What are the key maintenance and care points for Malva?

Malva belongs to the Malvaceae family and is a dicotyledonous plant. It is the birthday flower for July 3. Because Malva has certain ornamental value and also certain medicinal value, it is now often planted in courtyards. To care for Malva, attention must be paid to the following five points so that it can produce beautiful flowers.

Malva

1. Planting: It is best to do this before Qingming. Choose nutrient soil or leaf mold with a pH of 5.5-6.5. After potting, place it in a spot that receives half a day of sunlight; only then will the leaves be green and the flowers abundant. Otherwise, it will be very difficult for it to bloom.

2. Fertilizing: Because Malva blooms many times, it needs sufficient nutrients. From May it enters the growth period, and a fertilizer combining nitrogen and phosphorus should be applied 1-2 times. From June it blooms successively until October, and each month a phosphorus-based fertilizer should be applied as a top dressing 1-2 times to keep the flowers blooming continuously.

3. Watering: In the high-temperature season of midsummer, the potting soil should be on the dry side and avoid being wet, to prevent root rot. Sometimes it will drop leaves, and in the following spring it will grow new leaves again.

4. Pruning: At any time, cut off dead branches, diseased branches, weak branches, overly dense branches, and spent flowers and stems to improve ventilation and light penetration. For single-petaled varieties, long and leggy branches should also be shortened to encourage more side branches and more flowers.

5. Cold protection and warmth: After winter begins, it should be moved indoors promptly and placed in a sunny, warm spot. Keeping the indoor temperature at 3-5°C allows it to overwinter. The potting soil should be on the dry side and avoid being wet, to prevent root rot. Sometimes it will drop leaves, and in the following spring it will grow new leaves again.

Planting and care points for Malva, a courtyard flower

Key points for autumn care of courtyard flowers

Key points for autumn care of courtyard flowers

(1) Characteristics of autumn climate. According to traditional Chinese custom, around August 8 on the Gregorian calendar is the day of "Start of Autumn" in the Chinese lunar calendar. That is to say, from this day until before "Start of Winter" in early November is "autumn."

In East China, the average daily temperature in autumn is generally between 10-22°C, which is favorable for plant growth. But autumn is also a transitional season from summer to winter, with relatively large temperature changes. In early autumn, the maximum temperature is still above 30°C, and can even reach 35°C, while in late autumn, the minimum temperature can be below 0°C.

In this season, the warm, moist southeast wind from the Pacific Ocean will gradually be replaced by the cold, dry northwest wind from the northwestern plateau. When the northwest wind forms and bursts southward, the lower atmosphere is controlled by cold air, and the upper layer is controlled by subtropical airflow, forming clear, crisp autumn weather.

Autumn is also an important turning point in plant growth. Many herbaceous flowers have passed their flowering period, their seeds have matured, and their life cycle has ended, so seeds need to be collected and sown to prepare for the next life cycle. The growth of perennial flowers and trees begins to slow or stop, and some trees begin to shed leaves, about to enter dormancy to get through the cold winter. Another group of winter flowers that are dormant in summer, such as Cyclamen, Primula, and Zantedeschia, begin to wake up and enter a new vigorous growth period, so water and fertilizer must keep up.

(2) Daily management of autumn flowers

① Management methods: In autumn, for flower growers, in addition to continuing summer daily management such as watering and fertilizing, there are also many "special" things to do as the climate changes.

Early autumn: At this time, the high temperatures of summer have not completely receded. Especially the high temperature at noon is still a threat to flowers and trees. Therefore, the summer shade curtain should not be removed hastily. It is only necessary to open the curtain in the morning and evening for light and air, and shade is still needed the rest of the time. Some flowers should receive even more special attention.

For orchids, maintain a moist and cool environment. It is best to spray water 2-3 times a day, with the spray in mist form, until the leaf surface is moist. The balcony, ground, or sand bed should be sprinkled with more water to help lower the temperature and prevent the threat of the "autumn tiger."

For lotus grown in vats in summer, although its beautiful appearance is gone, sufficient water and light should still be ensured. Once the seed pods mature, they can be picked off to let the lotus rhizomes continue growing and ensure abundant flowering the following year.

