And worries. There are great plants that require minimal care. These species include lavatera (khatma) flowers, which are grown as annuals and perennial crops. There are a lot of different varieties on sale, which may differ in stem height and bud color.

Botanical description

Lavatera – flowering plant, which has received recognition from gardeners for its beautiful appearance, constant lush flowering, variety of varieties, easy care and unpretentiousness.

Abundantly flowering bushes of various colors will decorate any garden or flower bed for a long time.

In height, depending on the species, the plant grows from 30 cm to 3 meters. The root system is strong and has many branches. The shoots are erect, covered with rough green bark. The leaves are usually dark green with veins, ranging in size from 15 to 30 cm, covering the entire branch, increasing closer to the root.

Khatma blooms throughout the summer season until the end of autumn. Flowers have pleasant aroma with notes of spice. After pollination, the seeds ripen in seed pods.

Types and varieties

Lavatera belongs to the Malvaceae family. The first description of Lavatera was given by doctors with the surname Lavatera - two brothers who were fond of methods traditional medicine and studied medicinal properties various plants. They discovered the culture in the wild on the European continent, not far from Zurich. However, later biologists found similar flowers in North America and on the coast of Australia.

Lavatera has 25 species, which, in turn, are divided into annual and perennial.

The most popular in gardening are 3 types:

1. Annual (Lavatera trimestris).
2. Perennial (Lavatera thuringiaca) or dog rose, Thuringian's robe.
3. Biennial (Lavatera arborea) or tree-like.

Annual is lush bush with large single flowers (up to 80 mm in diameter) in the shape of gramophones. By appearance resembles a hibiscus flower and is white, red, purple or pink in different shades.

The green mass is thick, the lower leaves are in the shape of hearts, the upper ones look like elongated triangles.

Flowering is very active, starting in mid-June and continuing until late autumn.

Popular varieties of annual lavatera:

Variety	Appearance
Mont Blanc	Large white inflorescences cover the bush, up to 1 meter high.
Silver Cup	Height – up to 70 cm, pink flowers with dark veins.
Barnsley	It is distinguished by the presence on one bush of flowers of different stages of opening - from buds to a full-fledged gramophone.
Twins Hot Pink	Height – up to 40 cm, petal color – rich pink. Used to decorate park borders.
Gorgeous	The bush grows up to 60 cm. It blooms in pink shades.
tanager	Grows up to 50 cm in height, with bright red large flowers.
Novella	The shortest representative of the variety is up to 20 cm, the flowers are large and pink.

One-year-old Lavatera in the photo:

Perennial khatma looks a little simpler and is similar to mallow. A plant of this species can reach a height of up to 2.5 meters. The flowers are collected in small inflorescences and are smaller in size. The density of the bush is significantly inferior to the annual species; the leaves are smaller, light in color, and practically absent at the top of the bush.

Although the dog rose (the second name of the species) is inferior to its annual relative in beauty, it has other advantages: it reproduces by self-sowing and has healing properties. A medicine is prepared from its flowers to relieve stomach pain, and from its leaves - compresses for boils, abscesses, and purulent wounds. Decoctions of Lavatera roots are used to treat coughs, colds, joint diseases, and rheumatism.

Varieties of Lavatera thuringiaca differ in flower color:

• Ai Ketcher - pink flowers, brighter in the middle, lighter at the edges of the petals;
• Mystic Merlin - very bright, popular variety with flowers ranging from lilac-crimson to purple;
• Lilac Lady - lilac flowers of varying saturation;
• Barnsley Baby is light pink with a brighter center.

Perennial lavatera on the picture:

Two-year-old lavatera – rare view, more common in Mediterranean countries. The plant is large, powerful (up to 3 m in height), the leaves are large (15 - 22 cm), the trunk is tree-like. The flowers can be arranged singly or collected in bunches of 3–7 pieces, 4–5 cm in diameter. The petals are colored purple, crimson, pink color A.

Varieties of tree lavatera:

• Rosea - flowers of coral or rich salmon color;
• Mallow Linnaea - the stems of the plant are strewn with pink or purple single flowers;
• Candy Floss - flowers with light pink petals;
• Mauritanian - purple inflorescences.

