| Life form | Grassy, bush |
| Family | Malvaceae |
| Origin and distribution | Southeast Asia, Australia, Africa |
| Ease of cultivation | Lung |
| The size | Up to 1 m at home, up to 2 m in nature. |
| Growth rate | Very high |
| Lifespan | Many years |
| Temperature | In the summer: it is optimum + 64,4-71,6 ° F, in winter it is desirable 57,2-60,8 ° F. In winter, in order to ensure flowering, a low temperature is desirable. |
| Humidity | The plant prefers high humidity, needs daily sprinkling with soft water. Due to insufficient humidity, buds may fall off. |
| Lighting | A bright light is required, the south-western window is best suited. |
| The soil | The plant thrives the most on breathable rich soil with a pH of 6.0-6.5, in a dense substrate you can add sand or perlite. For the soil of own preparation should be used: 1 part of the garden land, 1 part of coarse sand or perlite, 1 part of wet peat or humus (leaf ground), a little lime. Requires utensils with a hole. |
| Watering | Regular watering is required as the soil dries up, in the summer approximately every 3-4 days. In the winter, watering is limited, but the drying of the substrate should be avoided.With insufficient watering, the leaves may fade, but are easily restored after moistening.With systematic inadequate watering, the leaves may fall off. In case of excessive moisture possibly in a dense substrate root rot. |
| How to fertilize | From April to October use a complex mineral fertilizer at least once every 3-4 weeks. |
| Reproduction | The plant is propagated in spring with semi-matured apical stem caulis. It is best to take cuttings with 3 knots length of about 7-10 cm. Root in water or moist sand, peat or pearl at a temperature of not less than 71,6-75,2 ° F. Also propagate by seeds. For better germination, seeds can be pre-soaked using stimulants. Seeds are placed in a nutritious mixture.Germination occurs in about 1-16 days. Approximately 1.5 months later, plants can be transplanted into a permanent substrate. After 1-2 months in normal conditions, the first flowering begins. |
| Bloom | Flowers pink, yellow. Do not let water enter the buds, as this can cause them to fall off. |
| Transplant and care | First, young plants are transplanted annually. When they reach the age of 5-6 years, you can carry out a transplant less often – every 3-4 years. Every year only the upper layers of the soil are replaced. Do not immediately plant the plant in too large a dish, since in this case the root system will start to develop, and the flowering will come later. In summer, it is desirable to take a plant on a balcony or in a garden. In spring, the plant is cut off. |
| Difficulties | Exposed to pests: whitefly, aphids, spider mites, thrips. Most often, the absence of flowering is associated with insufficient lighting, low humidity. Emerging buds may fall due to a lack of fertilizers or water on them. Also, dropping buds may be due to insufficient watering or feeding. With constant inadequate watering, leaves may fall off. Leaves turn pale with a lack of nutrients in the soil. The plant is strongly stretched, the leaves become shallow with a lack of light. |
| Beneficial features | Young fruits and leaves of some species are edible, for example color or okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is cultivated in India and some countries of Southern Europe.Abelmoschus moschatus seeds are used for making drinks, in Ayurvedic medicine and perfumery industry. Aybika (Abelmoschus manihot) used in Japan for washi, special grade paper origami, and also for manufacturing jute fibers. |
| Toxicity | Skin contact may cause redness, itching, and rash. |