For kumquat, an excellent winter ornamental fruit plant, when it opens its 3rd round of flowers, do not let rain directly fall on the flowers, to ensure fruit set.

The flower buds of rhododendrons are differentiating. Reduce watering and increase phosphorus fertilizer to ensure vigorous flowering next spring.

Cyclamen and mature Clivia can be repotted and have their soil changed to ensure the potting soil is loose and nutrients are sufficient, and to prevent blind flowers or stuck arrows.

Geranium, the pride of the balcony, after a summer of continuous growth and flowering, also needs repotting and soil changing, as well as branch cutting and shaping. Branch cutting means cutting off flowering branches, leaving only stubs about 10 cm high near the roots, to encourage new branches to sprout and keep the plant shape robust and beautiful. Within 1 week after cutting the branches, do not water or fertilize, to prevent infection of the cut.

Chrysanthemums should have their final pinching, and more top dressing should be applied until the flower buds differentiate.

Mid-autumn: At this time, sunlight gradually weakens, the heat has dissipated, and the temperature drops noticeably. Flowers and trees that were shaded in summer should gradually have their shading time reduced or the curtains removed.

As the temperature drops and sunlight weakens, the water and fertilizer consumption of ordinary flowers and trees also decreases accordingly. The frequency of watering can be changed from 2 times daily in summer to once every 1-2 days or once every 2-3 days, and the frequency of fertilizing can also be changed from 1-2 times per week to once every 1-2 weeks.

At the same time, special attention should also be paid to the following matters:

First, after Camellia buds appear, apply phosphorus fertilizer once to ensure bright flowers the following year.

Second, after Zantedeschia goes dormant, new leaves are just emerging, so watering must be done with special care. Do not pour water into the leaf sheaths, to prevent rot.

Third, for kumquat, the "New Year's excellent fruit," fertilize frequently. A mixture of decomposed soybean cake water and bone water or turtle stomach and intestines is best, ensuring sufficient water and fertilizer so that it bears abundant fruit.

Fourth, early September is the suitable time for artificial hybridization of dahlias, and artificial pollination should be carried out promptly.

Fifth, for stump bonsai such as Sageretia, elm, and hackberry, this is an important time for shaping and training. Leaves can be picked and branches bent and tied, and thin fertilizer applied to promote new leaves. After the leaves are uniform, prune again into a plate-like form.

Late autumn: Around October 8 is Cold Dew, and around October 24 is Frost's Descent. Sunshine gradually shortens, autumn colors are fully visible, and the average daily temperature is generally below 10°C. Once a cold wave arrives, the nighttime temperature can drop below 0°C, with frost or frost damage. At this time, be sure to pay attention to weather forecasts at all times and promptly do the work of moving flowers and trees indoors and protecting them from the cold.

In late autumn, it is necessary to grasp the timing for moving plants indoors. Move flowers and trees placed on balconies or in the open to indoor spaces to overwinter, commonly called "moving indoors." Whether the timing of moving indoors is accurate has a great bearing on whether flowers and trees overwinter safely. If moved indoors too early, the indoor temperature is too high; if moved indoors too late, the flowers and trees will suffer cold damage and may even freeze to death. Therefore, for flower growers, "moving indoors" is also a major matter and cannot be done carelessly. Moving indoors should be carried out in batches according to the different temperature requirements of different types of flowers and trees.

Tropical flowers and trees such as Aglaia odorata, Dracaena sanderiana, Brazil wood, Cordyline, and Croton, commonly called high-temperature-type flowers and trees, have the poorest cold resistance. Generally, when the normal temperature is below 10°C, they are prone to cold damage, ranging from leaf drop, flower drop, fruit drop, and damaged shoot tips to death in severe cases. Therefore, such flowers and trees are best sent to a greenhouse for foster care before winter arrives. If foster care is not possible, they should be moved indoors before the temperature falls below 10°C and placed in a warm, sunny spot. Open windows for ventilation at noon on sunny days. When a cold wave comes, use insulation measures such as double potting and plastic bag covering. In the coldest weather, heating measures are needed.

Carnations, Clivia, Asparagus fern, jasmine, and cacti, commonly called medium-temperature-type flowers and trees, are difficult to keep safe below 5°C. Therefore, when the nighttime minimum temperature is 5°C, they should be moved indoors. When the weather is too cold, bag protection is also needed.