Tree-like lavatera in the photo:

Each type of lavatera has its own individuality and peculiarity, but they all have a unique quality for plants - ease of care and resistance to diseases.

Growing lavatera from seeds at home

All varieties of khama are able to reproduce by seeds, in addition, in open ground they are actively sown on their own. It is enough to plant a plant on the site once and you will not have to worry about its reproduction in all subsequent years.

When you can plant lavatera seeds at home is determined depending on the climate. If you plan to plant in a flowerbed in May, the material is sown in March. In colder climates and transplanting to the site in early summer, the seeds are sown in April.

Wooden or special plastic trays are chosen as containers for planting, separately for each variety. Use purchased universal soil or prepare it yourself by mixing soil with compost and nitrogen fertilizers. Drainage is placed at the bottom of the containers - expanded clay or crushed tree bark, prepared soil is poured on top and it is well moistened.

On the surface of the soil, grooves are made 1 cm deep at a distance of 5 cm from each other. Dry seeds are placed at the bottom of the groove, covered with soil and the trays are covered with film or glass, creating a greenhouse effect.

The first shoots appear 8 - 12 days after sowing. The shelter is removed for a short time, providing the sprouts with access to fresh air, then the trays are covered again. When the seedlings are strong enough, the film is removed.

It is necessary to constantly monitor the soil moisture, water it with slightly warm, settled water from a sprayer so as not to damage the delicate sprouts.

If sunlight hits the box with seedlings only from one side, it must be periodically turned over to the light with the other side. In case of insufficient lighting or cloudy weather, additional lighting is installed next to the tray, placing it at a distance of at least 30 cm from the seedlings.

After the formation of 4 true leaves, the lavatera needs to be pruned. Each sprout is transplanted into a separate glass or seedling form. If picking is carried out into a mold, the distance between the sprouts should be 25 cm.

The soil is poured on top of the drainage, then a plant is placed in it, the root of which is pinched by 1/3, and watered.

Many gardeners prefer not to pick, but to thin out the seedlings directly in the box and plant directly from it into flower beds.

Planting lavatera in open ground and care

When transplanting a garden rose (as lavatera is sometimes called) into flower beds, carry out the necessary preparation:

• dig up the ground to a depth of 25–30 cm;
• fertilize the soil - for each square meter add ½ bucket of humus or other organic fertilizer;
• a mineral mixture of urea, potassium sulfate, nitrophoska and superphosphate is scattered on the surface;
• the soil is well loosened and watered.

Lavatera seedlings are planted at the rate of 4 pieces per 1 square meter. It is recommended to carry out the first fertilizing a week after planting in the ground with the addition of a composition based on potassium and phosphorus. The plant begins to bloom 2.5 - 3 months after the seeds germinate.

Throughout the season, the hutma is fed 2–3 times. Before flowering, during the growth of the crown, nitrogen- and potassium-containing fertilizers are useful; during the period of bud release and flower blooming, it is necessary to add phosphorus mixtures to the soil.

Young roses are regularly weeded, weeds are removed near them, and the soil is loosened to provide oxygen to the roots.

Important for Lavatera proper watering- It is necessary to ensure that the plant is sufficiently moistened. In hot summer weather, it is enough to water the plant once every 4-6 days, directing a stream of water to the root. Moisture deficiency reduces the number of buds on a rose and leads to wilting of the leaves.

Choose a place for the flower garden that is well-lit and windless. Such conditions ensure active and full flowering of lavatera. It is recommended to trim off faded buds; such actions increase the number of new ones. flower buds on the shoots.

The lavatera bush has a neat beautiful shape, therefore does not require pruning and crown formation.

Ripe seeds are sown in the soil on their own, overwinter in it and germinate in April - May after it has warmed up sufficiently.

To collect seeds for seedlings, they are collected in the fall from faded buds and stored at room temperature in a place protected from light.

At the end of autumn, before the onset of cold weather, perennial lavatera is prepared for winter period. Before covering, dry branches and remnants of flower stalks are removed from it. The shoots are carefully bent to the ground, secured and covered with straw, pine branches, dry leaves or covered with peat. In this form, the plant is protected from frost and wind. In spring, the covering material is removed and damaged branches are pruned.

