Kochia (Kochia) or summer cypress is a fast-growing ornamental leafy plant from the Amaranth family of the Marev subfamily. The genus combines drought-resistant semi-shrub and herbaceous plants- xerophytes.
Kohiya got its name in honor of the director of the botanical garden in Erlangen (Germany) Elangen Koch.
Among the people, the plant is known under the names of summer cypress, bassia, summer cyprus, izen, prutnyak, broom grass.
This plant is native to China. Cochia is cultivated in East Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, Japan and Australia.
Kochia is an annual or perennial ornamental plant with a lush, developed crown. The plant forms and takes shape in early June. It retains its appearance until the onset of frost. Height 60-150 centimeters.
Kohiya consists of an upright lignified stem and a large number branched thin shoots. Young branches are formed along the entire length of the shoots.
Leaves entire, thin, linear, petiolate, soft, similar in appearance with cypress needles. The leaves are covered with a short edging, often lanceolate, rarely filiform.
On a young kochia, the leaves are dark green or light green; closer to autumn, the foliage acquires a yellow, orange, raspberry or pink hue. The root is taproot, goes into the ground up to 3 meters deep.
Kochia changes color in autumn The flowers are inconspicuous, paniculate or spike-shaped, very small, collected in inflorescences and hidden in the axils of the apical leaves. Kochia blooms from July to September.
After pollination, miniature nuts are formed in place of flowers.
In each nut, seeds ripen, which retain their germination for 2 years. If the seeds are not collected, they crumble to the ground and sprout in the spring.
Fresh kochia leaves are added to soups. The plant is used in medicine. Cochia helps with eczema, erysipelas, skin inflammation, rheumatism, edema, gonorrhea. It has diuretic, laxative, diaphoretic, cardiotonic, bactericidal and tonic properties.
In addition, livestock and silkworm caterpillars are not averse to feasting on Kochia. Some farms specifically grow this crop for these purposes.
Dried bushes can be used in the form of a broom (broom).
Species and varieties with photos
In nature, there are about 80 types of cochia. In ornamental horticulture, only a small part (about 10) is grown.
Cochia broom (paniculata) is a low, spherical plant. In autumn, the shrub becomes reddish-burgundy. The plant withstands light frosts and retains its decorative look until late autumn.
Cochia broom green lace Perennial kochia is a strongly branching at the beginning and spread along the ground semi-shrub with a height of 10-50 centimeters.
One of the best varieties perennial kochia is creeping kochia.
The shape of the plant depends on the place of growth. Shoots creep along the ground, rise at the ends. The length of the stems is 70 centimeters.
Creeping Kochia - Kochia prostrata At first they are covered with weak or dense pubescence, the ends of the stems are almost bare, reddish in color. Leaves filiform or linear. Silky, fluffy or smooth to the touch.
Flowers are collected in spike-shaped inflorescences of 3 pieces.
Kochia woollyflower- an annual semi-shrub, 78-80 centimeters high. The stems are yellowish-green or reddish, covered with short curly hairs.
Woolly flowered Kochia - Kochia laniflora Kochia densely flowered- strongly branched annual. Height 130 centimeters. The branches are slightly directed upwards, arranged horizontally.
Flowers around the base are surrounded by long white hairs.
Kochia densely flowered - Kochia densiflora - an elongated-oval, slender plant, up to 100 centimeters high, 50-70 centimeters wide. The leaves are pubescent, narrow, light green in spring, burgundy in autumn. The flowers are small, collected in green balls.
Kochia Childs is a compact spherical bush, 40-50 centimeters high.
Branching shoots, strongly leafy. The leaves are light green. The color does not change throughout the year.
Based on these species, several beautiful ornamental varieties were bred:
Nephritis is fast growing plant reaching 100 centimeters in height. Suitable for curly haircuts. 
- a neat rounded shape, grows up to 70-100 centimeters in height. In summer, the leaves are emerald green, and in autumn they turn burgundy. The variety is suitable for sculptural haircuts. 
In addition to them, one can distinguish very beautiful varieties: Acapulco Silver, Cochia Cypress, Flame, Green Lace, Shilzi, Royal Castle and others.
Growing cochia through seedlings is considered the most effective way. In regions with a cool climate, this plant is grown from seedlings, in the south, kochia can be grown from seedlings or sown directly into the ground.
For sowing at home, you need to take seedling boxes, containers or pots, fertile soil and high-quality seeds. The earth can be collected from the garden, humus, sand and peat are added to it. Kokhiya is unpretentious, the main requirements for the earth are moisture permeability, friability. The soil should be slightly acidic or neutral.
After growing seedlings, they need to be seated in separate pots. Seating can be done in one or 2 stages. That is, diving in a container of several pieces, and then seating in separate containers. Or transplant one plant per pot.
