Mallow (80 photos): types and care

Beautiful decorative mallow is equally highly appreciated by both gardeners and traditional medicine lovers. In the courtyard, stem roses perfectly complement flower beds, are used to decorate fences and outbuildings, and are suitable for decorating geometric compositions and creating full-fledged flower beds from different varieties. In everyday life, the infusion of mallow is famous for its pronounced anti-inflammatory, soothing, enveloping, softening, healing and restorative properties.

Mallow is a herbaceous plant, a typical specimen from the family of the same name. Different varieties can be both single and perennial. They grow almost all over the world, except Australia and Africa.

A graceful stock rose, or, as it is also called, a mallow, was bred even in Ancient Egypt. The amazing healing properties in his treatises were described by Hippocrates. The magic mallow has always fascinated poets and painters.

In the natural environment, the average height ranges from 30-110 cm. Leaves of an unusual heart-shaped. A flower with elongated oblong petals grows to 13 cm. Its color is completely dependent on the particular variety. The standard spectrum is from snowy white to rich burgundy and even almost black. For this, flower growers and landscape designers are very fond of her.

The root is long, spindle-shaped, strongly branched. Fruits are polyspermous. The flowering period lasts throughout the summer. Most varieties are unpretentious, resistant to drought and frost.

There are dozens of varieties of mallow in the world. About 60 of them are used in culture. Basically, they are decorative. Most of them have a common ancestor - a straight and tall forest mallow with a tall or lying stalk. Leaves - incised, petiolate, and slightly pubescent. The flowers resemble a wide bell. But there are varieties with inflorescences-brushes.

The immediate descendant of the forest mallow, which is called in the small arms. In the native habitat, this is a two-year variety, but in culture it is used as an annual. The stems are tall, more than a meter. Flowers adorn dark thin veins. This category includes several varieties. The most interesting of them are purple Black mother of pearl and pastel pink Zebrina.

Most perennials are short, up to a meter, but they have fragrant flowers. The most common variety is musky or nutmeg. Its five-centimeter flowers are white and pink (for the subspecies the White and Pink Tower, respectively). They are pleasantly pleasing with long flowering up to significant frosts.

This variety refers conditionally to mallow. This is a stock-rose, but they are so similar that they are almost never distinguished in everyday life. A perennial flower reaches 2 m. But the flowers themselves are small, sunny yellow.

Gardeners love decorative varieties. For example, a pink stock rose with large and peony-like terry flowers. There are also smooth graceful flowers similar to hibiscus. Height also depends on the particular variety. Against the background of two-meter giants, dwarf sixty-centimeter species look interesting.

Unusual two-meter perennial with individual stems. This is the main characteristic feature of the species. Terry large flowers of white or pink tones bloom until September.

She is a Sudanese rose or hibiscus. Like wrinkled, it refers to malva conditionally. A two-year-old plant is valued mainly due to the fruits that are used instead of tea and in herbal preparations. There are two main forms: shrub and tree.

In order for the gentle mallow to feel comfortable, which means that it pleased with decorative flowering, simple conditions must be observed:

- The ideal place is a sunny area. While tropical varieties fade in the sun, the mallow fades in the shade. If possible, protect the seedlings from strong gusts of wind.

- Soil - previously loosened, lightweight, loamy, pre-saturated with humus and minerals. Be sure to make good drainage to avoid stagnation of water and decay of the rhizome. Humus is introduced into poor soil.

- High grades will not hinder the support. It can be a fence or a special structure. Then the mallow will not break under its weight or from the wind.

- There are no special requirements for irrigation. Moderation and regularity are enough. The frequency increases only during a drought.

- Periodically loosen the soil and weed. But any manipulations should be delicate so as not to damage the fragile rhizome.

- Withered and damaged flowers must be removed immediately so that they do not create conditions for diseases and parasites.

- Before flowering, use nitrogen fertilizers. When the mallow has flowered, remove the flower stalks before sowing the seeds. This is necessary to maintain the decorativeness of seedlings.

- You can apply mineral fertilizers every 2-3 weeks. It should be a weak solution so as not to leave burns.

- Before winter, cut the stems almost to the ground, mulch with compost with humus and cover the mallow with leaves, spruce branches or ordinary straw prepared in advance.

Regardless of the variety, mallow is grown in classical ways:

Landing in the open ground. The ideal season is the end of spring or fall. Dig a shallow three-centimeter hole and immerse 2-3 seeds in each. Then sprinkle them with earth and easily tamp. After this, pour and cover the area with film so that the first shoots ascend faster. They will appear somewhere within 3 weeks. Remove the film immediately. You can proceed to picking as soon as the first full leaves appear. Freshly planted mallow will bloom only in the second year. First, a leaf socket is formed.

Growing seedlings. Seeds are not planted in the ground, but in a specially designated box. But the technology remains the same. The ideal season is the end of spring. Seedlings need to be kept in a warm place, in partial shade, with regular watering. If too many seedlings appear in one box, you will have to thin them. For further development, at least a three-centimeter interval is needed. As the seedlings grow, it's time to gradually harden it and take it out onto the street. Keep in mind that mallow with its delicate rhizome is difficult to transplant, so use peat pots. Together with seedlings, they can be immediately transferred to the open ground. Already by August, mallow can be transplanted to a permanent place.

Rooting cuttings. The process technology is standard. Keep in mind that to preserve the species characteristics of different varieties, there are two types of cuttings. In spring, take the cut off from the root, and in the summer - stem.

If the conditions are met, there is no need to update the landing. This is a natural biological process that is underway. Perennial mallow can grow in one place for years, so it is important to carefully select the site immediately.

Mallow is resistant to parasites and diseases. The main pests are slugs. If they appeared, they will have to be collected manually. For this, special traps and baits are used.

The most difficult to deal with rust. You can detect it by characteristic symptoms: brown-red spots on the leaves. It will not be possible to remove it, so you will have to remove and burn all the damaged areas.

To prevent powdery mildew and other fungal infections, treat the mallow with a specialized fungicide.

To understand where it is better to plant mallow and what it combines with, check out our selection! We have collected the most interesting and colorful photos for inspiration and new ideas!