Lavater (or, as it is often called by the people, Hatima) is a beautiful tall flower with which you can decorate your garden or courtyard. At the same time, caring for a lavater does not require much effort — it is even called a “flower for the lazy.” We will understand in more detail what kind of flower it is, what features of its cultivation exist and how it is useful.
Botanical description
Laureater Thuringian - This is a perennial herb from the genus Malvaceae. It has powerful stems up to 2 meters high. The leaves are pubescent, greyish-green, in shape can be rounded or heart-shaped. The flowers are pink, reach a diameter of 10 cm, five-leaf rim. Lavater has a large rhizome, which goes into the ground up to one and a half meters.
The flowering period of the Thuringian laureates - from July to autumn. Propagated by seed. Distributed in Ukraine, Siberia, the Caucasus, throughout Central and East Asia, Australia, North America and Europe.
Did you know? Lavater was named after the Lavater brothers, Swiss naturalist scientists from Zurich.
Popular varieties
Perennial laureate known to the world since the XVI century. This initially nondescript flower was paid attention to by breeders - interesting and even spectacular varieties appeared. One of the most popular:
- "Lilac Lady", the flowers of which have a lilac color and rarely located petals.
- "Ai Ketcher" with pink color, has a very attractive and delicate appearance.
- "Barnsley Baby"Perhaps the most sophisticated and gentle of the entire list of varieties. Petals barely covered with rozovinkoy.
- "Mystic Merlin" has flowers of bright purple shades. Such a laureate will delight the eye with its bright and bold beauty.
Landing features
In order for the plant to grow healthy and beautiful, as well as in order not to plant flowers too close or very rarely, you just need to adhere to some tips and rules.
If you want to plant a laureate using seedlings, then you need to focus on the end of April and the beginning of May.
Important! Depending on whether you live in a warm or cold climate, you may land sooner or later. Lavateru can be planted when the cold has completely receded.
Plot for perennial laureates
For planting it is best to choose a sunny area on which it will be possible to put supports and place the desired number of flowers at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other. The laureate will fit perfectly into the garden and into areas in front of the yard.
Soil for planting
Plant the plant in well-drained soil. It should be loose and light. Pre-soil is well fertilized with phosphate and potash fertilizers. Lavater after planting and establishing support needs care after it gets stronger in open ground - then it will be necessary to clear the soil of weeds and apply fertilizer again so that your beauties grow the same as in the photo on the Internet.
Breeding methods
As already mentioned, Lavater seed propagates. But when it comes to planting, there is a choice: to plant a laureate with direct sowing or to grow (and maybe buy) seedlings. Let us consider how and when to land a Thuringian lavert in both ways.
Neighbors in the flower bed laureate picked up in color, well combined with irises, sage, vervain, delphinium.
Seed (direct seeding)
Usually they begin to collect seeds with the onset of autumn. Then the boxes on the flowers change color to brown. To make sure that the seeds are ripe, you need to open one of the boxes and look at the color: if the seeds have a grayish-brown color, then you can start collecting.
The box must be carefully cut, the seeds must be dried and stored in a dry room in a paper or bag of linen.
Lavateru can be grown and seeds, on the same principle as the seedlings - when the cold has definitely gone (since the end of April), then it can be planted. If you are going to grow a laureate with seeds, then the area where the flowers will be planted should be fertilized. Fertilize with compost, humus, while adding nitrophoska (2 spoons per bucket of compost). 
Next, the ground should be leveled and make grooves about 1 cm in depth. The beds must be watered (it is important that the water was warm). Seeds fall asleep dry. Top beds are covered with garden soil mixed with humus. The last step is to cover the bed with foil.
The first shoots will appear in a week, and when they grow to 5 cm, the film can be removed. After the film has been removed, the ground must be carefully loosened.
Seedlings
First you need to get a box for seedlings and special soil. At the bottom of the box with a drainage tray, pour out the ground from above. The earth needs to be watered with warm water. Seeds levatery should be dry. They are immersed in the ground for about a centimeter.
Seedlings need to be put in a sunny place and cover with a film (can be glass). Periodically remove condensate. The soil should always be slightly damp. When the seeds germinate, remove the film.
It is very simple to care for seedlings - it is only necessary to water the soil periodically. To plants grow evenly, it is sometimes useful to turn the box. Timing is also important: if you want to plant the laureate in open ground in May, then the seedlings need to be prepared in March. 
Did you know? According to its chemical composition, lavater is suitable as food for cattle.
Peculiarities of care for the Thuringian laureate
Lavatera is absolutely unpretentious, so even a novice in gardening can cope with caring for her. It grows well in the sun and in the shade, tolerates cold and a long lack of moisture. But if you want the plant to be strong, then in the long absence of rain it is better to water the lavender. One watering a week this beauty will be enough.
Flowers Thuringian laureate high, so immediately after planting they require care. Make a support for the plant (see photo) so that the stems do not break. It does not take much time, but it will definitely benefit.
Before flowering it is useful to provide fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. Also, the soil should be periodically loosened. Do not forget to remove diseased leaves or flowers that have become limp after the rain.
Important! Instead of building a flower support, you can just drop it near the fence.
Diseases and pests
With all the simplicity of caring for the laureate, and this plant can get into trouble, although it happens very rarely. This is one of the few flowers that can become infected with rust. In this case, the leaves are covered with characteristic brownish spots.
If you notice such spots on the plant, then the affected leaves should be removed as soon as possible. If the infection is deep, then the plant is removed completely, and in its place for some time nothing can be planted.
Also, the laureate may suffer from the invasion of aphids. In this case, it is worth treating the plants with special preparations, for example, “Aktaroy” or “Biotlin”.
Useful composition and use of plants
In folk medicine, the laureate plays an important role. It contains a lot of vitamin C, and a decoction of the root helps with lung and cold diseases, as well as disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
Tincture from the root of the laureate treats various skin lesions. Dry leaves are used in the fight against rheumatism. Gather roots and leaves in different periods. It is believed that during the flowering in the leaves of the largest number of nutrients. And the roots are harvested in the fall.
Lavater - simple to care, a beautiful and useful plant. If you decide to plant it in your garden, you will not regret it for a minute, and if not, then you should think about it.