When landing in peat pot, seedlings are planted in open ground with it, peat in this case plays the role of additional nutrition for the flower.
Sowing seeds for is done in late March or early April.
Seeds are sown on the surface of the soil and do not go deep.
If there is a dense layer of earth on top of the seeds, the crops may not sprout.
When buying seeds, you need to pay attention to the expiration date, otherwise you can not wait for seedlings.
Land and seed preparation
Cochia seeds are quite small and do not require special preparation.
To accelerate growth, they can be treated with any growth stimulants (Epin, Energen, Heteroauxin).
Before sowing, the soil must be calcined in the oven at a temperature of about 110 degrees for 25 minutes. The soil after calcination is treated with a solution of fungicides or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
Land for planting should be moist, but not wet.
Small grooves are made on the surface of the earth. Seeds are carefully scattered, pressed to the ground and watered from a spray bottle.
The boxes are covered with glass, film or a transparent lid and placed in a bright place away from any heating devices. The temperature in the room should be 18-20 degrees. Watering is done with a spray gun, in the morning or in the evening, daily. The first shoots appear after 7-10 days.
When 3 main leaves appear, kochia seedlings need to be picked in pots or cups. In a container with a diameter of 10 centimeters, 3 sprouts can be planted. With such a planting, before planting in the ground, one more transplant is made into separate pots in seedlings.
The plant is light-loving and, with a lack of lighting, stretches and weakens. For additional lighting, a phytolamp is placed at a short distance from the plants. Daylight hours together with supplementary lighting should be at least 12 hours.
With excess moisture, a black leg may appear. Sick seedlings should be removed immediately. The soil is dried with charcoal, calcined sand or perlite. During watering, potassium permanganate or any antifungal drugs. Watering is carried out along the edges of the pot, without touching the plants.
Kohiya does not tolerate cold and shade. When choosing a place, you need to consider that the site should be bright and warm. In partial shade, the bush turns out to be more compact and low. Lowland or area with close occurrence ground water not suitable for planting cochia.
The plant is not demanding on the soil, but the best option considered fertile land with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction.
The soil should easily pass air and water to the roots. The semi-shrub does not need frequent watering and easily tolerates drought.
After the spring frosts have passed, you can start planting plants on permanent place. The gap between the bushes should be at least 30-45 centimeters. Seedlings by the time of transplantation should get stronger and grow up to 15 centimeters.
Plants need to be transplanted along with an earthen clod. Pits for planting should correspond to the volume of the pot. The recesses flow well warm water. The plant with the earth rolls over into the hole and is compressed by the earth.
If the seedlings were planted in peat pots, the plants are planted directly in them. Bushes quickly take root in new places and begin to grow.
Cochia seeds can be sown directly into the ground. Sowing is done both in autumn and spring. In spring, seeds are sown in mid-May. When sowing earlier, cover material should be used to protect from the cold.
For faster germination, the seeds are soaked for several days in warm water or treated with a growth stimulator. The site is dug up and loosened. A mixture of sand and peat crumbles. This mixture allows the seeds to germinate faster.
Seeds are distributed over the soil and lightly pressed with the palm of your hand.
Sprouted seeds grow faster. After a week, shoots appear. Weak shoots are removed.
At autumn sowing before winter, the seeds are sown along with sand and peat in slightly frozen ground. Seeds are not afraid of the cold, and in the spring they sprout together.
When the bushes grow, they can be seated. Between each bush, the distance should be at least 30-40 centimeters, denser cultivation leads to poor development of bushes and a rapid release of flowers.
These methods of growing cochia are less effective than the seedling method and are used only in regions with a warm climate.
Kochia can reproduce on its own.
In order for self-seeding to occur, several bushes are left in the soil until spring. During the first warm days, young shoots will appear that look like Christmas trees.
Kochia care includes watering, loosening, weeding, top dressing and pruning.
Watering is carried out using a watering can. The plant is drought tolerant. You need to water in dry weather, if the leaves of the flowers begin to fall down.
Loosening and weeding of weeds is carried out several times per season. The soil should not be crusted.
For active growth Kochia requires regular feeding. The first fertilization is carried out 2 weeks after planting the bushes in the ground. After that, top dressing is done once a month.
For top dressing, organic matter or complex mineral fertilizers are taken. You can use mullein, ash. After shearing, for a quick restoration of the bush, extraordinary fertilizing with nitrogen-containing fertilizers is carried out.
Pruning of plants is carried out 1-2 times a month.
Kochia is quite resistant to diseases and pests. With prolonged rains, rot can develop. When rot appears, diseased bushes are removed, and healthy plants are watered with potassium permanganate.
Sometimes on the bushes may appear spider mite. The mite damages the greenery of the plant. To combat the pest, special protective agents are used (Bitoxibacillin, Neoron, Akarin) or a decoction of ceclamen tubers, a soap solution.
Bushes easily tolerate a haircut and retain their shape for a long time.
With the help of sharp scissors and secateurs, plants take the form of a pyramid, ball, oval, rectangle, matryoshka, column, or any other shape. When planting a group of bushes, you can create a semblance of a vase; tall bright flowers are planted in the middle for this.
When landing along the tracks, you can arrange a neat sheared curb. To create miniature bushes, the tops are pinched at the stage of early development of the bushes.
After any haircut, plants need top dressing with water-soluble nitrogen fertilizers.
Tall bushes are used to decorate various buildings, arbors, in the form of hedges.
Kochia can be planted in a single copy among ground cover plants or on the lawn, in the form of a tapeworm.
Can be planted in groups in a mixborder, in a flower bed. Kohiya goes well with roses, marigolds, asters and many other flowers. 
These lush, slender bushes make it possible to decorate any site. They are used to decorate flower beds, borders, fences.
They look great in rock gardens, rockeries, topiaries, near fountains and next to large stones.
Kochia (border shrub): video
Unpretentiousness and ease of care make kochia almost an ideal plant in the garden.
Kohii grow in America, Europe, Asia and Australia. They are all herbaceous plants with upright, highly branched stems and entire, narrow leaves that range in shape from linear to filiform. There are annual and perennial species.
Kochia bloom, but their inflorescences are small and inconspicuous. Corollas are collected in panicles or spikelets. There are about 1400 seeds in one gram of seeds.
There is no consensus among taxonomists which family this flower belongs to. Sometimes he is reckoned with the Amaranths, in other cases with the Marevs. Among gardeners, kochia is known as "summer cypress".
Types of cochia
About 80 species of kochia are known, but not all of them have decorative qualities. So, on the territory of our country there is a perennial prostrate kochia (Kochia prostrata). It is used for agricultural purposes as a fodder plant, but is unsuitable for flower beds.
Kochia prostrata
In ornamental gardening, broom kochia (bássia scopária) is usually cultivated. It's an annual beautiful plant up to 1 m high. The leaves are lanceolate, pubescent, bright green, small.
Kochia broom reaches full size in July, forming bushes resembling cypresses directed upwards. By autumn, its green leaves turn bright red.
Species broom kochia is not of decorative interest. In the wild, it grows in wastelands like a common weed. In gardens and flower beds, its hair-like variety is planted with very narrow, pubescent leaves up to 5 cm long.
Several varieties of hairy have been bred:
- Sultan;
- Nephritis;
- Flame;
- Shilzy.
Cochia propagation - how to grow from seeds?
The only way to grow emerald kochia bushes in the garden is to buy or harvest seeds yourself and sow them at home.
Seeds germinate no more than 1-2 years. They are sown in April in a room or greenhouse, in a common box. At temperatures above 20 degrees, seedlings will appear in 5-6 days. Then they are grown one at a time in a pot or transplanted immediately to the bed under the film.
The diameter of the pot is 7 cm. It will be necessary to carry out one transshipment into 10-11 cm containers. When picking from a box to a greenhouse, 20 cm is left between plants. Without shelter, kochia can be planted in a permanent place in the 2nd-3rd decade of May.
The plant is afraid of frost. Once under the cold, the seedlings will stop growing and turn red.
In the southern regions, the plant propagates by self-sowing. Savage bushes can be grown up, sheltered from spring frosts by cropped plastic bottles and then transplanted to a permanent place.
Seeds of summer cypress quickly lose their germination. When buying them, you need to carefully look at the production date stamped on the bag.
It is better to purchase seed from well-known companies that use polyethylene or foil vacuum envelopes for packaging and treat the seeds with fungicides.
Seedlings need a lot of light and moderate heat. When overflowing, cochia quickly dies from the black leg. To save seedlings, you need to sow the seeds in loose, moisture-permeable soil and water moderately with water at room temperature.
When growing kochia from seeds, you need to decide when to plant them. Sowing should be carried out in such a way that the seedlings get to a permanent place a month after the emergence of seedlings on the surface of the soil.
Sowing technology:
- Pour a layer of substrate 5 cm high into a wide container.
- Tamp with your palm.
- Scatter the seeds over the surface.
- Sprinkle with a layer of sand 2-3 mm,
- Spray with water from a spray bottle.
- Cover with glass or film.
- Put in a place with a temperature of 20-22 degrees.
The land must be fresh, not previously used for growing seedlings. Better to buy in store universal primer with ph 5.5-6.5.
Immediately after the appearance of seedlings on the soil surface, the temperature must be reduced to +12 ... +15 and bright. If one or two plants in the box suffer from a black leg, it is enough to simply remove them along with a clod of earth and spill the holes with a solution of potassium permanganate of medium color intensity.
