Stock rose: growing from seeds, when to plant, watering features, advice from experienced gardeners

Popular varieties for growing from seeds

Summer residents love the stock rose for its ease of care, bright and large flowers, and ability to bloom lushly throughout the summer.
Varieties of annual mallow grow compact in size, so they do not need support. Their foliage is more lush, the plants suffer less from rust and look great in flowerpots. Having planted such a stock rose in a container, you can move it to another corner of the garden at any time, changing the overall design of the area.

Biennial varieties form only a rosette of leaves in the first summer. Flowering occurs in the second year. So that it does not disappoint, it is necessary to prepare the rose stock for wintering.

This plant is valued for its large size and is often planted along an unsightly fence or walls of country houses to decorate them.

We present to you popular varieties of annual and biennial stock roses: Charovnitsa. An annual mallow up to 80 cm high with double flowers 10 cm in diameter. A flowering specimen is very similar to a blossoming peony bush with large clusters of inflorescences. The petals are colored yellow. A wonderful background plant. Suitable for cutting. Royal white. A compact annual, the maximum height of which is about 50 cm. Terry delicate flowers in full bloom have a diameter of 9 cm. Plants with different petal colors have also been bred: yellow, purple and lilac. The variety is distinguished by lush flowering and a delightful aroma. Summer carnival. A popular plant up to 1.5 m high with large double flowers with a diameter of 14 cm. The raceme inflorescences almost completely cover the powerful stems. Used for decorating fences, buildings, in mixborders, for cutting. When sown through seedlings, it blooms in the first year. Black vortex. These are popular garden giants, the plant height of which is 160 cm. The rose stock delights with its flowering from the beginning of summer until frost. The double flowers are large - 13 cm in diameter, black in color. Used for group plantings, decorative hedges, suitable for cutting. Can overwinter in the ground under light cover. Antwerp. The hollyhock grows in the form of a bush with straight, unbranched stems up to 1.5 m high. The flowers have a diameter of 10 cm, collected in spike-shaped inflorescences. Petals can be of various colors. The plant is well suited for the background in group plantings and is often planted along a hedge. For a bouquet, flower stalks are cut at the bud stage. Fairytale necklace. Tall giant. The height of the bush reaches 2 m. The flowers are bright, with a contrasting edging, which is why they got their name. The diameter of the blossoming buds is 6-8 cm, they are collected in long brushes. The hollyhock blooms profusely all summer, extending into September. The plant is grown for cutting and decorating the site. Zebrina. The stems of the mallow are erect, growing up to 1-1.2 m. The flowers, 4 cm in diameter, are collected in lush racemes and have a bright, striped color (violet strokes stand out against a purple background). The plant is used in mixborders and for decorating hedges and walls. Beautiful girl. Decorative stock rose up to 2 m high. Blooms profusely with densely double flowers 10-12 cm in diameter. The buds have a rich red color, are collected in brushes, the leaves are pubescent. The plant is often used in landscape design and used for cutting. Fiesta time. A tall plant with spectacular double flowers with a diameter of 10-12 cm. Requires planting in a sunny place, in such conditions it pleases with abundant and long-lasting flowering. The color of the petals is two-tone, smoothly transitioning from a bright cherry shade to pink. Can be used for cutting.

Majorette. Miniature mallow with early flowering. In the second year it blooms more profusely. The height of the plant is only 60-80 cm. The flowers are semi-double, of a wide variety of colors. Requires shelter for the winter.

Try planting one of the listed varieties on your site, if you have not already done so. Perhaps it will become your favorite for many years.

Varieties

What kind of stock-rose can it be? Growing different varieties requires compliance with certain conditions. The most widespread are forest mallow, musk mallow, Moorish mallow, and pink mallow. Many hybrid varieties have been bred from these species. Most often found in garden plots are Royal, One Year Old, Terry, Violet, Margarita, Majorette, Lyubava.

Let's look at some of the given varieties in more detail:

1. Annual stock rose. Growing this variety from seeds allows you to achieve remarkable results. The height of the plant can reach 80 cm. The flowers are double or five-petaled. The inflorescence can reach 10 cm in diameter. Roses exude a pleasant, subtle aroma. Flowering begins in mid-June and continues until the end of August. Roses of this variety can be planted in flower beds and flower beds.
2. Royal stock rose. An annual plant reaching a height of 50 cm. The flowers have an unusual double shape. The edges of the petals are slightly indented. The diameter of the inflorescences can reach 10 cm. The royal stock rose blooms from July to early September. It is perfect for decorating flower beds and balconies.
3. Stock rose Carnival. Biennial plant. The stems can reach 1.5 meters in height. The variety is drought-resistant and light-loving. The flowers are bright, densely double, collected in inflorescences. Color may vary. The leaves are fleecy, rough, with jagged edges. It is recommended to cut flowers before the buds open. The Carnival hollyhock blooms from July to September.

Features of growing stock roses from seedlings

To get strong mallow seedlings, you need to choose the right soil and container for planting, prepare the seeds, and provide the seedlings with the necessary care. After planting in the ground, the plant will get stronger and will require a minimum of attention in the future.

Read more in the article: Lobelia - growing from seeds, when to plant seedlings

Selection of soil and container

The hollyhock likes structured, fertile soil. You can create a suitable soil yourself. To do this you should take:

• 2 tsp compost;
• 1 tsp turf soil;
• 1 tsp river sand.

Before planting, the soil mixture is fertilized with a complex mineral fertilizer containing macro- and microelements. Then the soil must be poured with boiling water with the addition of several crystals of potassium permanganate, this is necessary for disinfection. Once the soil has cooled, it is ready for sowing.

During the process of growth, the mallow forms a tap root, which is easily damaged during the transplanting process. Therefore, it is recommended to immediately sow in separate containers.

It is best to plant rose stem seeds in peat pots, but plastic glasses or pots with a volume of 250-300 ml will also work. The container is filled with earth, not reaching the edge a few cm. Then the soil is slightly moistened before sowing.

On a note! Peat pots are good because the seedlings do not require additional fertilization and planting in the ground will not damage the root system.

Seed preparation and sowing

The best germination rate is for mallow seeds that are 1.5-2 years old. By this time, their shell will become quite hard. To help the seeds germinate, soak for 12 hours in warm water. This will help awaken the seed and soften the shell. The seeds can be soaked overnight and sowed in the morning.

It is better to place 2 seeds in each pot, in case one of them does not hatch. In the event that two seedlings appear, one of them is thrown away or transplanted into a separate pot. Sowing should be done to a depth of 2 cm. After this, the containers are covered with film and kept at room temperature until germination.

Read more in the article: Asters - growing from seeds, when to plant

Seedling care

Sprouts appear above the soil surface after 2 weeks. During this time, the shelter must be removed briefly every day for ventilation. Stock rose seedlings do not have any special care requirements. The main thing is that the plants have enough light.

In February and March, daylight hours are too short. Therefore, at first it is recommended to install lighting for seedlings. This could be a fluorescent lamp or an LED lamp. The best option would be to use a special phytolamp.

Mallow seedlings do well at room temperature. Watering is carried out as needed; there are no special requirements for the frequency of moistening and the amount of water.

The crop does not require fertilization. Transplantation into open ground is carried out without destroying the earthen coma due to the fact that mallow does not tolerate the slightest damage to the spindle-shaped root, because it is this root that bears the main function of feeding the plant.

A week before planting in the ground, the seedlings begin to be briefly taken out into the fresh air, this will facilitate the plant’s subsequent adaptation.

On a note! In a 5-centimeter rose seedling, the root can reach a length of 30 cm.

Description of the plant

Rose stock is an annual or perennial (depending on the species) plant with an ascending, recumbent or straight stem. The trunk becomes slightly pubescent at the beginning of growth and becomes bare a little later. The flower can reach a height of 250 cm. The leaves have a rounded heart-shaped shape. Flowers are located in the axils of the leaves. There can be from one to five. The diameter of the flower can reach 15 cm.

As for the color, it can be almost any: red, white, yellow, crimson, purple, lilac, violet. Some plant species produce spike-shaped and racemose inflorescences. The crop under discussion blooms for a long time: from mid-June until the first frost. Let's take a closer look at what a rose stock is. Growing from seeds, when to plant in open ground, caring for the plant - these and other issues will be covered further.

When to plant in open ground

Places with high groundwater levels and lowlands where moisture accumulates are not suitable for planting mallow. Since these are quite tall plants, it is better to plant them near a fence or near the walls of a house. With this planting, the stock roses will receive protection from the wind and support. The site should be sunny; in the shade the plant blooms reluctantly.

• In most regions, stock roses are planted in a flower bed in May.
• In Siberia and the Urals, it is better to postpone the event until the second ten days of June.

The main thing is that by the time the seedlings are planted, the threat of frost has completely disappeared. Terry varieties are characterized by less resistance to frost and other unfavorable conditions. Places for planting them should be chosen especially carefully, otherwise lush flowering will not happen.

Growing and care

After planting, adequate care for perennial stem roses is necessary. Stockrose leaves initially develop and form a round, low rosette.

Then a thick, rough stem appears. Some stems reach a height of 3 meters. Gradually they are densely covered with heart-shaped leaves. The diameter of mallow flowers is 4-5 cm. The flowers are located in the upper part of the stem, on short stems in the axils of the leaves. The most beautiful and abundant flowers appear in the second year after planting.

Growing mallow is not difficult. Flowers are located on short stalks. To protect the shoots from breaking, you can tie them with a flexible garden cord. To protect from the wind, it is worth planting mallow under a fence or walls. It is necessary to take into account the significant height of the stockrose - it can cast a shadow on other plants.

A special case is the black mallow, whose flowers are not visible from a distance. It is better for her to find an exceptionally open place next to a road or path from where she can admire the flowers up close.

During the first, non-blooming year, stockroses should be protected from weeds by covering the soil around with bark and regularly caring for the plant. Weeds compete for water and nutrients, affecting the health of flowers.

Watering

When growing mallow, care must be taken to optimally moisten the soil. If the soil is too dry, the flower may be infected with a disease called rust. Rust spores appear on the underside of the leaf, and light spots on the top. If fungicide treatment is not applied in time, the plant may die.

During droughts in hot summers, daily watering may be necessary. On hot summer days, you need to water the hollyhock early in the morning and in the evening.

It is recommended to test the soil moisture: if the top layer has dried to a depth of 1-2 cm, it’s time to take out the watering can.

Over-wetting the soil is also dangerous. If the soil is too wet, the stock can rot and fungal diseases can develop. The key to success lies not only in the amount of water, but also in the method of watering. Mallow should not be sprayed or watered from above - this can damage large flowers and contribute to the development of fungal diseases. Water should be poured directly under the root system of the plant, avoiding splashing the leaves, ideally in the morning.

Avoid watering hollyhocks during the midday heat. Every drop of water on a leaf turns into a lens, causing devastating burns.

Stockrose is watered more often in the first year after planting. In subsequent years, you can water the flower only when the surface of the soil is dry.

Fertilizer and feeding

It is recommended to apply fertilizer, especially if the mallow is growing in a poor substrate or pot.

Fertilizers are applied twice:

1. the first dose of compost or liquid multicomponent fertilizer should be applied in the spring;
2. the next one - during the flowering period.

Some sources recommend fertilizing every 2-4 weeks.

Removing faded inflorescences

Good caring for mallow involves the need to systematically remove faded flowers along with the shoots. Thanks to this, the flower releases new buds, the life of the plant increases to 4-5 years. Only the shoots from which it is planned to collect seeds are left.

On a note! Stockroses easily cross-pollinate with each other. Therefore, when growing a plant from seeds, it is difficult to obtain the expected color of the flowers.

Care in autumn, wintering

Mallows are resistant to frost, but it is better to cover young plants for the winter with mulch, leaves or agrofibre. Pink holly tolerates winter well, so there is no need to cover it in the fall.

Collecting seeds

When summer ends, fruits with seeds appear at the bottom of the stem. After the fruits ripen, the stem must be cut off at the base. This will allow the plant to focus its energy on preparing for winter. Thanks to this operation, the plant will be able to bloom profusely next year.

Transfer

Stockrose can grow in one place for 3-4 years. At the end of its “life,” the seeds are collected and sown in a new place. Replanting mallow is undesirable; the plant is sensitive to injuries to the root system. Replanting is safe only for very young plants.

Reproduction

The great advantage of mallow is its ability to self-sow. Under favorable conditions, old plants naturally die, and new ones appear in the flowerbed. If there are too many seedlings, they grow chaotically, interfering with each other, it is worth removing the weaker plants.

A gardener who values ​​control over landscape composition may want to plant new flowers to suit his tastes. To do this, seeds collected from faded inflorescences at the end of September are sown in a prepared place - directly on a flowerbed, in soil dug up with compost.

Sowing is also possible in pots. The seeds germinate in 2-3 weeks, but the stockrose will bloom only in the next calendar year.

Further flower care

The hollyhock grows well with minimal care. To make her feel comfortable, you will need to do the following from time to time:

• watering;
• feeding;
• loosening;
• weeding.

Tall varieties need to be tied to a support. Plants planted along the fence can be tied directly to it. A long peg is driven into the flowerbed next to the bush.

It is necessary to water the mallow, avoiding waterlogging of the soil. In warm weather this is done once a week, in hot weather - more often. In rainy weather, watering is stopped altogether. If there is excess moisture, mallow can become susceptible to fungal diseases and rot.

The crop is fed throughout the growing season, applying complex fertilizer once a month.

To prevent diseases in the spring, mallow is sprayed with 1% Bordeaux mixture. For the same purpose, you can use a solution of laundry soap. If an outbreak of fungal diseases does occur, it is necessary to tear off the diseased leaves and treat the plants with a fungicide. In case of massive damage, it is recommended to destroy the plantings and plant mallow in this place no earlier than after 3 years.

The rose holly is often attacked by slugs. You can get rid of shellfish by placing low cans of beer at different ends of the area. Slugs love an intoxicating drink and will definitely crawl towards the traps.

Not all varieties of mallow have high winter hardiness. Most of them require shelter for the winter.

At the end of September, the plants are pruned at a height of 30-40 cm. Before frost arrives, the stumps are covered with dry leaves, mown grass or agrofibre. You can add dry peat under the root. Even a light cover is enough for the holly rose. The main thing is that its roots are protected from freezing. After proper wintering, the mallow will be ready to bloom in June.

Choosing a place to plant stockrose

Although stockroses are unpretentious flowers, there are several conditions that must be met in order for the flowering to be abundant and long, and the flowers to be bright and large:

• the place where it is planned to plant stockrose should be sunny (light partial shade is allowed), protected from drafts;
• the plant does not tolerate waterlogged soils and proximity to groundwater. This leads to rotting of the roots and death of the plant;
• Stockrose should not be planted in heavy clay soil. The best option is fertile, light, well-drained soil with the addition of sand;
• You need to take precautions when feeding. Oversaturation with fertilizers leads to rapid growth, large leaves, but weak flowering.

Growing stock roses in open ground

Before planting mallow seeds in the ground, the area needs to be prepared. Dig up the soil and remove all weeds. If the soil is clayey, add river sand, humus and humus. Add rotted manure, clay and peat to sandy soil.

Rose stock grows best in loose, fertile soil. It is planted immediately in a permanent place, so take the choice of site seriously, especially when planting perennial varieties.

To improve seed germination, soak them in water for 12 hours. The seed coat will soften and seedlings will appear faster.

Tall varieties are planted at a distance of 55-60 cm from each other; for a compact holly rose, the interval can be reduced. The holes should be 3 cm deep. Seeds are laid out in them, sprinkled with soil and moistened.

During the initial stages of mallow growth, the soil must be kept moderately moist. To keep moisture in the ground, it is recommended to cover the crops with lutrasil. The emergence of seedlings should be expected in about 20 days. Then you can remove the cover.

On a note! To sow hollyhock directly into the ground, choose a spring or autumn planting time. In the spring, the seeds are sown at the end of May, and in the fall - in September before the arrival of frost. When planting in autumn, the flower bed is mulched with peat or straw for the winter.

How to care for seedlings?

Let's look at this in more detail. Caring for the stock rose comes down to regular watering, ventilation and hardening. The film should be removed after the first shoots appear. It is not recommended to remove it immediately. First, the film is removed for 10 minutes a day, then for a longer period of time, and so on until it is completely removed.

If the seedlings become too elongated or pale, they need to be provided with additional lighting with a phytolamp. When 3 leaves appear on the sprout, it is worth performing the hardening procedure. To do this, pots of seedlings must be placed on the veranda or balcony. It is not recommended to pick rose hollyhocks. If this procedure cannot be avoided, the plant must be replanted along with a lump of earth.

Propagation and collection of seeds

Mallow is propagated in two ways: cuttings and seeds.

Cuttings help to guarantee the preservation of the qualities of the mother plant, which is impossible with the seed method of propagating hybrids. In this case, the doubleness of flowers is especially often lost.

• Cuttings are obtained by cutting the stem into pieces 10-12 cm long. The work must be done with a sterile instrument, and the sections themselves are treated with an antifungal drug.
• The cuttings are rooted in a greenhouse, ventilating the plantings daily. The soil is moistened with small portions of water, avoiding waterlogging. The appearance of new shoots will indicate successful rooting.

Seeds are harvested when at least part of the seed pods turns brown.

• The peduncle is cut off and placed indoors for storage so that the remaining boxes also ripen.
• You can collect seed material gradually, cutting off only darkened and yellow boxes from the stems. Collect seeds from the strongest and healthiest plants.

After full ripening, the boxes begin to open. The collected seeds are dried (but not in the sun) and stored at room temperature in paper envelopes or fabric bags. When properly stored, mallow seed material remains viable for up to 3 years.

On a note! If several varieties of hollyhocks grow on a site at once, they can easily cross-pollinate with each other. To ensure that the varietal properties are preserved, propagate mallow from cuttings.

Diseases and pests

Rust

Mallow often suffers from rust (Puccinia malvacearum), which can destroy all plants. This is an infection of fungal origin. Initial symptoms are small whitish warts on the stem and undersides of leaves, which eventually turn brown and yellow and red spots appear on the leaves. The leaves turn brown and die.

If signs of rust appear, the leaves should be removed and burned immediately. Plants are sprayed with the following preparations: Saprol, Dithane Neotec 75 WG, Score 250 EC or Baymat AE.

Unfortunately, rust is lethal to plants, and its spores can break through and attack new growth the following year. The only salvation is preventive spraying, which prevents the appearance of rust. It is better not to wait for the disease to appear and from the beginning of May, spray the plants with the fungicides described above every 2 weeks. A total of 4 treatments are carried out.

Avoid overwatering plants and spraying leaves with water.

Pests

Stockrose can become a victim of snails that love large, juicy leaves, and in the first year of plant growth it can be completely destroyed. Snails can be removed by hand or using products available at garden centers.

The plant can be damaged by the flea beetle (Podagrica fuscicornis). When it appears, they are treated with a pesticide, for example, Karate.

Application in landscape design

The hollyhock rose is a real find for creating a rustic garden. Given the wide color variety of the crop, you can create original multi-level flower beds from just hollyhocks or combine them with other plants.

Tall hollyhock roses are indispensable when you need to hide an old fence or unsightly walls of buildings.

These flowers are often used to delimit a large area with low-growing plantings. Group plantings of hollyhocks create a lush and bright clearing that can become the accent of a garden plot. The unpretentiousness of these plants makes them welcome guests at any dacha.

• To emphasize the splendor of the stock rose, it is often planted together with golden balls, phlox, delphinium, and monarda.
• Mallow flowers of a delicate shade go well with wild herbs.
• When planting a stock rose in the background, smaller cosmos and lupine are planted in front of it. The foreground can be filled with bells, calendula, and aquilegia.

Tips for gardeners

When growing various subspecies of annual, double or royal roses in the garden, you should pay attention to the advice of more experienced gardeners. Useful recommendations will help you achieve earlier and more abundant flowering of mallow, keep seedlings and bushes healthy, and give the plant a more decorative appearance.

• It is advisable to use tall varieties for vertical decoration of garden gazebos, hedges, fences, and mixborders. If you plant a stem rose in the foreground or in the center of the flowerbed, it will hide the rest of the flowers from view.
• Annual varieties of mallow should be sown in peat pots, greenhouses or greenhouses. After the seedlings have emerged and strengthened, they can already be transplanted into flower beds. Biennial and perennial hybrids should be sown immediately in open ground.
• If you plant the bushes in the shade, they will grow, but the color of the flowers will be pale, and they themselves will become shredded and unattractive.
• By planting several varieties with different colors next to each other in a garden bed, you can get new specimens with an unusual color, since the rose stem is capable of cross-pollination.
• The first feeding should be done after planting the seedlings in the garden bed, the second - in mid-August. The plant responds best to universal complex or phosphorus-potassium fertilizers.
• For further propagation of mallow, you can collect its seeds yourself. The fruits are picked after they turn yellow. The boxes should be collected from mid-summer until frost. Germination lasts 3 years.
• To prevent the perennial from freezing in winter, the broken stems at the base are mulched with humus and sawdust, and young plantings are covered with spruce branches.