When to sow the mauve?
From March to May : you can sow the mallow without problems in pots or in the ground.
From March to May or from October to September You can plant the mallow you bought in a bucket, pot or in the ground.
Which varieties to choose?
The big mallow, also called wild mallow or mauve des boisIt is a large perennial herbaceous plant that behaves biannually and is found in Asia, North Africa and Europe in its wild form. It has stems erected with dark green leaves and crenate, it dies between 60 and 90 cm in height. The flowers are petals, purple with purple veins. They are present all summer. Its fruits have long been the happiness of children who crunched at the bend of the roads. Most of the time it is found on the edges of paths, in embankments, wastelands and meadows. It has recognized medicinal qualities, such as musky mallow. The hybrids of the great mauve are:
Malva syvestris var. mauritaniaShe is very beautiful with very large, brilliant and brilliant flowers, between violet and violet.
The Malva syvestris "Pimley Blue": it is a variety that does not generally exceed 60 cm and that flowers in the form of pale purple sections veined with blue pulling on the violet. It is rarely planted in a garden.
The mallow or Malva Moschata: is a perennial erect, bushy, measuring between 50 and 80 cm high. It is remarkable for its flowers of a very pretty pink pearl which are present between June and October and which close at sunset. The radical leaves are practically round while the others are cut into deep lobes. It has its origins in Morocco and Europe. It grows in dry places: embankments, wastelands and meadows. It is very suitable for wild gardens.
The Malva moschata Alba: it is a beautiful variety that gives small white flowers with a diameter not exceeding 4 cm.
What to do before sowing the mauve?
Before planting your mauve, it is necessary to dig the soil and remove all roots, pebbles and weeds so that it can flourish properly.
If your soil is heavy or wet, add river sand or gravel so that the soil is properly drained.
How to sow it?
The best time to plant is between March and May.
- In a box that you have filled with a substrate composed of sand and potting soil, put your seeds of mallow or sylvan.
- Then place ½ centimeter of soil on it, then lightly tamp with your hands.
- To avoid disturbing the seeds, water with a sprayer.
Sowing the mauve in the ground
- The soil will be light if necessary amended, enriched with compost or compost so that it is well dry.
- You sow online or on the fly depending on the desired result.
- Lightly tamp the earth with the shovel or the back of the rake.
- Water in rain so that the seeds do not scatter everywhere.
Plant the mauve
The mallow in pots is planting between march and may or between September and October, in pot or in the ground.
In the open ground
- Dig a hole three times larger than the root ball.
- It is best to put a handful of compost in the ground.
- After putting the clod to soak in water for 3 minutes, install it and relock the hole.
- Usually put three plants with a space of 30 to 40 cm and put them in staggered rows, the result is very pretty.
Pot
- At the bottom of the pot, the terrine or the planter, deposit a bed of gravel or clay balls that will ensure drainage.
- Then cover with a mixture of garden soil and potting soil for more lightness.
- Make a hole to put the whole clump, reload and tamp a little.
- Water sparingly.
Multiply the mauve
The mauve is multiplied in two ways: either by sowing or by division of tufts.
Divide the purple:
You wait before proceeding to this operation that the tufts are 2 or 3 years old. The division is done in March or October.
- Using a fork spade, gently remove the bunch without damaging the roots.
- Gently separate the roots, which gives splinters.
- Then replant these chips in their final place very quickly or put them in a terrine or a planter to wait to put them in the garden.
Sowing
Mallow is a plant that naturally reseeds.
- Collect spontaneous seedlings between April and June.
- Put them in the ground, if they seem solid enough, or transplant them in pots before installing them at the place of the garden that you want.
- It is also possible to harvest the seeds in September or October, when they are ripe. Choose a day when the weather is not wet. Put them in a paper envelope and a cool, dry place until you sow them.
Where to plant mauve?
You have the choice between mauve plants or seeds, and you have three possibilities to plant or sow:
You can sow in a box placing it in half shade.
You can also choose to put it in full earth, in the sun, and in ordinary soil provided it is well drained. She likes poor soils and dry, light soils.
You can also plant in pots on your terrace or balcony in the sun preferably.
This plant blooms more easily and more abundantly in the sun.
She likes poor soil and even a little limestone, rather dry and well drained.
How to maintain it?
Boxed seedlings
- It is necessary to water regularly so that the substrate is moist, but not too much and that the seeds can rise, that is to say between three and four weeks.
- When the seedlings seem solid, you can then transplant them separately in a bucket, you will have to take the whole mound.
- Once they have resumed, plant them in pots or in the ground.
Sowing in open ground
- As soon as the plants have three or four leaves, you thin them leaving a space of 15 to 20 cm.
- Water the plants in the ground once a week for the first two months after planting. Once they reach 30 cm in height, pinch them so that they branch out more easily.
- Leave the bunch faded in winter, the birds will feed on the seeds, and in March close the plants to the ground.
Prune the mauve
- You trim your purple in June or early July.
- It is then necessary to fold the tuft about 10 cm from the ground. This promotes the recovery of new stems.
How to water the mauve?
The mauve magnet dry soils, watering is useless. It must be ensured that the soil is well drained, on the contrary, to prevent rotting of the plants.
But in case of sowing in a box, the time that the seeds rise, you will keep the slightly moist substrate.
For the young plants that you just put in the ground, a watering once a week is recommended during the first two months.
Harvest the mauve: when and how?
Enter June and Octoberyou can harvest the leaves and flowers you cook or use for medicinal purposes.
However, we must be vigilant and take these only on the healthy plants that are not attacked by rust.
You can also compose beautiful bouquets by cutting stems carefully.
To preserve the mauve, here are some tips
For cooking or for medicinal purposes foliage washed and wrapped in a dish towel is stored for three days in the refrigerator. The flowers should be used right away.
You can also dry the stems in a dry, ventilated place and away from light by hanging them upside down.
In vase To keep the bouquet longer, put the branches in a bucket of water with the stems completely submerged.
Place the bucket in a cool, dark room.
A few hours later, make your bouquet after taking care to cut the stems a few inches and remove all the leaves that could rot in the water.
The diseases purple and what to do?
The most well-known disease of mauve is rust, which generally affects Malvaceae. To prevent your plants, this attack, just turn them down at the end of June.
Plant other flowers:
