In recent years, the vagaries of nature have become commonplace, so flower growers select suitable specimens for their garden. Lavatera perfectly tolerates sudden changes in temperature, violent gusts of wind, as well as dry or humid climates. A representative of the Malvaceae family is characterized by self-seeding. It is worth planting a culture once and periodically taking care of it, as it settles forever.
top view
Both annual and perennial varieties have been bred. Tall and dwarf (within 50 cm) annuals live up to 3 months. But the permanent inhabitants of the front garden are able to reach one and a half meters in height. Such a curly bush of lavatera flowers (here in the photo) captivates with its appearance. Varieties with petals of such shades are popular:
- white;
- pink;
- yellow;
- purple;
- red.
They differ in the type of inflorescences, which are single or complex. The first buds appear at the turn of May and June. In a flowering state, the plant persists until October. At the same time, it is impossible to approach the flower bed. She is enveloped in a swarm of insects that collect nectar/honey. Although lavatera is a garden rose, it is also used in folk medicine.
Preparations obtained from the roots of lavatera have anti-inflammatory, expectorant and enveloping effects.
In addition to such a healing effect, culture has a beneficial effect on the mental state of a person. In this regard, khatma occupies not the last place in landscape design. You can watch and enjoy for hours:
- fast-growing and strongly branched bush;
- dark green 3- or 5-lobed leaves with serrated edges;
- funnel-shaped flowers, reaching 5-10 cm in diameter.
A photo of lavatera flowers taken in a flowerbed causes admiration and delight. Such carpet compositions look unsurpassed in the company of other varieties. Observers are especially struck by the contrasting veins on the petals, emerging from the middle and scattering towards the edge. The unusual color creates the illusion of a corrugated surface. 
On a powerful bush, a huge number of side shoots are formed. They are crowned with luxurious bouquets of garden roses. Toward the middle of summer, there are so many buds that they completely cover all the greenery.
The more years the perennial lavatera is, the darker its foliage becomes. If, with age, it brightens and turns pale, then the culture needs to be fed with phosphorus and.
Cultivation systematics
There are two methods of planting: seeds and seedlings. In the first case, sowing is carried out immediately in open ground. The optimal period for this is May, when the sun is still low above the horizon, but frosts are not expected. In the second option, grains are also sown, but only in containers and much earlier. In this regard, the question arises when to plant a lavater for seedlings. After all, the plant needs to have time to germinate and get stronger, and in the future to adapt to a new place.
Flower growers practice planting khatma with whole families, groups. So, holes are made in a circle. The step is 20-25 cm. In a single funnel, from 5 to 7 seedlings / seeds are placed at once. As a result, voluminous bouquets of dog roses will grow.
seedling instinct
There are several advantages of growing lavatera in this way. With the help of seedlings, it is easier to create original design compositions. Practice shows that not every sown seed sprouts in the garden. Then you have to urgently fill the resulting "gaps" with other varieties. But at home it is much easier to pay attention to a separate instance. Moreover, the described breeding technique brings the flowering period closer to one and a half months.
How to calculate when to sow lavatera for seedlings? First determine the date of flowering - June. This means that seedlings should be planted in the front garden in a month - in early May. The culture will need 8 weeks to germinate. It turns out - the first days of March.
The first step is preparing landing containers. The containers are washed with a solution of potassium permanganate. As a soil, take a universal soil or peat-based substrates. A drainage layer is formed at the bottom - 5-7 cm of pebbles mixed with sand. 
The sowing process is carried out according to the following technology:
- Make furrows 1-2 cm deep.
- Separate the change separately and spray with water using a spray bottle.
- Cover miniature beds with a layer of 1 cm.
- Cover the dishes with a tray, glass or thick film.
- Put in a bright and warm place, preferably in the southern part of the house. No more LED lighting.
Check the microclimate in the container several times a day. Do not allow condensation to form on the lid. When the first drops appear, it is removed for 2-3 minutes.
After 14-21 days, sprouts (5-6 cm) will appear on the surface of the soil. In this case, it's time to remove the makeshift shelter. 
Now the hostess should regularly spray, but not water, her indoor garden in moderate doses. Once every 3-4 days, the container should be rotated to provide the sprouts with enough light.
free spaces
Growing lavatories from seeds is very responsible. When the first 3 full leaves appear, the sprouts are transferred to open ground. By that time, there should be no frost. The picking system is as follows:
- the earth is fluffed up in the garden;
- make holes at a distance of 20 cm (the width is several times larger than the rhizome);
- fertilize them with compost;
- plentifully irrigate;
- carefully remove the seedling from the container / pot along with the soil;
- put in a hole and fall asleep, tamping the area a little.