Camellia, rhododendron, orchid, cycad, and banana shrub have relatively good cold resistance. If there is no frost or rain or snow, there is no need to move them indoors in a hurry. But if the low temperature is below 0°C, they should be moved indoors and placed in a south-facing room, where they can generally overwinter safely.

Five-needle pine, Buddhist pine, crabapple, and Chinese rose, commonly called low-temperature-type flowers and trees, have relatively good cold resistance and generally do not need to be moved indoors. They only need to be placed in a warm, sunny spot outdoors. Once severe frost or rain or snow occurs, temporary covering with straw curtains for protection is sufficient.

Management after flowers and trees are moved indoors is also very important. After they are moved indoors, water consumption decreases. Generally, small pots should be watered once a week, and larger pots once every 1-2 weeks. If the potting soil is not very dry, the watering interval can be extended further. Except for winter-blooming flowers and trees such as Strelitzia, Cyclamen, and Clivia, which need sufficient water and fertilizer and additional phosphorus fertilizer, autumn-sown herbaceous flowers that bloom in early spring the following year also need frequent fertilizer and sufficient water. For ordinary flowers and trees moved indoors to avoid the cold, it is only necessary to fertilize once every 1-2 months, or simply stop fertilizing, to avoid excessive fertilizer causing leggy growth and reducing cold resistance.

October is the best time to transplant or divide pots of Cymbidium goeringii. Orchid growers must not miss this opportunity. At this time, the growth of orchids is relatively weakened. During operation, if the flower buds are not damaged, flowering the following year will not be affected. To make division convenient, watering can be controlled several days before division to let the potting soil dry appropriately so that the roots turn white and become softer, making them less likely to break during transplanting or division. But do not let it become too dry; being too dry is also unfavorable for orchid growth.

② Autumn harvest and autumn sowing: Autumn is also the season for propagating seedlings. As the saying goes, spring flowers are sown in autumn. A large number of spring flowers such as cineraria, Cyclamen, pansy, and corn poppy need to be sown at this time, and seedling-stage management must be done well.

As the saying goes, good seed produces good seedlings, and sowing must begin with seed collection. How can the best seeds be collected? Generally speaking, during the full flowering period of flowers and trees, the climate is suitable and nutrients are sufficient, so the seeds produced will naturally be of better quality. Therefore, grasping the accurate seed collection time is the first rule. Of course, even among the same batch of seeds, there will be individual differences. For home flower growing, the amount of seed used will not be too large, so the method of selecting seed by seed can be used, keeping those seeds that are well developed, regular in shape, and plump and full.

According to the maturity time of different seeds, we can collect the following seeds separately in each season.

Seed collection: In early autumn, seeds that can be collected include peony, Portulaca grandiflora, Zinnia, iris, redbud, Spiraea cantoniensis, cypress vine, lily, mimosa, Centella asiatica, water lily, coreopsis, and lotus. In mid-autumn, seeds that can be collected include cypress vine, morning glory, Platycodon, Zinnia, Cleome, iris, petunia, peony, Malva, Amaranthus tricolor, Abelmoschus manihot, Emilia sonchifolia, strawflower, Catharanthus roseus, cockscomb, mimosa, Canna, Lilium pumilum, and Lychnis. In late autumn, seeds that can be collected include morning glory, Cosmos, okra, Hosta, marigold, Salvia splendens, four o'clock flower, Magnolia, Forsythia, wisteria, Weigela, camellia, crape myrtle, Cucurbita pepo, ornamental pepper, aster, Lycoris, torch lily, Japanese anemone, Sinojackia, Cornus officinalis, and goji.

Different seeds vary greatly in lifespan. Some need to be stored for a period and fully after-ripened before they can germinate, such as Sinojackia. Some need to be sown immediately after collection, otherwise their germination rate will decrease, such as peony and herbaceous peony seeds, which should be sown immediately after collection or stored in sand. For example, water lily seeds must be stored in water. Generally, after flower and tree seeds are collected and air-dried, they can be put separately into small paper bags or cloth bags and stored on top of cabinets or in drawers, then taken out and used when it is time to sow.   

