# Mallow transplant question



## Elohi (Mar 24, 2014)

So I found a small mallow plant in a friends yard. She had weeded her yard and told me I could pick through her piles for the tortoises. So I did and picked a small mallow plant from her side yard. Most of the tap root is in tact so I really hoping to salvage it for a grow! I put it in a far of water, just the taproot submerged until I could figure out what I can do to save it. Ideas? Tips? Will putting it water keep it alive? Will it grow more roots? Should I quickly get it into soil?


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]





Oh and anyone know what this is?




Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]


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## Yvonne G (Mar 24, 2014)

The second plant looks like Angel's trumpet (Datura) - toxic.

I've never had luck transplanting weeds. You can try. It might help to dip the roots in vitamin B before planting, and while its trying to get over the shock of being transplanted, don't let it dry out completely. But not too wet either.

If you can ever find seeds of the mallow, they germinate readily and quickly.


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## Team Gomberg (Mar 24, 2014)

I transplant Mallow (along with other weeds) ALL the time! I live next to a large empty lot. Sometimes I see good stuff growing and just _have_ to move it into the tort pens 

I water the area where I want to put the weed first, then poke my finger as deep as I can into the dirt. It makes a deep impression and I put the weed roots into the hole then press all the dirt around it firmly and water again.

I have great success with this. In fact, I transplanted a large mallow the other day. A few hours after I transplanted it, the whole plant look withered but I left it alone. I just came inside from watering and saw that this same mallow has perked up and is doing great.


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## Elohi (Mar 24, 2014)

Yvonne G said:


> The second plant looks like Angel's trumpet (Datura) - toxic.
> 
> I've never had luck transplanting weeds. You can try. It might help to dip the roots in vitamin B before planting, and while its trying to get over the shock of being transplanted, don't let it dry out completely. But not too wet either.
> 
> If you can ever find seeds of the mallow, they germinate readily and quickly.



Thanks Yvonne, I'm going to start looking in the woods for some mallow. Hopefully I will spot some and I can keep track of it for when it goes to seed. 


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]




Team Gomberg said:


> I transplant Mallow (along with other weeds) ALL the time! I live next to a large empty lot. Sometimes I see good stuff growing and just _have_ to move it into the tort pens
> 
> I water the area where I want to put the weed first, then poke my finger as deep as I can into the dirt. It makes a deep impression and I put the weed roots into the hole then press all the dirt around it firmly and water again.
> 
> I have great success with this. In fact, I transplanted a large mallow the other day. A few hours after I transplanted it, the whole plant look withered but I left it alone. I just came inside from watering and saw that this same mallow has perked up and is doing great.



So will putting it in water just kill it? Lol. I'm going to prepare a pot of soil. Should I use peat? Organic garden mix? A combination of the two?


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]


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## Team Gomberg (Mar 24, 2014)

I've never put it in water so I have no clue what will happen.
???


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## N2TORTS (Mar 24, 2014)

Elohi ....have you herd of "Rockwool" ? It is a "SUPER" medium for rooting cuttings , retains water - neutral PH , and plenty of O2 room for new roots to grow. Can be obtained at most Hydroponic stores. Comes in cubes 1" , 4" and even larger " mat type" . Give it shot....
Very easy to use and once cutting has established , you just bury the whole thing down into your new medium/area.

J~


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## Saleama (Mar 24, 2014)

Here is the links to the items I just ordered. Go to the middle where it shows frequently purchased together.... I might not be able to plant many of these where I live now but I plan on planting a bunch of it when I get to my forever home, lol.


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006RV7G94/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/MAURITANIA/?tag=exoticpetnetw-20


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## Elohi (Mar 24, 2014)

Mallow is such a pretty weed!!! Thanks for think links! I am going to order some. 


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]


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## Saleama (Mar 24, 2014)

Elohi said:


> Mallow is such a pretty weed!!! Thanks for think links! I am going to order some.
> 
> 
> ElohiðŸŒŽ(Earth)[TURTLE]



I ordered this afternoon and should have them by the weekend for planting. The Russians need to get out of my living room. The poor guys are so couped up. These seeds will grow their grazing food in their garden.


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## Elohi (Mar 24, 2014)

These look pretty enough for the landscaping in my front yard. Will they take over? LOL. Not if I'm trimming leaves and picking flowers for the babies! Haha!


Elohi(Earth)[TURTLE]


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## Yvonne G (Mar 24, 2014)

The weed "mallow" (malva neglecta) is not the same as the landscape plant "mallow" or malva sylvestris. Same family, but neglecta truly is a weed.




Elohi said:


> I put it in a far of water, just the taproot submerged until I could figure out what I can do to save it. Ideas? Tips? Will putting it water keep it alive? Will it grow more roots? Should I quickly get it into soil?



The quicker you can get it into some sort of planting medium, the better. When you keep plants' roots in water, they roots get used to the ease of pulling up the nutrients, then you plant it in soil and its hard for the roots to acclimate to getting the nutrients from the soil.


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## Dorrie Siu (Mar 24, 2014)

Elohi said:


> These look pretty enough for the landscaping in my front yard. Will they take over? LOL. Not if I'm trimming leaves and picking flowers for the babies! Haha!
> 
> 
> ElohiðŸŒŽ(Earth)[TURTLE]



Yes, they take over. Before I had Dorrie, I was trying so hard to get rid of it, it covered maybe 75% of my yard.


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## Tom (Mar 24, 2014)

Elohi said:



> These look pretty enough for the landscaping in my front yard. Will they take over? LOL. Not if I'm trimming leaves and picking flowers for the babies! Haha!
> 
> 
> ElohiðŸŒŽ(Earth)[TURTLE]



I like it too. The leaves remind me of nasturtiums. Mallow has been a mainstay of my tortoise's diets for about 5 months of the year every year for a long time. It doesn't like the hot weather, but it grows great all winter long here as long as we get some rain. I can still get it to grow a little with sprinklers, but it really likes the rain. I haven't had any trouble getting it to spread. I let some go to seed every year then I rip the whole plant up in late spring and take it over to where I want the new patch to grow and shake it all up. Then I just drop it there and leave it alone all summer and fall. The next winter when the rains and cold weather come back it sprouts and takes hold. I love the stuff!


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## Star-of-India (Mar 24, 2014)

I've spent the last 15 years trying to rid my yard of mallows and now I'm going start to encourage them, what irony!


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## ascott (Mar 24, 2014)

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SPAM2

This is native to our desert here....it loves dry with a touch of water/moisture once or twice a month or less....it will likely do well where you are ....and again, loves the heat/dry.


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## Tom (Mar 24, 2014)

ascott said:


> http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SPAM2
> 
> This is native to our desert here....it loves dry with a touch of water/moisture once or twice a month or less....it will likely do well where you are ....and again, loves the heat/dry.



You are still gonna save me some seeds this year, right?


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## Jacqui (Mar 25, 2014)

Tom said:


> You are still gonna save me some seeds this year, right?



Nope! It's mine all mine!! *rubs hands evilly*


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## Yvonne G (Mar 25, 2014)

Elohi said:


> These look pretty enough for the landscaping in my front yard. Will they take over? LOL. Not if I'm trimming leaves and picking flowers for the babies! Haha!
> 
> 
> ElohiðŸŒŽ(Earth)[TURTLE]



The malva sylvestris is a bush and doesn't self propagate, however, the malva neglecta is a weed with many, many seed pods and inside each pod are hundreds of seeds. These spread over your whole property in just a season.


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## TigsMom (Mar 25, 2014)

Elohi - Thank you for posting the question! And thank you to everyone who answered. I found some Mallow growing today when I visited some friends at a campground. I dug them up and brought them home to give transplanting them a try. If they make it, I'll be thrilled, but if they don't they already have seed pods on them so I'll be collecting seed and seeding the enclosures and a flower pot or two as well. 

Hopefully, I'll find some more since most are probably going to seed with the heat we've been having. Great time to take the quad out and go seed hunting.


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## ascott (Mar 25, 2014)

> You are still gonna save me some seeds this year, right?



Yes, of course...




> Nope! It's mine all mine!! *rubs hands evilly*



Well, I am not certain of where exactly "A land far away" is....but if you believe they will do well there, or even if you simply want to try, I will be happy to gather some for you as well


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## TigsMom (Mar 25, 2014)

I found a really interesting write up on some medical uses for Mallow. I thinking these will be great in the enclosures and flower pots for even more than feeding to to the tortoises. I didn't know they were so much like Aloe in treating different ailments and injuries.

Here's the link to the article in case you're interested in all the uses:
http://www.survivalplantsmemorycourse.com/2012/06/malva-neglecta-common-mallow-spare-tire/


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## verda (Jul 21, 2014)

Ever since I got my tortoise, seems like I am always ordering something. And don't know if that's a bad or good thing but I sure do enjoy it.


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## taza (May 16, 2015)

How did everyone do last summer tansplanting Mallow?


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