Wild rose takes root quickly if watered every day. As soon as the stems begin to stretch intensively, the procedure is stopped, switching to the normal mode. It should be borne in mind that khatma does not withstand too moist soil, and even more so stagnant water. 
Now it remains only to weed the site and conduct internecine battles with weeds.
A place in a flower bed is selected open and unshaded. Away from the walls and tall "neighbors".
Seeds in the open field
For busy people, the method of growing lavatera from seeds is suitable, when you can plant a crop right away in the garden. This saves time and effort. However, you have to try at the beginning of planting and when shoots appear. The first step is to prepare the site:
- dig up the earth;
- make humus / manure;
- level the surface with a rake;
- beds are formed, deepening by 1 cm (row spacing - 30 cm);
- watered with water (recommended to warm the liquid a little);
- seeds are mixed with sand and sown;
- sprinkled with a thin layer of fertilized soil;
- watered by drip;
- make a cover out of film.
For tall specimens, the distance is 40 cm. After 7-14 days, the leaves will begin to erupt. When they grow up and become 5 cm high, the canopy can be taken. At this point, it is important to thin out the seedlings, leaving 25 cm between them. After that, young sprouts are spudded. 
Lavaters also make supports for flowers so that the fast-growing stems do not break. Some build walls from nets, others simply fix wooden slats (1 m) 5 cm from the bush.
For the effectiveness of seedlings, the furrows are scalded with boiling water. When the ground cools down a bit, sowing begins.
Even the hardy need care
The soil is moistened twice a week if the summer is dry. The amount of water is calculated so that the earth is saturated by 6 cm. The next session is carried out in 1-2 weeks. By then, the soil should be completely dry. Spraying lavater is not advised. She successfully survives heat and drought.
In this case, you can alternate water procedures with loosening the site. The earth will not be taken with a crust, and the roots will receive the necessary supply of oxygen. Weeds are removed from the site or left to rot in the aisles. Weed the flower bed all the time until the bush rises to 1 meter above the surface. Since the roots are too close, weeding should be done carefully so as not to damage them. 
Planting and caring for a lavater includes several more important components.
The optimum temperature at which the flower grows intensively varies between 20-25 ° C. For the winter, the bushes should be covered with leaves / grass. A wooden plank or bowl is installed under this layer.
Wild rose diet
Top dressing is carried out twice for the entire growing season. Before flowering, prepare such a solution:
- 1 st. l. nitrophoska and;
- diluted in 10 liters of water (standard bucket);
- irrigate the area evenly.
When the garden rose throws out the buds, the procedure is repeated. Only now the composition is replaced with sodium sulfate and potassium. Minerals are diluted in accordance with the instructions or according to the scheme indicated above. 
In the case of digging up the earth with humus, the plant does not need fertilizer before planting and during the care process. A photo of lavatera flowers shows how they will look after top dressing. Changes are not visible.
Ambulance
Climatic conditions, air humidity, local flora and fauna have an impact on the flora of the dacha. Despite its resilience, the chatma also suffers from certain diseases and from the invasion of popular pests. This rarely happens, but it is important to know how to deal with it. Action plan:
You can get acquainted with uninvited guests with the help of a photo. Lavatera perennial (planting and care as for annuals) recovers quickly after therapy. At the same time, do not forget to remove dried buds and leaves. Then they will not turn into ovaries. After all, when seeds ripen, culture throws all its forces into this process. The bush ceases to throw out magnificent buds and fades.
If the grower wishes to control the shape of the wild rose, then it must be pinched. Pruning is also carried out in case of deficiency of lateral shoots.
It is worth remembering that under the weight of chic flowers, fragile stems of perennial varieties often break. Therefore, they are tied to a canopy or attached with special clips to a vertical support.
Lavatera occupies a separate place in the collection of each gardener. Her endurance and grace have already won the hearts of millions of owners of summer cottages. It remains to let her enter the life of still inexperienced flower growers.
We collect lavatera seeds - video
And worries. There are magnificent plants that require minimal care. These species include lavatera flowers (khatma), which are grown as annual and perennial crops. On sale there are a lot of different varieties that may differ in stem height and bud color.
Botanical description
Lavatera is a flowering plant that has been recognized by 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, has many branches. Shoots are upright, covered with rough green bark. The leaves are usually dark green in color with veins, ranging in size from 15 to 30 cm, covering the entire branch, increasing closer to the root.
Khatma blooms throughout the summer period until the end of autumn. Flowers have a pleasant aroma with hints of spices. After pollination, the seeds ripen in seed pods.
Species and varieties
Lavatera belongs to the Malvaceae family. The first description of lavatera was given by doctors with the surname Lavater, two brothers who were fond of traditional medicine and studied the medicinal properties of 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:
- Annual (Lavatera trimestris).
- Perennial (Lavatera thuringiaca) or dog rose, Thuringian hatma.
- Biennial (Lavatera arborea) or tree.
The annual is a lush bush with large single flowers (up to 80 mm in diameter) in the form of gramophones. In appearance, it resembles a hibiscus flower, has a white, red, purple or pink color in different shades.
The green mass is dense, the lower leaves are in the shape of hearts, the upper ones look like elongated triangles.
Flowering is very active, begins in mid-June and continues until late autumn.
Popular varieties of annual lavatera:
| Variety | Appearance |
|---|---|
| Mont Blanc | Large white inflorescences cover the bush, up to 1 meter high. |
| Silver Cap | 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 disclosure - from buds to a full-fledged gramophone. |
| Twins Hot Pink | Height - up to 40 cm, the color of the petals - rich pink. Used to decorate park borders. |
| Beautiful girl | The bush grows up to 60 cm. It blooms in pink shades. |
| tanagra | It grows to a height of 50 cm, with bright red large flowers. |
| Novella | The shortest representative of the variety is up to 20 cm, the flowers are large, pink. |
Annual lavatera in the photo:
Perennial khatma looks a little simpler, has a similarity with mallow. The plant of this species can reach a height of up to 2.5 meters. The flowers are collected in small inflorescences and smaller. The density of the bush is significantly inferior to the one-year-old species, the leaves are smaller, light in color, practically absent at the top of the bush.
The dog rose (the second name of the species), although inferior to its one-year-old relative in beauty, has other advantages: it reproduces by self-sowing, has healing properties. From its flowers, a medicine is prepared to relieve stomach pains, from the leaves - compresses for boils, abscesses, purulent wounds. Decoctions from the roots of lavatera 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 - along the edges of the petals;
- Mystic Merlin - a very bright, popular variety with flowers from lilac-crimson to purple hues;
- Lailak Lady - lilac flowers of various saturation;
- Barnsley Baby - light pink with a brighter center.
Perennial lavatera in the photo:
Biennial Lavatera is a rare species, more common in the 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. Flowers can be located singly or collected in bunches of 3 - 7 pieces, 4 - 5 cm in diameter. The petals are painted in purple, raspberry, pink.
Varieties of tree-like lavater:
- Rosea - flowers of coral or rich salmon color;
- Mallow Linnaeus - the stems of the plant are strewn with pink or purple single flowers;
- Candy Floss - flowers with light pink petals;
- Moorish - purple inflorescences.
Tree-like lavater in the photo:
Each type of lavater has its own individuality and peculiarity, but they all have a unique quality for plants - unpretentiousness in care and resistance to diseases.
Growing lavatories from seeds at home
All varieties of khatma are able to propagate by seeds, in addition, in open ground they are actively sown on their own. It is enough to plant a plant once on the site and you will not have to worry about its reproduction for all subsequent years.
When you can plant lavatera with seeds at home is determined depending on the climate. If they plan to plant in a flower bed 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. The soil is used purchased universal or prepared independently by mixing the earth with compost and nitrogen fertilizers. Drainage is laid at the bottom of the containers - expanded clay or crushed tree bark, prepared soil is poured on top and moistened well.
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 covered with film or glass trays, creating a greenhouse effect.
The first shoots appear 8-12 days after sowing. The shelter is briefly removed, 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 spray bottle so as not to damage the delicate sprouts.
If sunlight hits the seedling box on only one side, it must be periodically turned over to the other side to the light. 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 lavater needs to dive. Each sprout is transplanted into a separate glass or seedling mold. If the pick is carried out in a mold, the distance between the shoots 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, watered.
Many gardeners prefer not to pick, but to thin out seedlings right in the box and land on flower beds directly from it.
Landing lavater in open ground and care
When transplanting a garden rose (sometimes called lavater) to flower beds, the necessary preparation is carried out:
- dig 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.
Lavater seedlings are planted at the rate of: 4 pieces per 1 square meter. The first top dressing is recommended to be carried out 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 seed germination.
