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bakemom_gw

Malva germination

bakemom_gw
12 years ago

How does your Malva grow? I winter sowed zebrina and summer sowed mystic merlin in two pots. I have exactly 3 sprouts total with all three containers - one in each.

How does YOUR malva germinate for you?

Comments (10)

  • tepelus
    12 years ago

    My Malva moschata 'Pink Perfection' germinated very easily when I winter sowed them, I have a lot of babies. I can see these guys reseeding themselves all over the place. They haven't grown much at all in their pots. They're probably pouting until I get them into the ground, which will hopefully be by the end of next week. Hope the good rain we've been getting and these cooler temperatures stay so I can get my plants into the ground!

    Karen

  • northerner_on
    12 years ago

    I have two varieties of malva moschata in my garden: 'rosea' which I bought from my son's grade school plant sale, and which re-seeds quite freely. The other 'alba' I winter sowed in 2008 using seeds I received in an unsolicited 'newbie package'. I got 4 good seedlings and planted out two. This is a very different plant from the pink, having a nice shrub-like form. The white flower has a pink eye and it flowered its first year in late August (thanks to keeping good records). I have kept the one in the front bed behind a peony because it provides flowers after the peonies are done. What I don't like about malvas is how quickly they go to seed. However, with vigilant deadheading, you can have flowers all summer. My verdict: easily winter sown for the white. Probably the same for the pink since it self sows so freely. Here's the white form:

    {{gwi:411738}}

  • tepelus
    12 years ago

    The white form is very pretty. If I have room, I may have to give it a try.

    Karen

  • northforker
    12 years ago

    I have both Zebrina and Mysic Merlin. Both were started by WSing years ago and the Mystic Merlin reseed LIKE CRAZY in my beds. In fact, as I spend more time in developing my beds in the back of the house (where we entertain), I have allowed these mallows to spread freely in my front beds. I have a lot of rudbeckia goldstrum here and the two long bloomers (plus fall asters and a couple of special things like a self-seeded small grove of sunflowers and a rose tree)are all taking care of themselves pretty much. I did have to learn to give the Merlins a good chopping once in a while to keep them going, but now they bloom from June - Septmeber. I will have a ton of seed Bakemom and would be happy to send a huge bag your way so that you'd be likely to get many seedlings.

    Nancy

  • kimka
    12 years ago

    I wintersowed Mallow sylvestris mauritanian and Primley Blue and mallow trifida 'Vulcan'. Vulcan and mauritanian had great germination. Vulcan bloomed pretty well although only early in the summer it seems, although that may be more due to the triple digit dry days than poor plants. I got just one Primley blue seedling and it has not done well.

    I planted one mystic merlin seedling about five years ago and it either comes back or self seeds a replacment.

  • ladyrose65
    12 years ago

    A lot germinated, but few made it to full adulthood. They are pretty. They give off a lot of seeds.

  • carrie630
    12 years ago

    My experience with Malva Zebrina is that I find a ton of reseeds every year and this year I learned something.

    Usually, in the spring they take off and a short while, they are very tall - too tall for my liking. So, someone told me that if I cut them down and wait, the flowers will bloom again. I did that and what a difference it made in the gardens. After most of them stopped flowering, I cut them back again, waited a while and now I have flowers blooming again.

    One bad thing about the malva zebrina I have found is that was the favorite plant that the baby and grown rabbits went for. They headed straight for the Malvas. The good news is that next year I am planting a ton of them in one area and maybe they can feast ONLY on them and leave everything else alone (?) Can't hurt, plus they are so pretty when blooming.

    Good luck

    Carrie

  • pippi21
    12 years ago

    I wintersowed Malva Zebrina in 2009 and it bloomed last year and was beautiful. It reseeds itself and pops up where you didn't plant it. I am going to a plant swap on Sept. 10 and I dug up one of the Zebrina plants..I was shocked at the long tap root it has. Hope the plant survives the transplant. It is not looking good. Thought I'd read over the directions tomorrow on Quick start and see if you can give it to transplanted flowers, diluted of course. I think I'll have to move it also in the shade.

  • pippi21
    12 years ago

    Carrie, Thanks for sharing that bit of information with us. I'm adding your comment to my clippings and hope I remember to read it next year. I just moved two big clumps of mine and right now they look like they wilted but bet they come back in rare form. I'll try your method and see what happens. I think this flower/plant is very pretty. Love the purple flowers.

  • docmom_gw
    12 years ago

    As I was cleaning out my seed box this weekend, I came across an old envelope of Malva Zebrina Sylvestris. As I recall, I stopped growing it, because it was overly enthusiastic in its reseeding. But, I miss the happy flowers. I also recall that, similar to hollyhocks, its a favorite of the dreaded Japanese Beetle. So, the leaves start to look like some type of fragile lace by the middle of July. But, I think I'll try to plant them in among my taller Cosmos. The colors would blend wonderfully, the Malva might keep the Cosmos from flopping, and the Cosmos foliage might hide the beetle damage. Sounds like a worthy experiment, anyway.

    Martha

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