Annual varieties of rose bushes are cut off before winter and the soil is dug up.

Video from the series “Marina Flowers”:

Diseases and pests

One of the advantages of hutma is its resistance to diseases and garden pests.

If the damage to the rose bush is extensive, it is better to get rid of the plant - dig it up and burn it, and cultivate the ground disinfectant solution potassium permanganate.

Lavatera – ornamental plant, it is rarely combined in a flower garden with other types of flowers. Tall varieties look beautiful individually, low rose bushes planted to decorate park paths, flower beds, gardens or other areas. Lavatera looks especially beautiful in group plantings of garden flowers, selected by color.

Lavatera got its name thanks to two brothers, doctors Lavater, who lived in Zurich. Lavatera grows not only on the European mainland, but also in North America, Australia, etc. Only three types of perennial lavatera are used in gardening. The plant is unpretentious, not demanding of low temperatures and lack of moisture.

This is a light-loving plant with a perennial rhizome. The most common type of perennial lavatera is Thuringian, which is quite tall and branched. The inflorescences of perennial lavatera can be of various colors: yellow, pink, purple, etc.

Types and varieties of lavatera

Lavatera three months old

This is an annual plant, which is represented by a branched plant whose height exceeds a little more than a meter. Lower leaves heart-shaped or round, crenate-toothed along the edge. The flowers are funnel-shaped, solitary, about 10 cm in diameter, located in the axils of the leaves. The peduncles of the lower flowers are longer than those of the upper ones. The corolla of the three-month-old lavatera is five-lobed, pink, white, or carmine in color. Blooms from July until autumn.

Flowering of lavatera begins two to three months after the seeds were sown. Lavatera seeds should be sown directly into the ground.

To plant three-month-old lavatera, sunny areas or with slight shading are required. Lavaters are suitable for this different types soil, and this is very important. The optimal soil is one that does not retain moisture. Lavatera three months old is used in decoration

Lavatera Thuringian

It melts in the European part of Russia, in Central Europe, Western Siberia, the Mediterranean and Asia Minor.

Perennial, powerful branched plant about 200 cm tall with heart-shaped or rounded, gray-green leaves; the upper ones are entire, the lower ones are lobed. The flowers are solitary, pink, on long stalks, about 10 cm in diameter. Flowering begins in July and continues until autumn.

Lavatera arborescens

Its homeland is southwestern Europe (Libya, Albania, Greece).

Biennial about 2m tall. Slender straight stem. Large oval, velvety leaves about 20 cm long. Reddish-purple hibiscus-shaped flowers. Lavatera arborescens is a greenhouse plant. The variegated forms are especially beautiful. Lavatera arborescens is planted in pots in the ground for the summer. Great for single landing. Propagated by seeds.

Soil for lavatera

Lavatera is a perennial undemanding plant, but grows best in loose, not too fertile soil. In this case, its shoots do not stretch much, and flowering becomes widespread and intense.

Lavatera care

Perennial Lavatera does not tolerate waterlogging, but during drought the plants are regularly watered. The stems of tall Lavatera varieties are tied to stakes. To form new buds, faded shoots must be cut off. Fertilizing is required only on very poor soils once every 5-8 weeks.

Reproduction of lavatera

Lavatera is a perennial plant propagated by seeds in open ground. in early spring. Shoots appear only after a few weeks at a temperature of about 15 degrees. As a rule, the varieties are powerful, branched, about 120 cm tall; plants should grow rarely in a flower garden. After the emergence of seedlings, they need to be thinned out, with a distance between plants of about 25-30 centimeters.

Diseases and pests

Lavatera perennial is affected by rust. Brown or yellow spots. The affected parts of the plant must be removed; in case of severe infection, the entire plant must be destroyed.

Using Lavatera

The perennial Lavatera is very effective in group plantings and mixborders. Typically this is magnificent plant with large flowers, planted in a flowerbed with bright annuals, where Lavatera always attracts attention.