Throughout the season, khatma is fed 2 to 3 times. Before flowering, during the growth of the crown, nitrogen- and potassium-containing fertilizers are useful; during the period of throwing out buds and blooming flowers, phosphorus mixtures must be added to the soil.
Young roses are regularly weeded, weeds are removed near them, and the soil is loosened to allow oxygen to reach the roots.
For lavatera, proper watering is important - it is necessary to ensure that the plant is sufficiently moistened. In summer, hot weather, it is enough to water the plant once every 4 to 6 days, directing a stream of water under the root. Moisture deficiency reduces the number of buds on a rose, leads to wilting of the leaves.
A place for a flower garden is chosen well-lit, calm. Such conditions provide active and full-fledged flowering of lavatera. Faded buds are recommended to be cut, such actions increase the number of new flower buds on the shoots.
The lavatera bush has a neat, beautiful shape, so it does not need pruning and crown formation.
Ripe seeds are sown in the soil on their own, winter in it and germinate in April - May after it warms up enough.
To collect seeds for seedlings, they are collected in autumn from faded buds, stored at room temperature in a place protected from light.
At the end of autumn, before the onset of cold weather, the perennial lavater is prepared for the winter period. Before shelter, dry branches, the remains of peduncles are removed from it. The shoots are carefully bent to the ground, fixed and covered with straw, pine branches, dry foliage, or covered with peat. In this form, the plant is protected from frost and wind. In the spring, the covering material is removed, the damaged branches are cut off.
Annual varieties of the rose bush are cut before winter, the soil is dug up.
Video from the cycle "Marina Flowers":
Diseases and pests
One of the advantages of khatma 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 treat the earth with a disinfectant solution of potassium permanganate.
Lavatera is an ornamental plant, it is rarely combined in a flower garden with other types of flowers. Tall varieties look beautiful alone, low rose bushes are planted to decorate park paths, flower beds, gardens or other areas. Lavater looks especially beautiful in group plantings of garden flowers, selected by color.
If you are wondering what flowers to plant on the site, so that it is both beautiful and easy to care for, then it is better not to find lavaters. The plant blooms from June until frost. She is unusually beautiful, unpretentious in care, requires minimal labor, drought-resistant: in a word, a godsend for very busy gardeners. This article will tell you how to grow a lavater in the open field without the hassle.
Lavatera got its name from the word of Latin origin "lavatum" - to wash, since the color of the flowers is very pure. Lavatera is popularly called khatma or dog rose.
In gardening, three types of lavater are used:
Lavatera annual or in another way it is called three-month lavatera. It grows up to 120 cm in height and the whole bush is abundantly covered with flowers, which gives it a special decorative effect. Blooms from July until frost.
Lavatera annual The most popular varieties in our latitudes:
- Silver Cap with salmon-colored flowers;
- Mont Blanc is a variety with white flowers;
- Lovelines blooms with pink flowers;
- Pink Beauty has bright pink buds;
- The ruby queen is distinguished by carmine-colored flowers;
- Goddess of the Sun is a mixture of lavatera seeds with a wide range of flower colors.
Lavatera perennial Lavatera perennial or Thuringian. The most popular varieties:
- Lailak Lady - has lilac flowers;
- Bregon Springs - with rose buds;
- Burgundy Vine - blooms with pink flowers;
- iCatcher is a variety with beautiful pink flowers.
Biennial Lavatera Biennial Lavatera or tree lavatera. It grows up to two meters in height and has a slender stem with reddish-purple flowers, similar to hibiscus inflorescences. Varieties:
- Candy Floss - has light pink flowers;
- Rosea - with beautiful salmon-colored flowers.
There are three more types of lavater, which are designed for warm latitudes, but you can also grow them here:
- seaside lavatera, which has flowers of lilac color in two shades;
Lavatera seaside - Cretan lavatera has pubescent felt stems and purple or lilac flowers;
Cretan lavathera - Mauritanian lavatera is the most thermophilic with pubescent stems and purple flowers.
Mauritanian lavatera Attention! Lavatera is not only an ornamental plant. Perennial Thuringian lavatera is a medicinal crop.
Reproduction and planting lavater
Lavatera is propagated by seeds. Seeds are harvested in early autumn, by which time the inflorescences of the plant turn into brown boxes. If you shake the box, the contents will rustle, which means that the seeds have ripened and are ready for harvesting.
Lavater seeds The plant is grown in two ways:
- Seeds are sown immediately in open ground in May. Before planting, the soil is dug up, adding a bucket of humus and a spoonful of nitroammophoska per square meter. Then the seeds are sown to a depth of 1 cm. After a couple of weeks, shoots appear.
