Chinese mallow seeds

Chinese mallow or cluster mallow / Malva crispa - is an annual food, medicinal and ornamental plant native to China, two-meter branched bushes are densely covered with large (20 cm in diameter), wavy leaves with a fringe along the edge.

Location: sunny place, protected from strong winds. Light partial shade is acceptable. In the shade, the plants stretch and bloom less profusely.

Soil: medium-moist, humus-rich, well-drained, neutral.

Care: normal. Watering is plentiful, but dampness should be avoided. It is recommended to tie the stems to pegs - in order to avoid damage from the wind. Faded flowers are removed to prolong the flowering period. After flowering, the inflorescences are pruned. If lower than usual bushes are required, then in the spring the shoots can be pinched. Malva does not tolerate transplantation well. Periodic rejuvenation is recommended, as young plants are more frost-resistant.

Diseases and pests: slugs. Has a tendency to bacterial diseases, especially in warm and humid regions.

Reproduction: most often by seeds that are sown in May directly into open ground ridges. Seedlings appear on the 8-10th day. They are planted in a permanent place in the fall, maintaining a distance between plants of 40-50 cm. It blooms in the 2nd year. Sowing for seedlings is carried out in April directly into pots (3 seeds per three-liter pot), into a loose earthen mixture with a neutral reaction. It blooms in this case sometimes in the year of sowing. Valuable terry varieties and forms are propagated by cuttings (radical cuttings in spring or stem cuttings in early summer) or dividing the bush. In favorable conditions, self-seeding is possible.

Use: in mixborders, groups, very effective against the background of shrubs and trees. Long standing in the cut.