Partners

Lavatera perennial is combined with flowering blue and purple flowers(verbena, sage, delphinium); attractive in plantings with irises, roses and fragrant tobacco.

(or, as it is often called popularly, khatma) is a beautiful tall flower with which you can decorate your garden or patio. At the same time, caring for lavatera does not require much effort - it is even called “a flower for the lazy.” Let's take a closer look at what kind of flower this is, what are the features of its cultivation and how it is useful.

Botanical description

Lavatera Thuringian is a perennial from the genus Malvaceae. It has powerful stems up to 2 meters high. The leaves are pubescent, grayish-green in color, and can be round or heart-shaped in shape. The flowers are pink, up to 10 cm in diameter, with a five-leaf corolla. Lavatera has a large rhizome that goes into the ground up to one and a half meters.

The flowering period of Thuringian Lavatera is from July to autumn. The plant reproduces by seeds. Distributed in Ukraine, Siberia, the Caucasus, throughout Central and East Asia, Australia, North America and Europe.

Did you know? Lavatera was named after the Lavatera brothers, Swiss naturalists from Zurich.

Popular varieties

The perennial lavatera has been known to the world since the 16th century. This initially inconspicuous flower was not ignored by breeders - interesting and even spectacular varieties appeared. Some of the most popular:

• , the flowers of which are lilac in color and have sparsely spaced petals.

• with a pink color, has a very attractive and delicate appearance.

• , perhaps the most refined and delicate of the entire list of varieties. The petals are barely covered with pink.

• has bright flowers purple shades. Such a lavatera will delight the eye with its bright and bold beauty.

Landing Features

In order for the plant to grow healthy and beautiful, and also to avoid planting it too close or very rarely, you just need to follow some tips and rules.

The first shoots will appear in a week, and when they grow to 5 cm, the film can be removed. After the film has been removed, the soil must be carefully loosened.

Seedlings

First you need to get a box for seedlings and special soil. Place a layer on the bottom of the box and pour soil on top. The earth needs to be watered warm water. Levatera seeds must be dry. We immerse them in the ground about a centimeter.

The seedlings need to be placed in a sunny place and covered with film (can be glass). Condensation should be removed periodically. should always be a little damp. When the seeds germinate, remove the film.

Caring for seedlings is very simple - you just need to periodically water the soil. To ensure that plants grow evenly, it is useful to rotate the box occasionally. The timing is also important: if you want to plant lavatera in open ground in May, then the seedlings need to be prepared in March.

Features of caring for the Thuringian Lavatera

Lavatera is absolutely unpretentious, so even a beginner can cope with caring for it. It grows well both on and in, and tolerates cold and long-term lack of moisture. But if you want the plant to be strong, then when long absence When it rains, it is better to water the lavatera. One watering a week will be enough for this beauty.

Lavatera Thuringian flowers are tall, so they require care immediately after planting. Do this for the plant (see photo) so that the stems do not break. It won't take much time, but it will definitely be beneficial.

Before flowering it is useful to provide fertilizing. You also need to loosen it periodically. Do not forget to promptly remove affected leaves or flowers that have become soggy after rain.

Good afternoon, dear readers!

Any gardener strives to ensure that his garden looks well-groomed and beautiful, while requiring minimal care. That's why unpretentious plants enjoy well-deserved love and recognition. One of them is Lavatera. This beautiful flower as if it was specially created by nature for lazy or very busy people. Lavatera can be grown not only in the garden, but also on the balcony, as well as indoors.

There are both perennial varieties of this plant and those that are grown during one season. Choose any variety of lavatera and enjoy its vibrant beauty.

Lavatera, also called wild rose, belongs to the genus Malvaceae, which includes only about 25 species of plants that have settled on the Australian continent, in East Asia and the Mediterranean. The name Lavater was given in honor of its discoverers - two brothers, Swiss doctors named Lavater. Opened and described wild Rose was a long time ago - in the 16th century, but gained particular popularity about 2 decades ago. And now it is difficult to find a garden in which these bright and at the same time delicate flowers do not grow.

Lavatera bushes can grow from 50 to 150 cm in height. The plant has powerful roots, strong branches and abundant green mass. Lobed, pubescent leaves grow in an alternate pattern. The flowers are large, up to 10 cm in diameter. In some species they grow singly, while in others they form spike-shaped inflorescences or racemes. The color of the flowers can be pink, yellow, white, crimson, purple.

The flowering period is long - from early summer to mid-autumn. Lavatera is suitable for cutting; the flowers remain fresh for more than a week. The plant can be grown in any soil and is resistant to wind and drought.

Types and varieties of lavatera with photos

Mont Blanc variety

In gardening, annual and perennial varieties and a species that is grown as a biennial are cultivated. Annual species is "Lavatera three months old". “Lavatera arborescens” is grown for two seasons. And “Lavatera Thuringian” is a perennial.

An annual plant that grows up to 1.2 m. It has two leaf shapes: at the bottom of the bush they are heart-shaped or round-toothed, the upper leaves have 3 or 5 lobes. Flowers bloom in July. They have a funnel shape and a diameter of about 10 cm. The buds are formed in the axils of the leaves. The color of the petals can be white, pink or red. Flowering is abundant.

Popular varieties:

• Ruby Queen is a powerful branched bush that grows up to 1 meter in height; the flowers have a rich red color.
• Sun Goddess - large plant 110 cm high. The leaves have a rich dark green hue. The flowers are 6 cm in diameter and come in a wide variety of colors.
• Silver Cup - the variety grows up to 70 cm. The flower petals are pink with darker veins and a silvery tint.
• Mont Blanc - the bush has a maximum height of 60 cm. The funnel-shaped buds have a delicate white color with dark veins.
• Beauty is a large plant with flowers of white, pink and carmine colors.
• Novella is a compact variety suitable for growing in flowerpots. Maximum height in a pot is 20 cm. In open ground it grows larger.
• White Sherub is a low bush (just over 30 cm) with single white flowers of a decent size. Ideal for growing in pots and flowerpots.

A biennial plant with straight 2-meter stems and oval-shaped leaves, up to 20 cm in length. Its flowers are shaped like hibiscus flowers. The color of the petals contains darker veins, the main background is most often dark purple. Flowering lasts from early summer to mid-September. Variegated varieties have been developed. The most commonly cultivated in gardens are:

• Candy Floss is a variety with pale pink buds.
• Rosea is a bright lavatera with a rich pink color.

Lavatera Thuringian

Large branched perennial up to 2 m high. The leaves can be round or heart-shaped, they have slight pubescence. By color sheet plates– greenish-gray. In the lower layers of the bush they have a lobed shape. The flowers are solitary, the buds are painted pink in various shades, the diameter of the inflorescences is up to 10 cm. The flowers are formed in the axils of the leaves, from where they grow on long stalks. Common varieties:

• Bregon Springs is a tall, powerful bush up to 130 cm in height. The leaves are three-lobed, with a grayish tint. The mauve flowers have visible crimson veins.
• Lilac Lady is a variety that blooms delicate flowers lilac shade.
• Barnsley Baby is a plant with white and pink buds.
• Burgundy Vine is a variety with pink inflorescences on which purple veins stand out.
• Eye Catcher - The flowers of this lavatera are a rich pink color.

In the southern regions of Russia you can find a plant called “Lavatera Primorskaya” (it is also called “Lavatera bicolor”). The bush of this variety grows up to 1.5 meters in height, the flowers combine two shades lilac color.

Lavatera Moorish, growing up to 80 cm, is also intended for growing in warm climates. It has pubescent stems and rounded leaves with a pointed tip. The flowers are small, dark red, about 3 cm in diameter.

Lavatera Moorish

Lavatera is grown seedling method in order to get it to bloom faster, because in the middle zone you have to wait quite a long time for stable warm weather. Wild rose is not afraid of heat and drought, but can be sensitive to cold temperatures, since in wildlife it grows in warm climates. It is recommended to sow seeds in open ground in the spring, after the end of frost.

Growing Lavatera seedling method, sowing is done much earlier.

It is recommended to sow lavatera seeds for seedlings at home in late February or early March. It is necessary to take into account the timing of planting plants in open ground. If you sow in March, by mid-May you will have strong bushes that can be planted in the flowerbed. In warm regions, lavatera can be transplanted into the flower garden earlier. Therefore, it is better to start harvesting seedlings in February, and plant them in open ground in April.

The bottom of the seedling box is covered with a layer of expanded clay, and soil is poured on top. Lavatera is not picky about the composition of the soil, so for growing seedlings you can buy universal soil at a gardening store. The earth is pre-moistened. The seeds do not require soaking; they are sown dry, immersed approximately 1 cm deep. The top of the crops is covered with glass or film to create a greenhouse effect. Typically, seedlings appear 1-2 weeks after sowing.

The cover must be removed briefly every day to allow the plantings to be ventilated. Make sure the soil is constantly moderately moist. It is best to water the crops using a spray bottle with settled water. room temperature. Condensation from glass or film is removed so that it does not fall on tender sprouts, otherwise the seedlings may rot.

Helpful advice! Periodically turn the seedling box with the other side towards the light so that the seedlings do not bend.

It’s even better if you install additional lighting next to the seedlings. Make sure that the lamp is located no closer than 30 cm from the seedlings. As soon as the seedlings get stronger, the top cover is removed. Plants dive after the appearance of two pairs of true leaves, while pinching the root by 1/3.

Planting in open ground

Bushes are planted in open ground in rows, maintaining a distance of 20-25 cm between them. For tall varieties, support will need to be provided.

For a heat-loving plant, frosts are destructive, so lavatera is planted in open ground middle lane not earlier than the second half of May. Otherwise, all your work on growing seedlings may go to waste.

• Before planting, you need to dig up the ground with a bayonet-deep shovel.
• For 1 square meter of flower bed you need to add 5 kg of ready-made compost or humus.
• In addition, scatter on the soil surface mineral fertilizers, mixing one tablespoon each of nitrophoska, urea superphosphate and potassium sulfate.
• All this will provide the plants with a supply nutrients necessary for full growth.

Lavatera should grow on sunny place, otherwise the flowering will be much weaker. Choose open, illuminated areas for planting it. All care comes down to watering in dry weather and tearing off faded buds. In hot, dry weather, the plant is watered once every 7 days.

On a note! Lavatera does not like excess moisture, so if you doubt the need for watering, it is better to postpone it for another couple of days - this way you will definitely not harm the plant.

There is no need to trim or shape the bush. In the fall, seeds are collected from the plant, which can be used later for planting. Closer to winter perennial varieties Lavaters prepare shelter. The bushes are bent to the ground, fixed and covered with spruce branches on top or sprinkled with peat. You can also use dry leaves for this purpose.

Fertilizers

During the entire growing season, lavatera is fertilized twice: fertilizing is applied to the soil before planting seedlings and after the first buds appear on the plant. Flowering bushes Fertilize with a solution of sodium sulfate and potassium sulfate, adding 1 tablespoon of each fertilizer to a bucket of water. Fertilizing is especially important if lavatera grows in poor soils.

To the delight of gardeners, Lavatera is one of those plants that rarely get sick. The only pest that can attack it is aphids. At the first sign of the presence of a harmful insect, treat the bushes with a soapy solution or apply an industrial insecticide.

Rainy weather can cause rust to appear on lavatera leaves. Fungal spores ripen in pustules yellow color, which are located on the underside of the sheet. If timely measures are not taken, the disease will quickly spread to healthy plants. When found fungal disease It is necessary to remove all affected leaves and stems. After this, the bush is treated with a fungicide. The drugs “Topaz” and “Hom” help well. If the plant is severely affected, it is better to remove it completely.

Wild rose is good both in single and group plantings. With its help you can create a bright spot on a grassy lawn, or near tall bushes and trees. Some use tall varieties Lavaters for decorating fences and outbuildings on a summer cottage.

You can successfully combine lavatera varieties with different flower colors in a group planting, alternately planting bushes with white, pink and purple flowers.

Tall and low varieties of wild roses are also combined with each other. The advantages of the plant include a long flowering period; lavatera can decorate the garden until the onset of frost. It also looks great in bouquets. Lavatera can be planted in group compositions with dahlias, phlox, asters, and nasturtiums. Its beauty is enhanced by irises, sage and lanster. Lavatera plantings can transform the most dull landscape.

Growing lavatera: video

If you want to have on your site beautiful flower bed, but you have absolutely no time to care for flowers - Lavatera will help you out. Those who like variety can plant annual varieties wild rose, and next season grow something else. In the case when you want to plant beautiful flowers and forget about planting troubles for several years - you can safely plant perennials. Either way, Lavatera is a plant that will not disappoint you.

Lavatera – herbaceous plant, belonging to the Malvaceae family. The name is given in honor of the Lavater brothers, famous Swiss naturalists and doctors of the 17th century. People call the flower wild rose, khatma. The genus includes about 25 species, which can be found in the natural environment in the Mediterranean, East Asia, and Australia. How garden culture grown since the 16th century.

Botanical description

There are annuals and perennials. Root system Lavatera is well developed. Strong stems reach a height of 0.5-1.5 m. Lobed leaves are arranged alternately, colored green color. The leaves and stems are covered with hairs. The flowers are 10 cm in diameter and are colored white, yellow, crimson, purple, and pink. They grow singly or in several pieces in spike-shaped or racemose inflorescences.

When does Lavatera bloom?

Flowering starts in early summer and lasts until mid-autumn. Cut flowers remain pleasing in a vase for more than 2 weeks. The plant is very unpretentious in care: it is drought-resistant, not demanding on the composition of the soil, and is not afraid of strong winds.

Preparations containing the plant extract are used in the treatment of colds, coughs, intestinal disorders, gastritis, headaches, gynecological diseases, muscle and joint pain.

Growing lavatera from seeds at home and in the garden

How to sow in the ground

Lavatera is grown from seeds. You can sow seeds directly into the ground, and for more early flowering seedlings should be grown.

• Lavatera seeds are sown in open ground in late April-early May.
• Add 1 bucket of compost and 2 tablespoons of nitrophoska per 1 m² for digging. Level the soil, make shallow furrows deep, water with warm water and sow the seeds. Sprinkle a layer of garden soil on top, mixed with humus in equal proportions. Press the ground down a little. Crops should be covered with film. Shoots will appear in a week. When the sprouts reach a height of 5 cm, the cover should be removed. Thin out the seedlings, loosen the soil, slightly hilling the plants.
• Choose a sunny place with light, loose, well-drained soil.
• Maintain a distance of 20-25 cm between rows.
• Planting depth is 1-2 cm.
• Sow less often, so as not to break through later, at a distance of 8-10 cm.
• Water moderately, make sure there are no weeds, and periodically loosen the soil after watering.
• When the plants grow up, the excess bushes are planted, being careful not to damage the roots. The final distance between the bushes should be 20-25 cm.
• For tall species, supports should be installed.

When to sow lavatera for seedlings

• Sowing seeds for seedlings in early March in order to plant them in open ground by the end of spring.
• Take the boxes, place a drainage layer on the bottom, fill the rest of the space with soil intended for growing seedlings (sold at any flower shop).
• It is very convenient to plant seeds one at a time in cassette cups or peat tablets.
• Water the soil with warm water and plant the seeds to a depth of 1 cm.
• Cover the crops with film or glass.
• Ventilate and moisten the soil with a spray bottle as necessary.

• In a couple of weeks, seedlings will appear, which will require bright lighting and long daylight hours. When the shoots appear, remove the cover.
• In order for young shoots to develop evenly, it is necessary to periodically rotate the container around its axis.
• In mid-May, begin to harden the plants and by the end of May plant them in open ground at a distance of 20-25 cm between the bushes.

How to care for lavatera in the garden

Watering and loosening the soil

Moderate watering is required. Once a week you should add 2-3 buckets warm water under each bush. If the summer is cool, water even less often. Can be content with precipitation.

Loosen the soil until the lavatera reaches a height of 1 m, since in the future there is a risk of damaging the root system.

Garter and sanitary pruning

To make spreading, large bushes look neat, they need to be tied up.

After rain, wilted buds turn into a slimy mass that leaves burns on the leaves - remove them in time.

Feeding

If you applied fertilizers for digging, then you can skip the first fertilizing. Otherwise, you should feed it for the first time as soon as the plant gets stronger after planting - dissolve 1 tablespoon of urea and nitrophoska in 10 liters of water. Carry out the next feeding when buds begin to form. Take 10 liters of water and dissolve sodium sulfate and potassium sulfate in them, 1 tablespoon each.

Diseases and pests

Diseases and pests rarely bother the plant.

Rust damage is possible - yellow, brown, brown spots will appear on the underside of the sheet. Remove damaged leaves and treat with Bordeaux mixture or topaz. In advanced cases, it is better to dispose of lavatera to avoid contamination of healthy plants.

Occasionally, an aphid invasion occurs - small greenish insects attack young leaves and stems. Wash off the aphids with water, then treat with an insecticide.

How to collect seeds

In place of faded flowers, greenish seed pods appear. They usually ripen by early autumn. Ripening is indicated by a dry seed capsule. Brown. It is necessary to open it and if the seeds are brown-gray in color and fall out easily, they can be safely collected. Carefully cut off the bolls, shake out the seeds onto paper and dry in a dry place with good ventilation. Store in a paper bag or linen bag.

Preparing for winter

in autumn annual lavatera it is necessary to remove it from the site and put it in compost (burn it), dig up the site. Thanks to self-seeding, a flowerbed may appear on its own in this place in the spring.

Perennial lavatera require shelter for the winter. Bend the stems as low as possible to the ground, secure, cover with spruce branches, dry leaves or non-woven material.

Types and varieties of lavatera with photos and names

Three-month-old Lavatera trimestris

A shrub 1.2 m high. The lower leaves are round or heart-shaped, have teeth along the edges, the upper ones are divided into 3-5 lobes. Flowers with a diameter of 10 cm are located singly in the axils of the leaves. The color of the corolla can be white, pink, burgundy. Abundant flowering starts in July.

Varieties:

• Silver Cup - reaches a height of 70 cm, pink corollas have burgundy veins and a silver tint.
• Mont Blanc - the stem stretches 60 cm. The flowers are white with dark veins.
• Ruby Queen - a powerful branched stem stretches 1 m. The flowers are bright burgundy.
• Beauty is a strong bush with large flowers of white, pink, dark pink color; thanks to the pubescence, the flowers sparkle.
• Sun Goddess is a 1.1 m tall bush with dark green leaves. The corolla, 6 cm in diameter, is colored in various shades of pink.
• Novella - lavatera 20 cm high.
• White Sherub - reaches a height of 35 cm. The flowers are large, white.

The last 2 varieties are also grown in pots and containers.

Lavatera thuringia or Chatma thuringia, Dog rose Lavatera thuringiaca

A powerful perennial plant about 2 m high. The leaves are heart-shaped and round, have hard pubescence, and are colored gray-green. Single pink flowers appear on long stalks in the leaf axils.

Varieties:

• Lilac Lady – lilac corollas;
• Ai Catcher - the corollas are dark pink in color.
• Burgundy Vine - pink corollas have dark purple veins.
• Barnsley Baby - the color of the corollas is white and pink.
• Bregon Springs is a bush 1.3 m high. The leaves are three-lobed, colored gray-green. The corollas are colored pink-lilac, the veins are crimson.

Lavatera arborea

A biennial plant about 2 m high. The flowers are purple-red, have darker veins. The spherical seed pods resemble wheels of cheese.

• Rosea - has spectacular pink flowers.
• Candy Floss - the corollas are soft pink.

Lavatera maritima = Lavatera bicolor

Bush 1.5 m high. The color of the corolla combines 2 shades of lilac.

Cretan Lavatera cretica

The plant is 1.8 cm high. The stems and leaves are pubescent. The leaves are 20 cm long and divided into 5-7 lobes. The edges are jagged. 2-8 flowers of lilac, purple color are collected in the axils of the leaves.

Lavatera mauritanica

Reaches a height of 80 cm. Erect stems are pubescent, well branched. The rounded leaves are divided into lobes. Purple corollas reach a diameter of 3 cm.