- seedlings. First you need to decide on the date of planting seeds for seedlings. If the flower garden is to be arranged in May, then the seeds must be sown in early March. Earlier sowing will result in larger plants. Before sowing the seeds of the lavater, it is necessary to pour drainage into the bottom of the boxes, and soil on top. Seeds must be buried in moistened soil by 1 cm, then covered with glass. When the seeds germinate, the glass should be removed. Further care of seedlings consists in moistening the soil. The grown plants are planted in the ground in rows with a distance of 20 x 25 cm and watered regularly.
Lavatera seedlings Lavatera reproduces excellently by self-sowing, which greatly simplifies the task of the gardener.
Advice. To get one large bush from lavatera, seedlings or seeds must be planted in a circle at a distance of 20 - 25 cm between the holes, placing five seedlings in each.
Plant care, fertilizer and top dressing
Lavatera prefers to grow in sunny areas, but also develops well in partial shade. It can grow on any soil, but develops better on soils rich in organic matter. It is drought-resistant, watering is necessary as the soil dries out once a week in extreme heat. It is frost-resistant, tolerates temperature drops down to -3 degrees. Tall varieties require additional support and stem garters.
Don't water your lavatera too often. Once a week is enough At the beginning of growth, it is necessary to remove weeds and loosen the soil, when the lavatera reaches vegetative maturity, it will cope with weeds by itself, taking its place under the sun. By timely removing faded inflorescences and seed pods, you will simultaneously stimulate the plant for further long flowering, and also replenish your seed fund for future years, since the seeds do not lose their germination for up to five years.
Nutrient top dressing is only necessary if the culture grows on very nutrient-poor soil. Feed the plant no more than once a month. The first top dressing is carried out at the beginning of the growing season with a solution of urea and nitroammophoska: a tablespoon per 10 liters of water. The second time the lavater is fertilized with potash and phosphorus fertilizers when flower buds appear.
Attention. The older the plant, the darker its foliage becomes. Pale green leaves signal a lack of nitrogen and phosphorus.
Diseases and pests
Fortunately, lavatera belongs to those plants that practically do not get sick and are not damaged by pests. Sometimes the plant can choose aphids. It is enough to wash it off with water with the addition of laundry soap, or spray it with a systemic preparation.
Rust on lavatera leaves Can be affected by a fungal disease - rust. Blisters (pustules) of yellow or orange color appear on the leaves on the underside, which darken when ripe, crack and spores spill out of them, which infect healthy plants. The fungus feeds on living tissues and leads to the death of the plant. If you find a diseased plant, then remove the infected parts, and the remaining ones should be sprayed with fungicides, such as Topaz or Hom. If the damage is significant, then it is better to get rid of such plants completely.
Advice. Observe crop rotation to prevent diseases. Do not plant the lavater in its original place for 4 years.
Combination with other plants
Lavater can be combined with a huge number of other plants that grow in traditional flower beds. Lavatera with pink flowers looks good in combination with crops that bloom in blue and purple flowers:
- verbena;
Lavater on the plot - brachycoma;
- delphinium.
White Lavater varieties are versatile and go with almost any color, but look especially good with lilac petunia and blue ageratum. But with the Lanster, the Ruby Carpet Lavater variety looks great
In landscape design
Lavater is often used in landscape design in single or group plantings, it looks good as a bright spot on a grassy lawn, at the foot of large trees and shrubs. Tall varieties of perennial lavater can be used as a screen for decorating a fence or outbuildings on the site.
Lavatera looks great in mono landings In group compositions, it is incredibly beautiful if you plant plants in a certain color palette. For example, first plant a group of lavenders with white flowers, then a group with pink flowers, and the next group with a mix of pink and white flowers. It is also good to combine plants in height, using different varieties. Great for cutting into bouquets. Lavatera is able to transform the most dull landscape with its violent flowering until the frost.
Other uses for lavater
The perennial Thuringian Lavater is used as a medicinal plant in folk medicine. The roots of the plant contain a lot of mucus and vitamin C, therefore, in terms of its pharmacological properties, lavatera is close to marshmallow.
Lavater is also grown for use in traditional medicine. A decoction of the roots is used for colds, coughs, hoarseness, various gastrointestinal ailments and women's diseases. Root infusion is used as an anti-inflammatory agent for dermatitis. For rheumatic and neuralgic pains, the leaves of the plant are used. Apply poultices from the leaves for purulent skin lesions, boils, lichen.
Lavater care in the garden: video
Studded with bright lush flowers. On the modern market, a large number of seeds of this crop can be found on sale. The plant is native to Africa and Southern Europe. Gardeners have developed varieties that can be planted in our latitudes, where the climate is more temperate. However, you need to choose the right varieties and know the different nuances of planting on.
Lavatera: varieties and description with photo
Advice! Before you start growing a plant, you need to find out its features and properties. The advantage of lavatera is a long flowering period - it will delight the eye from early summer to.
Another advantage of the hatma can be called unpretentiousness in care and soil, but there is a nuance: if the soil is fertile, then the flowers will be more decorative. It is important to create good drainage. If tall plant varieties are selected, then they will need to be tied up on trellises or. Flowers prefer the sunny side of the site, otherwise you can not expect lush flowering.
Breeders have bred many varieties of lavater and continue to breed them, but the most common are the following:
How to plant a lavater in a flower bed or plot?
The plant is planted either by seeds on open soil, or by seedlings. Let's consider both options.
Sowing lavatera with seeds in the soil
This option is suitable for regions with a warm climate. Sowing begins with the onset of May. It is possible to sow earlier with the onset of the first heat, but in this case, to protect against frost, the sowing must be covered with a special material.
- Furrows 1 cm deep are made in the selected area.
- Seeds are planted and covered with a mixture of humus and earth.
- Then - abundant watering warm water.
- You can cover the planted area with a dense film, this will protect the plant sprouts from adverse weather conditions.
- After the sprouts reach 5 cm in height, the film is removed and plant care begins. To do this, loosening and hilling of sprouts are carried out, followed by top dressing with the use of mineral fertilizers.
- Next, you need to water the plant and, if necessary, tie it up.
Growing lavatery from seedlings
Important! This option is suitable for areas where the climate is more moderate. Also, this method is used in agricultural enterprises that are engaged in growing seedlings of various crops.
For this option, you need to grow seedlings from seeds grown in. This should be done about two months before the planned planting of seedlings in the ground. Grown in flower pots or boxes, individual varieties are sown in different containers.
Drainage is laid out at the bottom of the planting tank, and universal soil is poured on top, which can be bought in specialized stores. After landing, the container is covered with a film and placed in a place with abundant lighting. If the temperature and light are in abundance, then shoots will appear after 2 weeks. After that, the film is removed. In the future, the lavater will require regular watering and rotation around its axis.
Advice! After the heat is established on the street, you can plant the plants in the soil. Sprouts are placed on the bed at a distance of 20-25 cm from each other.
In the process of growth, the lavater will grow and create a lush flowering mass. If the place is chosen correctly, then you will have a beautiful one on your site.
Lavatera: landing and care (photo)
Important! Lavatera is a drought-resistant flower, but requires regular watering, especially in dry and hot summers..
- Tall bushes require.
- It is possible to loosen the soil under the stems only until they grow to a height of 1 m.
- It is necessary to remove wilted flowers on time, otherwise they will become limp in the rain and leave burns on the leaves.
- You need to feed after the sprouts have grown stronger, with a solution of nitrophoska (1 spoon) and urea per 10 liters of water. As soon as buds begin to form, top dressing is done again. To do this, dilute a tablespoon of potassium and sodium sulfate in 10 liters of water. This rate is suitable for a large bush.
This article is devoted to a wonderful flower - lavatera, growing it from seeds, tips on how to plant and how to care for this unpretentious plant. The lavatera flower is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful, often called the lavatera garden rose. Despite the fact that the changeable fashion has not bypassed even flowers, lavatera has firmly taken its place in our farmsteads.
Lavatera or hatma (lat. Lavatera) is a genus belonging to the Malvaceae family. These plants are shrubs, herbs or low trees. There are perennial lavatera, annual lavatera and tree-like or biennial lavatera. The genus is relatively rare, has only 25 species, its natural habitat is the countries of the Mediterranean, Australia, Central Asia, North America.
Plant height varies from 0.5 to 1.5 meters. It has a powerful rhizome, a thick stem and regular large leaves, most often pubescent. The flowers are white, all shades of pink, crimson and purple can reach a diameter of 10 cm. They are collected one or more in spicate or racemose inflorescences. Flowering continues from early summer to autumn.
Breeders love this plant, new varieties are constantly appearing. Let's look at the varietal and species characteristics, vegetation and appearance of the lavater.
