfur. Bordeaux liquid is also used in 1% concentration or other fungicides - Poliram, Abiga-Peak or Strobi.
Slugs, which taste the nutritious leaves of the plant and gnawed small holes appear on the surface, also cause trouble when growing wood mallow. Pests need to be collected by hand, but many gardeners use metaldehyde products such as Groza-Meta or sprinkle crushed eggshells in the aisle to make it difficult for gastropods to move.
Of the difficulties that accompany the cultivation of mallow can be distinguished:
- Lack of lighting, which is signaled by too elongated shoots, shredding of flowers and their faded color.
- Freezing in the first year of growing mallow seedlings, then there is a need to provide shelter, despite the cold resistance of the plant. However, spring frosts do not harm the mallow.
Curious notes about the mallow plant
Since the 6th century BC, thanks to Hippocrates, the famous healer and philosopher was aware of the medicinal properties of mallow. Today, through studies, it has become clear that mallow foliage contains a large amount of vitamin C and carbohydrates, as well as mucus and tannins. If the patient suffered from inflammatory diseases of the throat and respiratory tract, it was recommended both for rinsing and for internal intake to use infusions based on the flowers and leaf plates of the plant.
Ointments prepared on parts of mallow were used to eliminate problems on the skin, such as ulcers and burns, tumors and eczema, and similar drugs helped in the treatment of hemorrhoids. It was possible not only to prepare special preparations from the leaves and flowers of mallow, it is often introduced into herbal compositions and herbal teas, which help to eliminate dry cough and catarrh.
Important
At the same time, scientists have not identified any serious contraindications for the use of mallow.
But not only the cultivation of forest mallow has been practiced since antiquity on the territory of Greece, Rome and Egypt for medicinal purposes. Leaves and flowers were also used for food, and they are still doing this in the Caucasus. This is because the foliage has a neutral, but pleasant and slightly sweet taste. Dishes were prepared from it and introduced into culinary products (for example, as a filling for pies). The leaves are used both fresh (for example, in salads) and boiled (in soups). If you eat a mallow leaf with a piece of bread with a couple of stalks of tarragon, parsley and dill (you can take lovage), and also add a leaf of spinach, a couple of any onion feathers (wild garlic, slanting, chives), scorzonera leaves or oat root, this will give up to noon feeling of satiety.
Types and varieties of mallow
Rose mallow (Malva alcea)
or as it is called Mallow stock-pink or Alcea palmata … The climatic zone of growth is within 4-9 USDA. It is represented by a perennial, the erect stems of which extend to a height of 45–90 cm, some specimens can be up to 1.2 m in height. The surface of the stem is covered with hairs collected in bunches. The foliage is divided into 3-5 lobes. The flowering process takes place from July to August. The buds are concentrated on the tops of the stems. A lot of flowers are revealed, while the diameter at full disclosure is 4–5 cm. The delicate pink corolla is made up of five serrated petals. There is a garden form with snow-white flowers. Although the plant is perennial, its life span is short. Can be used for container growing.
The most popular varieties are:
- Fastigiata characterized by a bush of narrowed outlines, formed by vertically growing stems - this differs from the basic variety, the flowers have a bright pink color of the petals.
- Mixed variety, which has flowers, both white and pink.
This species is widely used for medicinal purposes, and for this purpose all its parts (foliage, stems, flowers and roots) are collected.
Musk mallow (Malva moschata)
The native area of distribution falls on the Western European territories, the Asia Minor lands and the central European parts of Russia. Perennial herbaceous growth, the maximum height of which reaches one meter, but basically this range is 35–70 cm. Stems grow erect and branched, have a rough-hairy surface. In gardens, it is grown as a two-year or perennial crop.
The color of the flowers that unfold throughout the summer is snow-white or pink. When flowering, a pleasant musky aroma hovers over the plantings, for which the variety received the specific name. The corolla, when fully opened, reaches 5 cm in diameter. The species has been cultivated since 1596. Winter hardiness indicators reach -35 degrees. It is considered the most resistant to pests and diseases. Does not tolerate waterlogged soil. Excellent honey plant.
The most attractive varieties are characterized by:
- White Perfection or White Perfection. This plant has the earliest flowering dates of the entire genus. The height of the stems is within 0, 35–0, 7 m. The diameter of numerous snow-white flowers is 5 cm. The flowering process is from June to August. Usually grown as a pot plant during the first growing season, which is then transplanted outdoors. Recommended for planting in mixborders and group plantings. It performs well in cutting. It can tolerate partial shade, but sunny locations are preferable for growing. Abundant watering is required.
- Pink Tower or Pink Tower characterized by compact size of the bush and flowering, stretching until the first frost. The flowers are pink.
- White Tower or White Tower also a persistent variety, but the color of the flowers is milky white.
Forest mallow (Malva sylvestris)
This variety is the most common of the entire genus. The stems easily reach meter height. The plant is characterized by active growth and abundant flowering. Both shoots and foliage have dense pubescence. During flowering, single buds open or they can be collected in several pieces in the leaf axils. The difference is a pattern of veins of red or purple color, which extends over the entire length of the petals of a pale pinkish color.
To extend the flowering period, it is recommended to immediately remove the fading buds. It is very often used for cutting, since it can stand in a bouquet for up to one and a half weeks. Today, through the efforts of breeders, there is a large number of hybrid varieties and varieties. The most successful variety is Black Pearl or Black Pearl characterized by flowers with burgundy-violet petals, on the surface of which veins of a black tone are traced. The buds open in May, and flowering will end in mid-autumn.
Malva neglecta
the shortest species in this genus. Its stems can reach a height of only 0.4 m. They grow ascending, their surface is so covered with dense, fleecy pubescence that the stems seem to be of a grayish hue. The reverse side of the leaf blades also has pubescence. The leaves are attached to the stems by means of long petioles. The outlines of the leaves are rounded, there is a blade division into several lobes. In the leaf axils, buds originate from the very base of the shoots to the top. They appear occasionally singly or are grouped in 3-4 pieces. Flowers are crowned with long stalks. The color of the corolla petals is pale pinkish; dark veins are clearly present on the surface. The flowering process stretches over the entire summer period.
The variety is suitable for growing as an annual crop or perennial. The aerial parts (foliage, stems and flowers) are used to prepare culinary dishes.
Curly mallow (Malva crispa)
the native growing area falls on the territory of China, can act not only as an ornamental crop, but as a food and medicinal plant. Despite its shape, it is an annual. The height of the branched stems is approaching two meters. Their surface color is yellowish. Its greens are dense, formed by large leaf blades (their size may resemble a plate). The edge of green leaves is wavy with a fringed edge, for which this mallow bears its specific name.
The flowering process begins in mid-summer and stretches to the very frost. During this period, small-sized, pale pinkish flowers, originating in the leaf axils, open up. They can grow both singly and be collected in bunches. Each flower has a pubescent peduncle. Numerous bees and other pollinating insects circle above such plants during flowering.
Ripening of fruits occurs in September. The seed pods resemble rolls or rounded tablets. They are formed by achenes. Foliage has long been used in cooking, as it is somewhat similar to overcooked chicken meat. Chopped leaves can be used to make salads or as a pie filling.
Related article: Description of malopa, planting and care in open ground
Video about growing mallow in the open field:
