Lavatera Care

Planting

• Plant lavateras in a location that receives full sun during the day. If you grow lavatera from seed, be sure to sprinkle them thinly, since you will need to space them out later. According to the book "Care Free Plants," lavatera is very sensitive to transplanting, so you're most likely to have success if you grow from seed. Sow the seeds about two weeks before the first expected frost, and lightly cover the seeds with soil. You can also start seeds indoors in peat pots, but be sure to carefully transplant them outdoors after about three to four weeks.

Soil and Watering

• Lavatera requires moist, well-drained soil. If your soil contains large amounts of clay, be sure to incorporate plenty of organic matter before planting. Soil pH should be close to neutral, which is a pH of 7. If you plant lavatera in pots, be sure they receive enough drainage. Lavatera is sensitive to over-watering, so allow the soil to dry out in between waterings for best results. "Care Free Plants" also recommends applying a water-soluble, all-purpose fertilizer in midsummer to encourage new blooms.

Pruning

• To encourage new shoots and enhance the appearance of branches, you can prune tree mallow shoots, but shrub varieties don't usually need to be pruned. Botany.com recommends pruning lavatera trees in March by cutting back shoots from the past summer to about 8 or 9 inches. Branches that are damaged by frost should also be cut back. During the flowering stages, clip off faded blooms about once a week to encourage new growth.

Common Problems

• Lavatera is sensitive to humid weather and wet soil conditions, which can cause fungal leaf spots. If a problem develops, simply remove the affected leaves. Aside from its sensitivity to wet conditions, lavatera suffers from few diseases. However, Japanese beetles can also cause problems by chewing plant leaves. Remove the beetles from plant leaves early in the morning if possible, or use a neem-based insecticide that is suitable for lavatera plants to eliminate the problem.