Lavatera three months old
L. three-month-old is grown as an annual. This is a plant with a powerful stem up to 120 cm. The flowers are solitary, large, in some varieties up to 12 cm in diameter. Popular varieties:
- Lavatera "Silver Bowl" - medium height, about 70 cm in height. The flowers are large, salmon-pink with darker veins.
- Lavatera "Novella" - suitable for indoor and container floriculture. In a pot it reaches only 20 cm, in open ground - up to 60. It blooms very early with large pink flowers.
- Lavater "Mont-Blanc" - medium-sized, up to 75 cm high, with large white flowers.
Lavatera three-month "Novella" 
Lavatera three-month "Mont-Blanc"
- Lavatera "Ruby Queen" - tall, up to 1 m tall, with carmine-red flowers up to 10 cm in diameter.
- Lavatera "Beauty" - medium-sized, up to 70 cm tall, fast-growing and cold-resistant. The flowers are pink, carmine, white.
- Lavatera "Moonlight" - tall with a stem up to 1.25 m tall. Large, up to 10 cm in diameter, flowers are pale pink, have a silvery sheen. Blooms until frost.
- Lavatera "Melange" - high, up to 90 cm in height, branched and strong. Flowers 6 to 9 cm, white, pink or red.
- Lavatera "Bride" - medium height, up to 70 cm, with white flowers.
- Lavatera "Tanagra" - undersized up to 50 cm, flowers are pink, small, up to 5 cm in diameter.
- Lavatera "Enchantress" - tall, up to 1 meter, flowers up to 6 cm, white, pink and crimson.
- Lavater "Ruby" - high, up to 1 m, flowers are large, up to 10 cm in diameter, ruby color, blooms all summer.
Lavatera three-month "Ruby"
Lavatera thuringian
L. thuringian or dog rose is a perennial plant with powerful stems, sometimes reaching 2 meters, with hard gray-green leaves. It usually blooms in all shades of pink. Petals strongly narrowed at the base, with gaps. The long-term lavatera is more capricious than the three-month-old lavatera, which is probably why they forgot about it a little. But recently, fashion has returned, and new varieties appear on sale, most often of foreign selection, more compact forms appear and the color gamut expands.
- Lavater "Barnsley" - a distinctive feature of the variety is that on one bush at the same time there are a large number of white and pink buds of various sizes.
- "Lailak Lady" - blooms with lilac flowers.
- "Ai Catcher" - bright pink flowers.
- "Bredon Springs" is a highly branched shrub with dense foliage up to 1.3 m in height. The flowers are pink-purple, with reddish veins. Requires shelter for the winter.
Lavatera Thuringian "Lailak Lady" 
Lavatera Thuringian "Bredon Springs"
Other types
Four more types of lavatera are grown, which are cultivated in open ground only in the south. In the conditions of the middle zone, these are rather greenhouse plants.
Tree-like or two-year-old can reach a height of up to two meters. They have large leaves up to 20 cm long and purple flowers with darker veins, they look like Chinese hibiscus flowers. The flowering of this plant is short, from July to August. Mostly grown in containers.
Primorskaya l. (bicolor) has lilac flowers in two shades.
Lavatera arborescens or biennial 
Lavatera seaside (bicolor)
The Cretan lavatera has lilac or purple flowers on pubescent stems.
Mauritanian l. - flowers are purple, stems - pubescent.
Lavater breeding
How to grow lavatera? It propagates by seeds, their germination, if properly stored, is good. In order to collect the seeds in time, after the boxes turn brown, pick one and lightly knead it with your fingers. If the seeds spill out easily, have a gray-brown color, they are already ripe. Shake them out of the boxes on paper, dry them in a dry, well-ventilated area. Seeds are stored in a paper or cloth bag.
Lavater seeds
They can be sown directly into the ground, or you can grow lavatera from seeds through seedlings, followed by picking. This is done when it is necessary to receive flowers as early as possible or in regions with a cool climate.
Sowing seeds in open ground
The seeds of a three-month-old lavator are sown directly into the ground in April-May, when warm weather sets in.
The soil is dug up, leveled, shallow grooves are made, watered with warm water. Seeds are sown, buried in the ground and covered with lutrasil. Sprouting shoots in warm sunny weather ventilate. When the shoots reach 5 cm, the covering material is removed, the seedlings are thinned out, leaving the plants at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other and lightly spud.
Be sure to water young plants. Give the first top dressing with liquid or water-soluble fertilizer a week after opening.
It is quite easy to grow a perennial lavater from seeds. They are sown in the ground in early spring. Shoots appear in a few weeks, when the soil warms up to 15 degrees. Growing seedlings are looked after, as well as seedlings of one-year-old lavater - they are watered, thinned and spud.
Seeds should be sown as infrequently as possible so that fewer young plants have to be removed. After thinning, sprouts will remain, they can be rooted if, before planting, pinch the root by 1/3.
Believe me, once having grown a flower, it is already impossible to stop. This process is not fast, rather complicated, but from this ...
Growing seedlings and caring for them
To determine when to plant lavatera for seedlings, you need to know when warm weather sets in in your area. If the plants are supposed to be planted in May, we will sow in March.
First you need to prepare the container. If you need a large number of seedlings, take shallow wooden boxes, in which the planks are tightly fitted to each other. When you need few seedlings, you can take shallow bowls. Put drainage at the bottom, fill in the soil and tamp it well. Tampering is necessary so that the seeds do not fail during irrigation, then they simply will not sprout. Pour 2-3 cm of sifted soil on top, spill the ground well with warm water. When the water is absorbed, sow the seeds as infrequently as possible and sprinkle them with earth. Install labels with the name of the variety.
Cover the boxes with glass or transparent film, find a warm, bright place for them. Maintain humidity, ventilate and remove condensation. When the seeds germinate, the glass or film can be removed.
When two pairs of true leaves appear, plant the seedlings in pots with a diameter of 5 cm, pinching the roots 1/3. Most likely, it will be required, otherwise the seedlings can stretch out and lie down. Water the newly planted plants a little every day, with overflow there is a danger of the appearance of a black leg - a specific disease of seedlings and young seedlings, leading to the death of the plant. After 10 days, feed with universal fertilizer diluted 2 times weaker than it is written in the instructions.
Transplanting seedlings into the ground
When warm weather is established at least 15 degrees, plant seedlings. Choose a location that is well lit throughout the day. Dig up the ground by adding organic fertilizers for digging, just do not overdo it, this plant does not like too rich soil. Level the ground, dig holes and water them abundantly. When the water is absorbed, plant the plants. Water daily for the first ten days.
seasonal care
Lavatera is a hardy plant, and if planting and caring for it at first seems difficult to someone, it will pay off with a beautiful long flowering. Lavatera grows on almost any soil, it is cold-resistant, withstands prolonged drought. True, if the summer is dry, watering is still necessary, infrequent, but plentiful.
She needs top dressing only a couple of times per season - at the beginning of the growing season, when she takes root in a permanent place, and during the budding period. Another top dressing will be required for those varieties of three-month-old lavatera that bloom until frost.
Large plants require support. Weeds must be weeded out, and the soil under young plants must be loosened. When the culture grows up, we stop loosening so as not to damage the roots. The question is often asked whether it is necessary to pinch the lavater. The answer is no. Lavater is not pinched. It is necessary to cut off the faded branches so that the flowering lasts a long and plentiful. Also, annual plants are cut after flowering.
As you can see, after the lavatera has taken root, growing and caring for it is a simple matter.
Diseases and pests
When planting Thuringian Lavater, keep in mind that it has a tendency to rust. It's hard to fight her. As a preventive measure, even before the start of budding, the plant can be treated twice with an interval of 2 weeks with a copper-containing preparation. If the disease still manifests itself, the affected parts or the entire plant must be removed from the site. Do not plant lavater on the infected area for several years.
This flower is threatened by the invasion of aphids - treat it with insecticides and fight anthills.
Other pests and diseases are rarely affected.
With the advent of spring, the trees are covered with leaves, green grass breaks through and the first flowers bloom. Summer residents…
Application in landscape design
Lavatera in the garden is always a welcome guest. It looks great as a tapeworm (single focal plant) and in group plantings. It is used when creating large and small landscape groups, mixborders, as a border and in solid plantings.
In parks, planted on a well-visible slope, these flowers from afar can seem like a ruby carpet, if the color is chosen accordingly. As a backstage, when it is necessary to separate one part of the garden from another, tall varieties will look great.
Any perennials and annuals of blue and purple color of the appropriate size - verbena, sage, can become a companion for lavatera. When planted together with roses, the flowers will set off the beauty of each other.
If you have a small plot, but you want to have plants of different colors, you can buy a Melange lavatera mix or a Podruzhka lavatera mix, made up of tall plants of different colors. Lavater flowers look great in bouquets.
We told you how to properly care for a beautiful lavater plant. As you can see, this is a simple matter. Just follow a few easy rules so that the plant that grows in your garden gives joy and lush flowering until the frost.
