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Category: General gardening topics

Lavatera should in fact be cut back fairly hard and respond well to hard pruning once a year, the best time is early to mid spring. Learn more now
Should You Cut Back Lavatera?

Should You Cut Back Lavatera?

The simple answer is, yes, you should. Unless you have plans of letting them grow wild, cutting back Lavatera (also known as mallows) is beneficial for the overall health of the plant and its appearance. Many people have asked me this question because they are worried that cutting back Lavatera would be detrimental. In the information presented in this article, you will discover why pruning Lavatera is advantageous and how you should do it. In general Lavatera, usually the shrubby…

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Growing lavatera baby barnsley and care guide
Growing Lavatera ‘Barnsley Baby’ and Care Guide

Growing Lavatera ‘Barnsley Baby’ and Care Guide

Lavatera Barnsley Baby is one of my favourite shrubs to grow in pots and containers as they don’t get too large. They are fairly low maintenance compared to their larger cousins, the Rosea and the Burgundy Wine and give one of the best shows of any shrub, flowering for longer than another other variety of shrubby Lavatera. What is there not to love! You would think that they take a lot of effort, but in reality, they are quite easy…

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How to grow Lavatera Mallow Bushes and Care Guide
How to grow Lavatera bushes (Mallows)

How to grow Lavatera bushes (Mallows)

Have you come across Lavatera bushes and their lovely blossoms in spring? If you have, it is difficult not to appreciate their understated beauty and abundant flowers and foliage. You can easily add these plants (which are available as shrubs, perennials and annuals depending on the variety) to your garden display because they don’t need much attention to thrive with the exception of a little pruning in spring and some mulch around the base in autumn. In this article, I…

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In this guide I talk about 5 reasons why your Lavatera is probably not flowering for overfeeding to incorrect of lack of pruning and more
5 Reasons Why Your Lavatera Might Not Flowering (Mallow)

5 Reasons Why Your Lavatera Might Not Flowering (Mallow)

You have heard the praises that Lavatera shrubs attract through their beautiful blooms and lush foliage. You go ahead and plant them but, what if they do not bloom as expected? You will find yourself asking “Why is my lavatera not flowering?” and without any information to go on, this can be a frustrating situation and one that is probably more common than you think. In general, Lavatera will flower with no issues but there are a few things to…

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In this guide i explain when and how to take Lavatera cuttings step by step. Ideally you need to take semi-hardwood cuttings in mid Summer. Learn more
How and When to Take Lavatera Cuttings

How and When to Take Lavatera Cuttings

One of the best ways to propagate Lavatera is by a method known as taking softwood cuttings. This is often done in the spring or early summer and is super easy to do, even for beginners. If you have never propagated Lavatera through cuttings, this is the perfect opportunity for you to try.  With the tips you will find below, you should have garden ready plants either this year if you take them early enough which is spring, or next…

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In this article I talk about the most common reasons why your sunflower leaves are curling from irrigation issues to pests.
Why are My Sunflowers Leaves Curling?

Why are My Sunflowers Leaves Curling?

Sunflowers are one of my favourite plants and I grow quite a few varieties and what I really like is that you can grow them without a lot of care. However, if you notice curling leaves on your sunflower leaves this usually means there is an issue. I have also noticed that ‘Why are my sunflower leaves curling?’ is a very common question I get asked, especially for those just getting into growing these amazing plants. The good news is,…

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After growing sunflowers for over 20 years here are 5 reason your sunflowers may be drooping and wilting and how to avoid it.
5 Reasons Why Your Sunflowers May Be Drooping and Wilting

5 Reasons Why Your Sunflowers May Be Drooping and Wilting

Sunflowers match their name due to their vibrant petals that are pleasing to the eye. When growing sunflowers, you have to monitor them often so that you can catch any issues before they escalate. However, what if your sunflowers have been doing well but you notice they are drooping? While there may be cause for concern, there is usually a reason for this and it can often be resolved in most cases. Below are some reasons that may be causing…

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How and when to Collect Sunflower Seeds Plus Some Tips To Keep The Squirrels and Birds off Them
How and when to Collect Sunflower Seeds

How and when to Collect Sunflower Seeds

One of my favourite plants to grow in the garden are sunflowers. As well as being enjoyable to grow, it is equally as enjoyable to harvest the thousands of seeds, these have many uses, from eating them yourself to feeding them to the birds over winter when they need them most. If you are growing sunflowers (whether for the seeds or just for fun), knowing when and how to collect sunflower seeds is well worth knowing. Timing is important so…

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If you are asking yourself why are my sunflower leaves turning yellow, this guide will help you identify the problem and how to fix it.
Why Are My Sunflowers Leaves Turning Yellow? – 4 Reasons

Why Are My Sunflowers Leaves Turning Yellow? – 4 Reasons

Sunflowers are one of the most breath-taking plants that are easy to grow. They are generally very easy to grow with very few issues to worry about. However, while these plants are typically low maintenance, they can get their fair share of issues, usually to do with the environment. It is easy to tell if your sunflowers are healthy just by looking at the leaves. Yellowing leaves at the wrong time indicates the plant may have some underlying issues that…

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Looking to grow sunflowers, learn how to grow sunflowers using my step by step from sowing seeds to planting out and harvesting seeds
How to Grow Sunflowers – The beginner’s guide

How to Grow Sunflowers – The beginner’s guide

We all love sunflowers for their large vibrant yellow flowers and the impressive size of some of the taller varieties. However, did you know they also come in colours like red, bronze and white? There are also lots of varieties that grow to different sizes from smaller varieties that only reach around 30cm to larger mammoth tall varieties that can reach over 300cm (3m). You can grow these versatile plants yourself and reap the benefits of their beauty and delicious…

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