Video from Yana Fedorova:
Landing features
Kochia has a clearly defined, upward-looking bush, the diameter of which can reach, depending on the variety, 1 m. This must be taken into account when planning its planting.
The minimum distance between plants should be 30 cm. This is how cochia is planted in hedges.
In thickened plantings, the bushes have little space and light, which is why they dry out and completely lose their decorative appearance. Therefore, when planting in a flower garden, more space is left between adjacent specimens - 50-100 cm.
Plants are unpretentious, undemanding to humus and the sun, but look as beautiful as possible in sunny places and nutritious soil. Cochia does not tolerate overly acidic and wet soils - the roots begin to die off, and the foliage dries up.
Before planting seedlings in the ground, it is advisable to fertilize the soil with nitrogen fertilizer and dig it with a pitchfork. Nitrate top dressing contributes to a bright green color of the leaves.
Seedlings are planted together with a clod of earth to the same depth at which they grew in a pot.
Difficulties of growing from seeds - tips for flower growers:
plant care
Care consists of watering and cutting or pinching.
Immediately after planting on the street, seedlings should be watered abundantly. If the soil dries out, and the plants have not yet had time to take root, the leaves will fall down and the planting will become miserable.
The main requirement of kokhiya to the soil is friability. At first, the earth near the bush will have to be constantly fluffed up, deepening the rake by no more than 2-3 cm. With deep processing, the roots can be damaged, which in summer cypress are a superficially located rhizome.
Even a day in the heat, spent without water, leads to wilting of the flower. You need to water the bushes in the morning or in the evening, when there is no bright sunlight. Humidification in the sun will cause the luxurious leaves to get burned and wither.
Plants tolerate shading, but it is necessary that the shade is not dense in the morning. With a lack of light, the bushes lag behind in development, turn pale and become ugly.
During the growing season, you need to feed the summer cypress dissolved in water twice. complex fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. The first top dressing is done a month after planting the seedlings in the ground, the second in the middle of summer.
The plant tolerates liquid fertilizers than loose or granular, so even manure is recommended to infuse in water.
All top dressing is carried out only under the root. Spraying on the leaves is impractical, as ugly spots may remain on the "needles".
Despite the robust appearance of summer cypress, it has pests. The most dangerous of them is the spider mite. If the leaves began to turn yellow and dry out, you need to take a closer look at them. reverse side. Arachnids are visible to the naked eye as small dark dots. The leaves themselves on the back are covered with a layer of cobwebs.
Instances with a tick are sprayed with Aktellik or Neoron (1 ml per liter of water). The treatment is repeated after 30 days.
Kochia in landscape design
Plants are planted large groups or tapeworms on lawns, enclose their borders and flower beds. In autumn, plants can be transplanted into a container and brought into a warm place where they long time will retain their decorative appearance.
Kochia is easy to shear. From it you can create hedges of any shape and length. Bushes are cut once every 2 weeks. They are turned into balls, pyramids, parallelepipeds and other figures. Trimmed summer cypresses planted in a row form a beautiful tetrahedral hedge or a hemispherical border.
For shearing, varieties with a dense crown and short leaves are suitable. If seeds have formed on the plant, it becomes unsuitable for shortening. The leaves on such bushes will no longer grow, and the cut branches will remain in sight.
Haircut is carried out on a cloudy day. Best Tool- lawn shears. They start with simple shapes: pyramids, cubes, hemispheres. Having filled your hand, you can proceed to more complex ones: cylinders, balls. Plants after shearing retain their shape for a long time.
Kohiya can not be cut, but simply regularly remove the young tips of the branches. The result is a compact, very dense bush. After shearing, it is desirable to introduce into the soil a complex mineral fertilizer for the plant to recover.
Despite the absence of flowers and the monotony of color, summer cypress attracts a lot of attention. It can be used as an accent flower garden, surrounded by smaller flowering plants.
From well-groomed bushes, luxurious garden compositions are obtained. For this, plants are combined with annual flowers: salvia, and others.
Summer cypress is magnificent not only in summer, but also in autumn. With the first cold weather, it acquires a carmine color and pleases the eye with brightness, when most decorative flowering plants have already dried up.
There are varieties that remain bright green until frost without blushing. The most beautiful of them is Acapulco Silver with silver-gray leaf tips.
Autumn kochia leaves can be dried and used in flower arrangements.
Kochia is rapidly gaining popularity among amateur flower growers and professional landscape designers. Why they love this culture, which blooms inconspicuous small flowers that do not carry decorative value? The flowers are barely visible, hiding in the leaf axils. Kochia is definitely not grown for flowers. The leaves are thin, long, delicate, and in themselves are not highly decorative either. In addition, kochia is also an annual, that is, it has to be grown from seeds every year. Nevertheless, it is a popular plant that can be found on every second site today.
Secrets of Growing Kochia
Cochia can be grown through seedlings or by sowing directly into the ground. In general, there are many varieties bred in culture. They differ mainly in size and color. Some have bright green leaves that turn red in autumn. Some have intense light green foliage that later turns dark green. There are varieties in which the leaves turn orange.
Sowing for seedlings
Sowing dates for cochia seeds for further cultivation seedlings depend on the climate of your area.
At the end of March, you can start sowing in a standard Central Russian climate, when deadline frost threats on the soil - early May.
Video - Growing cochia from seeds
Seedling Care
Shoots appear on the eighth - tenth day. Protective material removed. Immediately it is worth moving the containers in a room with a temperature of 3-5 degrees lower. Maximum +16°С. Sprouts must be carefully watered, along the edge of the container, avoiding overflow. Cochia seedlings are susceptible to the disease of all seedlings - the black leg - to a greater extent.
To protect green sprouts from disease, it is necessary to maintain the indicated temperature, preventing its increase. Watering seedlings is carried out moderately, especially if the room has high humidity.
Advice! The soil in the container should not dry out - the seedlings will immediately wilt and the leaves will begin to wither. With aerated soil and good drainage in a container, it is advisable to water young plants twice a week.
If, nevertheless, a black leg happened, and you found diseased specimens with characteristic spots and darkening on the leg, you must:
- remove diseased plants;
- stop watering the container;
- sprinkle the soil with dry sand, which will absorb some of the excess moisture.
When the soil dries, the next watering should be carried out with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
If the black leg continues to spread, the seedlings will have to dive into dry, fresh, disinfected soil.
To obtain compact seedlings that have not stretched excessively, they need to be dived after 2-3 weeks, in the phase of three leaves, in a personal container of 2-3 things. Pots for picking should be up to 10 cm in diameter.
After picking, the temperature of the content is the same, the place is the brightest, watering in the same mode, top dressing.
The first top dressing with a fertilizer complex with a predominance of nitrogen a week after the dive and then every 10-14 days.
Landing at the very end of May. A place for kochia should be chosen sunny, where there is no wind, calm. The soil should be moderately fertile, not swampy, loose. The distance between seedlings when planting in flowerbeds and rabatkas is up to 30 cm, when growing on a border in the form of a hedge - 10-15 cm.
During the period of rooting of seedlings, the plant needs increased watering and the next top dressing, two weeks after planting. Be sure to feed the plants when carrying out haircuts each time after the procedure.
Sowing in the ground
If there is no desire to mess with seedlings, you can grow kochia by sowing in the ground. For the successful emergence and development of seedlings, several conditions must be strictly observed.
On open field seeds germinate one and a half times longer than in a container for seedlings. Shoots can be thin and unpresentable. Subsequently, the weak ones must be removed, leaving a distance of 20-35 cm between the bushes. If you grow a decorative cochia border, the distance between plants can be reduced to 10-15 cm.
At night, when the temperature drops below + 10 ° C, the plants should continue to be covered.
Outdoor care
Caring for seedlings in the open field differs little from caring for seedlings. It is necessary to water intensively, trying, however, so that the plants do not rot and do not get sick. As an adult, kochia is relatively drought-resistant, but nevertheless, it is not necessary to allow the soil to dry out so that the foliage - the main "property" of the plant - does not lose its decorative effect.
In the flower bed, it is imperative to weed the plants, and loosen the ground, especially on early stages vegetation. You can mulch the soil between the bushes with a rare planting of decorative pebbles, bark and other mulching materials.
At least twice during the summer, you need to feed the kochia with a complex of minerals, in which nitrogen has a large proportion.
Kochia must be pruned so that the branches grow evenly. It can also be given any shape - it is well subject to an artistic haircut.
The use of kochia in landscape design
| fit type | Peculiarities |
|---|---|
| Solitary landing | As single accents, e.g. on a lawn or among low ground covers |
| Group boarding | Groups in a flower bed or discount or in a mixborder for a background row |
| Alpine slide or rockery | Near large stones or in small groups |
| curb landing | As a border for a flower bed, along paths, like a hedge |
| Topiary | Single planting followed by crown formation in the style of topiary |
Kochia can be sown not only in spring, but also in autumn. For winter sowing, flower beds are prepared in October. Sowing is superficial, with a little sprinkling. It is important not to sow before October so that the seeds do not start growing until spring. It is especially convenient to sow kokhiya in the winter to create borders.
Cochia seeds have a short germination period. 50% "survive" at proper storage up to two years, but the standard shelf life is limited to a year. It is better to sow fresh plant seeds that you can collect yourself from female specimens. They are in seed boxes, and if they are not removed in time, the plant will propagate by self-sowing. With continuous group plantings in a flower bed, self-sowing reproduction may come in handy. With the onset of spring and the appearance of sprouts, it will only be enough to thin out so that the plants do not oppress each other.
During the autumn cold, kochia quickly withers and dies. decorative effect can be extended if the plants are moved to containers. On the balcony, the kochia will turn green for another 1.5-2 months, before the onset of serious frosts.
When the plants are dry on the vine, they can be used to create flower arrangements and dry arrangements. Traditionally, kochia was used as an ordinary broom.
Kochia is rapidly gaining popularity among amateur flower growers and professional landscape designers. Why do they love this culture, which blooms with nondescript small flowers that do not carry decorative value? The flowers are barely visible, hiding in the leaf axils. Kochia is definitely not grown for flowers. The leaves are thin, long, delicate, and in themselves are not highly decorative either. In addition, kochia is also an annual, that is, it has to be grown from seeds every year. Nevertheless, it is a popular plant that can be found on every second site today.
Cochia can be grown through seedlings or by sowing directly into the ground. In general, there are many varieties bred in culture. They differ mainly in size and color. Some have bright green leaves that turn red in autumn. Some have intense light green foliage that later turns dark green. There are varieties in which the leaves turn orange.
Sowing for seedlings
The timing of sowing seeds of cochia for further growing seedlings depends on the climate of your area.
At the end of March, you can start sowing in a standard Central Russian climate, when the last threat of frost on the soil is the beginning of May.
Video - Growing cochia from seeds
Seedling Care
Shoots appear on the eighth - tenth day. The protective material is removed. Immediately it is worth moving the containers in a room with a temperature of 3-5 degrees lower. Maximum +16°С. Sprouts must be carefully watered, along the edge of the container, avoiding overflow. Cochia seedlings are susceptible to the disease of all seedlings - the black leg - to a greater extent.
To protect green sprouts from disease, it is necessary to maintain the indicated temperature, preventing its increase. Watering seedlings is carried out moderately, especially if the room has high humidity.
Advice! The soil in the container should not dry out - the seedlings will immediately wilt and the leaves will begin to wither. With aerated soil and good drainage in a container, it is advisable to water young plants twice a week.
Disease - black leg
If, nevertheless, a black leg happened, and you found diseased specimens with characteristic spots and darkening on the leg, you must:
- remove diseased plants;
- stop watering the container;
- sprinkle the soil with dry sand, which will absorb some of the excess moisture.
When the soil dries, the next watering should be carried out with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
If the black leg continues to spread, the seedlings will have to dive into dry, fresh, disinfected soil.
To obtain compact seedlings that have not stretched excessively, they need to be dived after 2-3 weeks, in the phase of three leaves, in a personal container of 2-3 things. Pots for picking should be up to 10 cm in diameter.
After picking, the temperature of the content is the same, the place is the brightest, watering in the same mode, top dressing.
The first top dressing with a fertilizer complex with a predominance of nitrogen a week after the dive and then every 10-14 days.
Landing at the very end of May. A place for kochia should be chosen sunny, where there is no wind, calm. The soil should be moderately fertile, not swampy, loose. The distance between seedlings when planting in flowerbeds and rabatkas is up to 30 cm, when growing on a border in the form of a hedge - 10-15 cm.
During the period of rooting of seedlings, the plant needs increased watering and the next top dressing, two weeks after planting. Be sure to feed the plants when carrying out haircuts each time after the procedure.
Sowing in the ground
If there is no desire to mess with seedlings, you can grow kochia by sowing in the ground. For the successful emergence and development of seedlings, several conditions must be strictly observed.
In open ground, seeds germinate one and a half times longer than in a container for seedlings. Shoots can be thin and unpresentable. Subsequently, the weak ones must be removed, leaving a distance of 20-35 cm between the bushes. If you grow a decorative cochia border, the distance between plants can be reduced to 10-15 cm.
At night, when the temperature drops below + 10 ° C, the plants should continue to be covered.
Outdoor care
Caring for seedlings in the open field differs little from caring for seedlings. It is necessary to water intensively, trying, however, so that the plants do not rot and do not get sick. As an adult, kochia is relatively drought-resistant, but nevertheless, it is not necessary to allow the soil to dry out so that the foliage - the main "property" of the plant - does not lose its decorative effect.
In the flower bed, it is imperative to weed the plants and loosen the ground, especially in the early stages of the growing season. You can mulch the soil between the bushes with a rare planting of decorative pebbles, bark and other mulching materials.
At least twice during the summer, you need to feed the kochia with a complex of minerals, in which nitrogen has a large proportion.
Kochia must be pruned so that the branches grow evenly. It can also be given any shape - it is well subject to an artistic haircut.
The use of kochia in landscape design
| fit type | Peculiarities |
|---|---|
| Solitary landing | As single accents, e.g. on a lawn or among low ground covers |
| Group boarding | Groups in a flower bed or discount or in a mixborder for a background row |
| Alpine slide or rockery | Near large stones or in small groups |
| curb landing | As a border for a flower bed, along paths, like a hedge |
| Topiary | Single planting followed by crown formation in the style of topiary |
Kochia can be sown not only in spring, but also in autumn. For winter sowing, flower beds are prepared in October. Sowing is superficial, with a little sprinkling. It is important not to sow before October so that the seeds do not start growing until spring. It is especially convenient to sow kokhiya in the winter to create borders.
Cochia seeds have a short germination period. 50% "survive" with proper storage up to two years, but the standard shelf life is limited to a year. It is better to sow fresh plant seeds that you can collect yourself from female specimens. They are in seed boxes, and if they are not removed in time, the plant will propagate by self-sowing. With continuous group plantings in a flower bed, self-sowing reproduction may come in handy. With the onset of spring and the appearance of sprouts, it will only be enough to thin out so that the plants do not oppress each other.
During the autumn cold, kochia quickly withers and dies. The decorative effect can be extended by moving the plants into containers. On the balcony, the kochia will turn green for another 1.5-2 months, before the onset of serious frosts.
When the plants are dry on the vine, they can be used to create flower arrangements and dry arrangements. Traditionally, kochia was used as an ordinary broom.
Each amateur gardener tries to decorate his site with dignity and make it unique. Creating beauty in your area is not so easy. Nevertheless, desires do not fade away, and unique garden masterpieces are created.
Ornamental plants - the best assistants in decoration personal plot. These include a plant such as cochia.
Kochia coronata hairy is an ornamental annual deciduous plant. She is loved for her beauty and forms, which are changed by the person himself at his own discretion and desire.
Botanical description
Kochia from the Amaranth family, subfamily Marevy, originally from China. There are a huge number of species, about 80. The differences are characterized by the size of the plant and its colors.
The plant is a herbaceous shrub. Kohiya has an oval conical shape. The stems are erect, strong and flexible. They are often covered with narrow green leaves. The leaves have a slightly curved shape and a soft structure.
In height, the kochia reaches 1 meter. The flowers are spike-shaped, barely noticeable in the fluffy crown of foliage. In autumn, the plant turns red, purple.
One of the worthy species is coronal cochia. It is widely used in the design of plots and decorative needs.
The people have the name "summer cypress".
Kochia crown is unpretentious in cultivation and care. From a distance, the plant resembles a family of conifers. But when you touch the green fluffy creature, softness and tenderness are felt.
Coronal kochia is a kind of summer chameleon. For the season will please its owners different shades. Throughout the warm period, the kochia proudly wears bright green attire. And in autumn, the plant dresses up in yellow and crimson tones.
In the flower beds, such changes look simply amazing.
Growing cochia crown. Care
The cultivation of coronal cochia is carried out either by seedlings or by planting in open ground. The plant does not require excessive attention to itself.
Coronal kochia, planting and caring for which are carried out in accordance with all the rules, will demonstrate all its possible splendor and grandeur.
The place for growing kochia should be sunny, preferably without drafts. But even in partial shade, Kochia will feel quite comfortable.
The distance between the bushes is on average 50 cm. If you plan to grow a lush single bush with further certain pruning, it is better to increase the distance to at least 1 meter.
With a curb planting, the distance between the bushes is 10-15 cm. In this case, a hedge is formed.
The soil of cochia crown loves fertile and moderately moist. Does not tolerate drought, begins to droop, lose color and wither.
Dislikes kohiya and temperature changes. Needs periodic loosening and weeding.
Sowing seeds and breeding
The timing of sowing seeds and growing seedlings depends on the characteristics of the local climate. In an average climate, seed sowing can begin in late March or early April.
Features of planting cochia crown for seedlings and caring for sprouts are as follows.
- The right choice of container or other container. The depth of the box should not be less than 12 cm, as the roots of the kochia are quite long and they need enough space for good development.
- Before planting, the container must be thoroughly disinfected. To do this, rinse the box with hot soapy water or water with vinegar added.
- The soil should be light, airy and nutritious. Ready-made earthen mixes are on sale, but you can also prepare them yourself. The mixture is best prepared from peat with the addition of river sand. It's good to add a little humus.
- The soil before sowing is treated with a warm solution of potassium permanganate.
- The soil needs to be compacted a little. Seeds are evenly immersed in the soil and lightly sprinkled with a thin layer of humus.
- The container after landing is covered with a special nonwoven fabric, greenhouse conditions are created.
It is necessary to regularly moisten the soil with a spray gun. Drying of the soil should not be allowed, but even through measured moisture it is unacceptable.
