Original flowers of Sidalcea are to the liking of many gardeners. An unpretentious plant with high inflorescences is used in the design of flower beds or border compositions.
Description
Sidalceans spread around the world from North America. This plant belongs to the family Malvaceae and has more than 30 species in the wild, but only some of them are cultivated.
The root system of sidalcea does not penetrate deep into the ground, but differs in branching and power. This herbaceous perennial plant has a straight strong stalk up to 1 m in height. Its base is framed by a rosette of several rounded leaves. Above the leaves are carved with thinner lobes and are arranged next to the entire length. The greens are bright, emerald.
An inflorescence in the shape of an ear is covered with large flowers in the form of a gramophone, their diameter is 5-8 cm. The buds with five delicate petals resemble a stock rose (mallow). In the central part is a small column of many stamens and pestle. There are plants with flowers of light pink, red, scarlet, raspberry, white. The flowering period lasts from July to September.
Varieties
All varieties of sidalcea are easy to care for and are characterized by abundant flowering, the most popular are:
- Party girl - bushes grow up to 1.2 m tall, and peduncles (up to 60 cm) are decorated with saturated red-pink buds with a white core;
- Candy Girl - petals of raspberry and pink shades brighten to the core of the flower;
- Elsie hugh - a plant with very delicate flowers, light pink petals with carved or fringed edges;
- Malvotsvetkovaya - different large pink and red flowers with delicate petals;
- Diamond - a bright plant with large pink buds on a spike-shaped inflorescence;
- Snow white - a bush up to 80 cm high is covered with small flowers (up to 2 cm in diameter) with white petals and a cream core.
Among these and other varieties, gardeners will be able to choose the optimal size and color of the flower for their garden. A variety of shades allows you to place accents on the site or create one multi-color ensemble.
Reproduction of Sidalcea
Sidalcea propagates by seeds that are harvested in the fall. Collection is made from dry, fully ripe boxes. They are separated and carefully stored until spring in a spacious bag. Sown seeds immediately to a constant place of growth. In order for shoots to appear and the plant to actively develop, they wait for steady heat. The best time for sowing is mid-spring, when the thermometer shows + 10 ° C and more.
Moisturize the soil, loosen well and form grooves with a depth of 2-3.5 cm. Crops are slightly covered with earth. After 15-20 days, young shoots appear. At this time, it is necessary to check the density of seedlings and thin out too overgrown areas. Between individual plants leave a distance of 10-15 cm.
After the appearance of four true leaves, repeated thinning is performed. They remove less strong flowers and increase the distance between them to 40-55 cm. Extra plants are already viable enough not to destroy them. The resulting seedlings can be used in other parts of the garden. Flowering occurs next year. To form flower buds, the rhizome must winter.
Perennial can be propagated by dividing the bush. For this, young shoots are carefully separated from the mother plant. Since the rhizomes are superficial and very thin, it is important not to damage them. A transplant is carried out in the spring until flower buds are formed.
After dividing, you need to immediately put the roots in the soil, since drying is detrimental to them. If transportation or longer storage is planned, use a bag or other airless packaging.
Sidalcea care
Although the plant is one of the easiest to care for, it still needs care. First you need to prepare the soil for planting. An ordinary light garden soil is suitable, from which weed roots, other debris are necessarily removed and well loosened.
Place for landing choose sunny or with a slight shadow. Although the sprouts tolerate the shadow, but it negatively affects the abundance of flowers and leaves. Only in the open sun will sidalcea reveal its charms as much as possible.
The flower does not tolerate drought, so it requires regular watering and the introduction of complex fertilizers. For full development, it needs to be watered three times a week in the absence of natural rainfall. Moreover, young plants need to be watered with warm water. You can protect the soil from drying out by mulching humus or mowed grass, which will help retain moisture. It has a beneficial effect on the growth and flowering of weeding; this helps to saturate the earth with air and prevent decay.
Seeds after ripening can crumble, due to which a dense wild growth is formed. It is possible to reduce the number of self-seeding by trimming wilted stems. The whole stem should be cut to the ground, this stimulates the growth of young shoots.
The root system is resistant to frost and does not require too careful shelter. Only in the northern regions do roots cover with fallen leaves and branches to protect against snowless frosts.
Gardeners should not worry about protection against parasites and diseases, the plant is characterized by good resistance to them. On the whole, a little care is enough to make Sidaltsea delight with plentiful flowering and bright colors for several years. She easily gets along with most flowering sun-loving plants (bells, cuffs, sweetlings, and others). It can also be used in bouquet compositions.