Sowing: In early autumn, flowers and trees suitable for sowing include peony, Primula, cineraria, hollyhock, Dianthus, Calendula, pansy, daisy, snapdragon, campanula, stock, and wallflower. In mid-autumn, flowers and trees suitable for sowing include Hosta, Platycodon, aster, cornflower, Calendula, hollyhock, Malva, stock, petunia, snapdragon, Primula, Tropaeolum, verbena, pansy, cineraria, and Cyclamen. In late autumn, sowing of biennial herbaceous flowers should already be finished. A small number of perennial woody or bulbous flowers and trees, such as Cyclamen and Nandina, can be sown in pots.   

Autumn sowing can be divided into 2 methods: open-field sowing and indoor sowing. For strongly cold-resistant herbaceous flowers such as daisy, corn poppy, Calendula, and pansy, open-field sowing is generally suitable, and the method is the same as spring sowing. For flowers with poorer cold resistance such as Primula, Cyclamen, and Clivia, indoor sowing is used. Indoor sowing utensils can be a sowing box or sowing pot. A general-purpose sowing box is nailed together from wooden strips, about 10 cm high, and 40-60 cm long and wide. If there is a suitably sized packaging box at home, it can also be used as a substitute. A sowing pot is a clay pot with a mouth diameter of 30 cm, a height of 10 cm, and many round holes in the bottom (available at flower markets). The specific operation steps for sowing are as follows:

Step 1: First cover the round holes in the bottom of the pot with broken tile pieces, and spread a layer of broken tile granules at the bottom (break broken clay pots into bean-sized granules) or coal cinders and charcoal crumbs, 3-4 cm thick, to facilitate drainage.   

Step 2: Fill the upper part with sterilized culture soil (usually mixed from 3 parts humus soil, 1 part garden soil, and 1 part sand), filling to 1 cm from the pot rim, and gently pat flat with a pressing board.

Step 3: Evenly sow the seeds. The sowing method can depend on the size of the seeds. For tiny seeds such as Primula, mix in some culture soil, mix evenly, and scatter evenly; for larger seeds such as Clivia and Cyclamen, place them one by one at a spacing of 1-2 cm, pressing lightly as you place them so that half of each seed enters the soil and half is exposed, then use a fine sieve (at home, waste window screen can be used) to sift a layer of quartz sand over them to cover the seeds.

Step 4: Take an ordinary plastic basin, fill it with half a basin of water, put the sowing pot into the water, and let the water slowly seep into the pot from the bottom holes until the surface is entirely moist, then take it out. Place it in a ventilated, shaded spot on the balcony, cover with glass, and keep warm and moist. Be careful to turn the covering glass every day so that the water condensed on its surface evaporates, and leave a small gap to let the potting soil breathe. If the potting soil dries, spray a little water. After seedlings emerge, gradually remove the covering glass, then gradually move them to a spot with sufficient sunlight (note: gradually; do not place them directly under strong sun all at once, otherwise they will be scorched). According to the dryness and moisture of the potting soil, water promptly with a fine watering can. After the seedlings produce true leaves, use a fine bamboo stick to gently remove overly dense and poorly growing seedlings, leaving robust, uniform good seedlings. When the seedlings have produced 3-4 true leaves, they should be transplanted into pots.

Methods for disinfecting culture soil include a special drying oven. At home, sterilized bagged culture soil can be purchased; the soil can also be spread flat on concrete on a rooftop on a sunny day and exposed to the sun for 1-2 days; or put into an iron wok and stir-fried over high heat for half an hour; or sprayed with 0.5% potassium permanganate water, then tightly covered with plastic film for half a day, the plastic film removed, and used after 1 week. When sowing, to prevent dust from flying, a small amount of water can first be sprayed into the culture soil to make it slightly moist, but there must not be too much water, otherwise the soil will become sticky and difficult to work with.

Most herbaceous flower seeds do not need any treatment before sowing and can be sown directly. However, some seeds have thick, hard seed coats or a waxy layer, such as Cyclamen, and it is best to treat them before sowing to promote germination and sterilize them. The treatment method is soaking in water. For seeds with thicker seed coats, warm water can be used for soaking (water temperature about 60°C). The soaking time is generally 24 hours. After sowing, spray more water to keep them moist. In addition, for seeds with hard seed coats such as lotus, one end of the seed coat can be filed open with a file, then soaked. For seeds purchased from other places, in order to prevent diseases infecting the seeds from spreading locally, soak them in 0.5% potassium permanganate or 0.3% copper sulfate solution for 5 minutes, then take them out, rinse clean with clear water, and sow.

Some herbaceous flowers, such as Primula, Calceolaria, and cineraria, need transplanting after sowing. Some are not suitable for transplanting, such as corn poppy and California poppy. These flowers and trees have roots that are too fine and tender, and grow poorly after transplanting, so when the seedlings first produce true leaves, they must be put into small pots with a diameter of 13 cm. After they are a little larger, remove them from the pots and plant them in place, or use direct sowing.

(3) Autumn flower pest and disease control. In autumn, high temperature and dryness make it a season of high incidence for flower spot disease and powdery mildew.

Spot disease is caused by fungi and includes black spot, brown spot, and red spot, often occurring on leaves and fruits. In the early stage of disease, round spots of varying sizes appear on leaves or fruits, fading green and turning yellow, with a clear outline around the outer edge. Mold layers or small black granules often appear on the spots, and in the later stage the diseased part necroses.

Powdery mildew is also caused by powdery mildew fungi and mostly occurs on leaves, young fruits, and tender branches. The lesions are nearly round, with a thin layer of white powder appearing on them. In the later stage, many yellow-brown granules the size of needle heads are scattered on the white powder layer. Removing the white powder layer reveals yellow spots on the affected plant tissue. Chinese rose, dahlia, and others are prone to this disease.

The fundamental method for preventing and controlling the above diseases is to pay attention to hygiene, thoroughly eliminate sources of disease, and promptly clean up dead branches and fallen leaves inside and outside flower pots and on balconies and courtyards. If a large number of flowers are grown, 50% carbendazim wettable powder at 500-1,000 times dilution can be sprayed for disinfection. Those who grow herbaceous peony, peony, chrysanthemum, and carnation can also spray 120-160 times equal-strength Bordeaux mixture once every 10 days, which can prevent peony red spot disease, carnation leaf spot disease, and chrysanthemum brown spot disease.

In addition, applying more phosphorus and potassium fertilizer to flowers and trees to enhance disease resistance is also an effective method. At the same time, pests such as aphids, red spiders, and whiteflies are also likely to occur at this time, so plants should be checked one by one. Once found, carefully catch them by hand immediately. When the number is large, spray dimethoate and omethoate to kill them.

Before flowers and trees are moved indoors in late autumn, check them even more carefully pot by pot and branch by branch. If there are scale insect eggs on the branches or trunks, immediately scrape them clean with a bamboo slice. Aphids are relatively large and easy to find, while red spiders are extremely small and mostly on the undersides of leaves, so they are not easy to notice. Therefore, check the undersides of leaves plant by plant. If small white dots are found, immediately spray with a dimethoate preparation to kill them, or wash with tobacco infusion (soak about 20 cigarette butts in a bowl of water for 24 hours, then add some soapy water or laundry detergent and mix), and rinse clean with clear water after washing.

If fertilizer, water, and everything else are normal, but the plant seems to be growing poorly, one should suspect whether there are pests in the soil causing harm. The simplest and most effective way is to repot and inspect to see whether there are cutworms, ants, earthworms, etc. in the soil. If there are, remove them promptly. When repotting, mix some carbofuran into the soil (for a flower pot with a diameter of 20 cm, about one small plastic spoon is used), or use 2 tablets of "Baihualing" sold in stores, crush them, and mix into the soil, which also has a very good disinfecting and insect-killing effect.

What needs to be specially pointed out here is that in home flower growing, pests and diseases should be checked frequently, discovered early, and controlled promptly, using manual capture or water rinsing as much as possible. When pesticides must be used, non-toxic and low-toxicity pesticides should be used as much as possible, and spraying pesticides indoors is absolutely prohibited.

At this point, it should be specially noted that when growing flowers at home, you need to check frequently for pests and diseases, detect them early, and control them promptly, using manual capture or water washing as much as possible. When pesticides must be used, use non-toxic and low-toxicity pesticides as much as possible, and spraying pesticides indoors is absolutely prohibited.