In autumn, you can remove the seeds from the bushes and sow them the next year. Seeds can be stored for two years. But of course, fresh is preferable.
Some gardeners prefer to sow kochia seeds in the fall. The subtlety of such a planting lies only in the sowing time. It is not recommended to sow before October. Otherwise, the seeds will germinate ahead of time and freeze.
Often self-seeding is obtained, especially with group plantings. It is very comfortable. Many seeds will sprout in spring. They will only be thinned out at your discretion.
seedling care
The seed germination period takes up to two weeks. Optimum temperature for growing seedlings - 16 degrees, it can be a little lower. Temperature regime very important at this stage. If the rules are not followed, the seedlings run the risk of getting sick with a black leg.
Watering is carried out regularly, very carefully, along the edges of the container, so as not to injure weak stems.
When the seedlings grow up and 5 leaves form on the stem, you need to pick. In a pot with a small diameter, about 10 cm, 1-3 seedlings are planted.
Plant outdoors after all frosts around the second half of May.
Cochia seeds in the open field
If there is no opportunity or desire to grow seedlings, you can sow the seeds directly in open ground.
It is worth waiting for warm May weather.
We prepare the soil by loosening and introducing peat, mullein, compost or humus. After the soil is moderately moistened, it needs to be compacted a little. The seeds are sparsely sown. Top with a thin layer sprinkled with earth or sand.
If possible, then better place sowing cover with non-woven material. You should not use a film as a shelter, the seeds need air.
Of course, the germination of seeds will take longer than with home or greenhouse cultivation.
It is mandatory to thin out seedlings.
If the daytime or nighttime temperature drops below +10 degrees, better seedlings shelter.
Feeding and spraying
Soil nutrition is recommended before planting the plant in the ground. For intensive growth and the formation of a dense crown, the plant is fed weekly (during the growth period). Fertilizers are used liquid specialized, containing minerals, and most importantly - nitrogen.
The first top dressing should be carried out 1.5-2 weeks after transplantation.
Diseases of cochia coronary
Cochia seedlings are susceptible to black leg disease. If a diseased seedling is present in the container, it should be removed immediately. Stop moistening the soil for a while.
In the event of the spread of the disease, healthy seedlings are transplanted into another container.
Kochia coronata is quite resistant to various diseases. Nevertheless, open field cochia bushes are recommended to be regularly sprayed against various pests.
most dangerous for ornamental plant is a spider mite. If a small cobweb is present on the plant, the cochia should be immediately treated with an insecticide.
If the ground is too wet, the trunk may begin to rot. If the problem occurs in the upper part of the plant, you need to cut off the damaged areas. When decaying near the root part, the cochia will have to be removed.
Kochia in design
Coronal kochia is a favorite of landscape designers and gardeners. The plant is widely used in various compositions. Kohiya looks perfect in a group mix of his relatives and other colors.
It is combined with various flowers and shrubs. You can verify this by looking at the photo of the coronal cochia.
Used as a mini fence, decorative fences. It is widely used in the division of horticultural zones.
If you create the right contrast of plants, it will turn out just great. It will look unusual, for example, a ring of coronal cochia with a blue or red center of other colors.
With the onset of autumn cold weather, the kochia begins to wither. You can extend the summer a little and enjoy the greenery at home, for example, on the balcony. For 2 months before the onset of serious frosts, the green beauty will delight households and guests.
The dried bush can be used in decorative purposes, make ikebana or add to a bouquet. Get an unusual composition.
Shaping and trimming
Caring for coronal kochia involves cutting the bushes. This procedure allows the branches to grow evenly and proportionally.
Various geometric shapes are also created and not only.
Haircut can be done every 2 weeks. You need to regularly pinch young shoots. This will provide the plant with splendor.
After shearing, the plant needs top dressing.
It is easy to train and get your hand on kochia before cutting conifers, especially for beginners.
There are many different options transformation garden plot with cut kochia.
You can create borders, mini-fences of a rectangular or conical shape. A lone bush can be designed in the form of a square, a circle, or, for example, a butterfly. It will be very effective and varied. Cochia in the form of a real spruce will look unusual.
Benefits and uses of kochia
Cochia coronata, the description of which is being considered, is used in folk medicine. medicinal properties have all parts of the plant.
Kochia is used:
- as a means for emptying the intestines;
- with heart problems;
- with ailments of the genitourinary system;
- with kidney disease;
- with fungal diseases of the nails.
Medicines are prepared by drying and preparing decoctions, tinctures and ointments.
The use of kokhiya also touched the culinary sphere. It perfectly complements the taste of first courses, giving them a special piquancy.
Also, from time immemorial, kochia has been used for household needs. A dry plant is used instead of a regular broom.
