Lovely large and bright flowers that adorn household plots and gardens near houses in the countryside. The name of these flowers is mallow. It is about them that we will discuss in our article.
What is mallow
This plant belongs to the Malvaceae family. Mallows are divided according to the method of planting into annuals and biennials. The height of the stem can reach two meters, the diameter of the flowers is about 12 cm. The flowers are bell-shaped, and their petals look like hearts. This flower seems to be created for growing along fences, fences or near the walls of houses. In addition, it is unpretentious, beautiful and has a number of healing properties.
Types and varieties
From an annual forest plant called forest mallow, more than sixty varieties and varieties of mallow have been grown by man. It would seem a lot. True, it is not so easy to give an unambiguous answer to the question of what mallow is, since certain types of these flowers, according to some flower growers, cannot be attributed to this family. Nevertheless, their distinguishing features are so insignificant that it would be more expedient to combine all these varieties into one family. Consider somevarieties:
- Annual or forest. What is wood mallow? This plant is also popularly called kalachikami. Actually, this flower is a biennial, but we grow it as an annual. The height of the stem of the forest mallow reaches 1-1.2 meters, the flowers are purple with darker veins, 5-7 cm in diameter.
- Perennial mallow, or musky. This plant has low, up to one meter long stems. The flowers of the musk mallow are light pink and white, about five centimeters in size. This mallow blooms until frost.
- Sudanese mallow, she is a Sudanese rose, or scientifically - hibiscus Sabdariffa. This plant can have both a tree-like and bushy form. Flowers are white with a dark red center. The fruits of this plant are used in the manufacture of fruit drinks and have medicinal properties.
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Mallow wrinkled. In the wild, it can reach two meters in height. In cultivated form, it grows up to 90 cm, and some dwarf varieties only up to 70 cm. It blooms with simple white or semi-double and double peony-like flowers.
- Hybrid mallow is a multi-stemmed perennial that grows up to two meters in height. It blooms with very large flowers of white and pink shades.
Of course, it will take much more time to describe all varieties of mallow, so only the most common and popular varieties of this flower are mentioned.
Methods of growing mallow
As for the ways of growing flowers, there are two of them. The first is shown in the photo of the planting mallow below in the article.
Second - growing a two-year-old plant. The first method is practiced if the grower needs a plant to bloom in the same year that the planting is made. To do this, at the end of winter, seeds are sown for seedlings, and the seedlings themselves are planted in open ground in late spring - early summer. In all other cases, the second planting method is used, in which seeds are sown in open ground in early July or September, or seedlings are planted in autumn. Mallow will bloom the next year after planting.
Soil preparation
Before planting flowers, the soil must first be prepared. It is carefully loosened and fertilized. Mulching with humus will be optimal. For this, 25% sand, 25% humus and 50% soil are taken from the site. Everything is mixed and moistened. And you can sow seeds or plant seedlings.
How and when to sow mallow
And now about the most important thing. It must be said that in the sun the mallow flowers will be much brighter, and the length of the plant itself will be longer. Also, mallow does not like excess moisture, so it will grow better on a hill. Planting of annual mallow is carried out at the end of May. Biennial - at the end of August, beginning of September.
Planting mallow seeds is done either in late spring or early autumn. The distance between holes shouldbe approximately 40 centimeters. Planting is sprinkled with peat. For the winter, it is insulated with straw or fallen leaves. Spring early shoots will also need to be insulated from frost. For seedlings, seeds are best sown in peat pots. It is also necessary to use peat soil. Sprouts will need additional illumination, they will have to be sprayed periodically. The optimal temperature regime is 18-20 degrees. Periodically, the sprouts need to be hardened, taking them out for 30-40 minutes to a cooler place. Here, perhaps, are all the main nuances regarding the proper planting of these plants.
Care
As already mentioned, the plant is unpretentious. Therefore, the mallow flower and care requires not very complicated. Periodically, it requires watering, the abundance of which directly depends on how dry the weather is. We must not forget to weed the weeds and loosen the soil. Before the buds begin to form, the plants must be fed with mineral fertilizers. Nitrogen-based fertilizers are optimal. As the stem grows, it is necessary to tie it up - that's all the care. As for diseases and pests, one of the main enemies of mallows are slugs. They need to be collected by hand. A very good way to fight slugs is a few bowls with a small amount of beer. A day after installing the bowls under the flowers, all the slugs will crawl to them, and all that remains is to take and throw away the pests. Sometimes mallow can be affected by powdery mildew. It is treated with a specialized fungicide. If flowers grow near metal fences, their leavescan get rusty. Such leaves must be burned.
Healing properties of mallow
Mallow has long been known for its healing properties. For example, a tincture of its leaves and flowers helps treat gastrointestinal disorders. A decoction of mallow flowers relieves skin irritation and has an antiseptic effect on wounds. The grass of the forest mallow is included in numerous breast collections. The flower is also used in medical cosmetology.
Definitely in response to the question "What is mallow?" we can say with confidence - this is a universal flower, the contemplation of which pleases the eye, calms the nerves, and also helps to heal various ailments!
