Perennial musk mallow - planting and care
Content:
Musk mallow (malva moschata) is a flower that many gardeners like to grow in their summer cottages. Small delicate flowers add sophistication to any landscape composition, create an elegant hedge. If you create suitable conditions for the plant, it will delight you with lush flowering for a long time.
Description of the plant
More than three dozen species of mallow are known, and although they belong to the same family, the differences are visible. Because of the tart aroma, mallow is called musky (popularly - mallow).
Mallow white "Bride"
Characteristics of perennial nutmeg mallow:
- The plant is herbaceous, grows up to 1 meter. Nutmeg mallow looks like a short shrub with straight stems covered with infrequent downs. The main stem is difficult to identify as they are extremely ramified.
- On the rounded leaves, sitting on long petioles, there are light villi on the inside.
- Flowers bloom mostly singly, rarely - 2-3 together. The crown ends with a lush inflorescence.
- The plant has interesting fruits: they are small, black, arranged in a circle and united into a single black "button".
- The culture is undemanding to growing conditions, is drought-resistant, winters calmly down to -25 ° C.
Flowers can be of different colors:
- pale pink;
- soft lilac;
- white.
Flowers look modest, but solemn.
Growing mallow from seeds
Musk mallow is an unpretentious plant, but this does not mean that you can plant it and forget it. For the bloom to be lush, the flowers look healthy, and the greenery is bright and dense, you need to take care of the plant, starting from planting.
The culture is planted with both seeds and seedlings, depending on the climate.
Sowing
In the southern regions, seeds are immediately laid on a permanent place where the flower will grow. In regions with a cool climate, it is advisable to grow seedlings at home.
For musk mallow, a well-fertilized, light, soft soil is needed. Planting material is purchased in a store or harvested independently. Then the seeds are laid out in a dry place and dried.
Seeds are harvested when they show signs of wilting (yellowing)
Musk mallow is sown on the site in early summer (in June), but the plant will bloom only after a year. Sowing features:
- Seeds for seedlings are sown in containers in late winter - early spring (late February, early March). Due to the difficult survival rate after transplantation, it is advisable to immediately sow them in separate pots.
- Land for planting is purchased in a store or soil is used from the beds with the addition of sand, humus or peat.
- Before sowing, the soil is disinfected: it is spilled with boiling water with potassium permanganate (pale pink solution) or ignited on a baking sheet in the oven so that the roots do not get sick with a black leg.
- The containers are covered with foil. At a temperature of 21-23 ° C and good lighting, after 2 weeks the seeds will sprout, after which the film is removed.
Seedling care
Growing healthy and robust seedlings requires a lot of light. Pots with seedlings are placed in the brightest place, which should be illuminated for at least 10-11 hours.In the absence of natural light, additional lighting is organized.
In order to prevent decay of the roots of the plant, when the surface of the earth in the pot dries up, the seedlings are watered (no more than 2 times a week). When a crust forms, the soil is loosened. The plant is fed with an ash solution during watering. When real leaves (2-3) grow, the seedlings are carefully dived if necessary.
Planting mallow in open ground
Seeds planted on the site in spring or early summer will only have time to germinate before winter. To get a plant with full flowering, you need to grow seedlings in advance at home or in a greenhouse. Nutmeg mallow, planted with seedlings, is stronger and healthier than a crop grown from seeds.
When to plant
Planting of musk mallow on the site is carried out when the threat of night frosts has passed and stable warm weather is established (in the last decade of May or early June).
Before planting on the garden bed, the seedlings are prepared by hardening. They are taken out into the street, each time increasing the time spent in the fresh air. Hardening lasts at least 10 days.
In the last days of summer, seedlings grown in a greenhouse are also planted in a permanent place.
Autumn planting is also possible: mallow seeds are sown before winter. The landing site is covered (insulated) with branches or fallen leaves.
How and where to plant
Many gardeners prefer to plant musk mallow at the end of the warm season. Main requirements for landing:
- lack of close occurrence of groundwater;
- adequate lighting;
- light soil.
Spring Summer Landing:
- In the place chosen for the culture, small grooves are made.
- The seeds are laid so that the interval between them remains at least half a meter (depending on the type of culture).
- Sprinkle with earth superficially, leveled with a rake and watered (the water should not be cold).
After 20-25 days, the mallow will sprout.
In the fall, planting a flower before winter, they dig holes, in each of which the seed is buried by 2-3 cm. They are covered with earth, and covered with fallen leaves on top, with a layer of peat so that the seeds do not freeze.
Caring for mallow in the garden
Taking care of a plant is no more difficult than any other flower crop. The main stages of care: watering, fertilizing, reproduction and protection from pests and diseases.
How to water a plant
The culture does not tolerate waterlogging. Watering the mallow is often, but little by little, when the drying of the surface layer of the soil is noticeable. For irrigation, the water is heated in the sun, since cold water is unsuitable. Water should not stagnate around the stem, otherwise it will lead to decay of the roots. When it is hot for a long time, watering is increased. After water procedures, the soil must be loosened.
Fertilizer
During the season, the plant is fed 2-3 times: with ready-made fertilizers for malvaceae, bought in a store, or manure, humus along with minerals (ash). This is done during bud formation and flowering.
Mallow will respond to care with abundant flowering and bright foliage.
Reproduction
Mallow is bred with the help of seeds or seedlings, occasionally - cuttings. Reproduction by cuttings is not always successful, because cuttings often do not take root.
How mallow is bred by cuttings:
- With a sharp, disinfected knife, cut off the stalk (in the spring - from the bottom of the stem; in the summer - in the middle part).
- For the purpose of disinfection, the cut site is powdered with crushed coal.
- The stalk is planted in a container with fertile moist soil.
- If the cutting takes root, after 30-35 days it is planted in a flower garden.
Diseases and pests
Musk mallow sometimes gets sick. This occurs due to improper maintenance, for example, as a result of too frequent and excessive watering. Common diseases:
- powdery mildew;
- spotting;
- stem cancer;
- mosaic virus.
A common disease of mallow is rust. First, the foliage turns yellow, and then brown spots form. Diseased leaves are cut off, burned, and the plant is treated with fungicidal substances. In the fight against rust, as well as powdery mildew, the Bordeaux mixture is effective - spray the culture with a 1% solution of the product.
The pungent smell of musk mallow is not liked by many harmful insects, but it does not scare away spider mites and slugs. From their vital activity, the leaves of the plant turn yellow, curl. They fight pests with insecticidal agents or infusions according to folk recipes. Effective infusions:
- with garlic, onion peel;
- tops of carrots or tomatoes;
- laundry soap.
It is easy to notice rust on the inside of the sheet.
Flowering and care during this period
The flowering time of mallow depends on the climate. In the southern regions, flowers bloom in June, in temperate climates a month later. Musk mallow blooms until late autumn.
During flowering, the plant must be especially taken care of. When buds form and flowers bloom, the mallow needs more nutrition and moisture. Increase watering, preventing stagnation of water at the roots. More often the soil is loosened, providing oxygen to the roots. To preserve the elegant appearance of the plant, withered flowers and dried leaves are cut off.
At this time of flowering, mallow is fed with fertilizers: organic (peat, manure, humus) and mineral (phosphorus, iron, potassium).
How and when to collect seeds
The fruits of mallow are similar to a button, consisting of several lobes. When they turn yellow and start to burst, it's time to collect the seeds. The seed-filled pods are harvested and brought to a warm, dry place where they ripen. Then the seeds spill out of the boxes themselves.
Preparation for wintering
Muscat mallow is a culture resistant to cold Russian winters, but caring gardeners additionally insulate perennial plantings of mallow flowers:
- Cut the stems of the plant, leaving short stumps.
- Pour humus or peat.
- Cover with a layer of straw, fallen leaves, spruce branches.
- In winter, more snow is thrown onto the landing site.
Seeds planted in winter are also covered with branches, dry foliage. Some gardeners use a special covering material.
Mallow in landscape design
A landscape composition will look exquisite if it contains perennial musk mallow. Light flowers look modest but elegant. Small shrubs are planted singly and in groups. Lawns look elegant, on which nothing grows, except for mallow.
Flowers are planted along fences, curbs, create a hedge from the bushes
Musk mallow is often planted together with delphinium. White flower beds are created from the Bride's mallow. The plant feels great with marigolds, dahlias, sage. If they are planted in the same flower bed, the flowers will delight with flowering until frost.
Musk mallow is a plant that even a novice florist can grow. It is not difficult to take care of her, but at the same time the summer cottage will be elegant, blooming until autumn. Delicate bouquets of delicate mallow flowers brought from the country house remind of summer.
