Kokhia plant summer cypress. Cochia summer cypress growing from seed. Cochia growing from seed
Kochia (Kochia) or summer cypress is a fast-growing ornamental-deciduous plant from the Amaranth family of the Marev family. The genus combines drought-resistant semi-shrub and herbaceous xerophytic plants.
Kochia got its name in honor of the director of the botanical garden in Erlangen (Germany) Elangen Koch.
The plant is popularly known under the names summer cypress, bassia, summer cypress, izen, prutnyak, broom grass.
The homeland of this plant is China. Cochia is cultivated in East Asia, Europe, Africa, North America, Japan and Australia.
Cochia 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 beginning of frost. Height 60-150 centimeters.
Cochia consists of an upright woody stem and a large number of branched thin shoots. Young twigs are formed along the entire length of the shoots.
Leaves are entire, thin, linear, petiolate, soft, similar in appearance to cypress needles. The leaves are covered with a short edging, often lanceolate, less often filiform.
On a young kohija, the leaves are dark green or light green; closer to autumn, the foliage becomes yellow, orange, raspberry or pink tint... The root is taproot, going into the ground up to 3 meters deep.
Kohia changes color in autumn The flowers are inconspicuous, panicle or spike-shaped, very small, collected in inflorescences and hidden in the axils of the apical leaves. Kokhia bloom stretches from July to September.
After pollination, in place of flowers, miniature nuts are formed.
Seeds ripen in each nut, which retain their germination for 2 years. If the seeds are not harvested, they crumble to the ground and sprout in the spring.
Fresh kochia leaves are added to soups. The plant is used in medicine. Kochia helps with eczema, erysipelas, skin inflammations, rheumatism, edema, gonorrhea. It has diuretic, laxative, diaphoretic, cardiotonic, bactericidal, and tonic properties.
Kohia, in addition, is not averse to feasting on livestock and silkworm caterpillars. Some farms specially grow this crop for these purposes.
The dried bushes can be used as a broom (broom).
Types and varieties with photos
There are about 80 species of cochia in nature. In ornamental horticulture, only a small part (about 10) is grown.
Cochia broom (panicle) Is a low, spherical plant. In autumn, the shrub becomes reddish-claret. The plant can withstand light frosts and retains its decorative appearance until late autumn.
Kokhia broom Green Lace Perennial kochia is a semi-shrub with a height of 10-50 centimeters, strongly branching at the beginning and spreading on the ground.
One of best varieties perennial kohii is creeping cochia.
The shape of the plant depends on the place of growth. Shoots spread along the ground, rise at the ends. The stems are 70 centimeters long.
Kochia prostrate - Kochia prostrata At first, they are covered with weak or dense pubescence, towards the ends the stems are almost naked, reddish in color. Leaves are filiform or linear. Silky, fluffy or smooth to the touch.
Flowers are collected in spike-shaped inflorescences of 3 pieces.
Cochia woolly-flowered - an annual dwarf shrub, 78-80 centimeters high. Stems yellowish-green or reddish, covered with short curly hairs.
Kochia woolly-flowered - Kochia laniflora Cochia dense-flowered - strongly branching annual. Height 130 centimeters. The branches are slightly upward, horizontal.
The flowers are surrounded by long white hairs around the base.
Cochia dense-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. Flowers are small, collected in green balls.
Kohia Childs is a compact spherical bush, 40-50 centimeters high.
Branching shoots, strongly leafy. Leaves are light green. The color does not change during the year.
Based on these species, several beautiful decorative varieties have been bred:
Nephritis is a fast-growing plant, reaching 100 centimeters in height. Suitable for curly haircuts. 
- neat rounded shape, grows up to 70-100 centimeters in height. In summer, the leaves are emerald in color, and in autumn they acquire burgundy tones. The variety is suitable for sculpting haircuts. 
In addition to them, very beautiful varieties can be distinguished: Acapulco Silver, Cochia Cypress, Flame, Green Lace, Shilzy, Royal Castle and others.
Growing kochia through seedlings is considered the most effective way... In regions with a cool climate, this plant is grown by seedlings, in the south, kohija 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 quality seeds... The land can be taken from the garden, humus, sand and peat are added to it. Kohia is unpretentious, the main requirements for the land are moisture permeability, looseness. The soil should be slightly acidic or neutral.
After the seedlings grow up, they need to be planted in separate pots. Seating can be done in one or two stages. That is, diving in a container of several pieces, and then seating in separate containers. Or transplant one plant into a pot.
When planting in a peat pot, seedlings are planted in open ground with it, in this case peat plays the role of additional nutrition for the flower.
Sowing seeds for is done in late March or early April.
The seeds are sown on the surface of the soil and are not buried.
If there is a dense layer of earth on top of the seeds, crops may not sprout.
When buying seeds, you need to pay attention to the expiration date, otherwise you can not wait for seedlings.
Preparation of land and seeds
Kokhia seeds are rather 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. After calcination, the soil 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. The seeds are carefully scattered, pressed to the ground and watered from a spray bottle.
The boxes are covered with glass, foil or transparent lids and placed in a bright place away from any heating appliances. The room temperature should be 18-20 degrees. Watering is done with a spray bottle, in the morning or in the evening, every day. The first shoots appear in 7-10 days.
When 3 main leaves appear, kochia seedlings need to be sorted out in pots or cups. In a container with a diameter of 10 centimeters, you can plant 3 sprouts. With such a planting, before planting in the ground, one more transplant is made into separate pots of seedlings.
The plant is light-loving and with a lack of lighting it stretches and weakens. For additional lighting, a phytolamp is placed at a short distance from the plants. Daylight hours together with additional lighting should be at least 12 hours.
With an excess of moisture, a black leg may appear. Diseased seedlings must be removed immediately. The soil is dried with charcoal, calcined sand or perlite. During watering, potassium permanganate or any antifungal drugs is added. Watering is carried out along the edges of the pot without touching the plants.
Kochia does not tolerate cold and shade. When choosing a place, you need to take into account that the area should be light and warm. In partial shade, the bush is more compact and low. A lowland or a site with a close occurrence of groundwater is not suitable for planting kochia.
The plant is not demanding on the soil, but the best option it is considered a fertile land with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction.
The soil should easily allow air and water to flow to the roots. The shrub does not need frequent watering and easily tolerates drought.
After spring frosts will pass, you can start planting plants in a 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 together with an earthen clod. Planting holes should correspond to the volume of the pot. The depressions are well spilled with warm water. The plant with the earth rolls over into a 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 carried out both in autumn and spring. In spring, seeds are sown in mid-May. When sowing earlier, cover material should be used to protect against cold.
For faster germination, seeds are soaked in warm water for several days or treated with a growth stimulant. The site is dug up and loosened up. A mixture of sand and peat is scattered. This mixture allows the seeds to germinate faster.
The seeds are spread over the soil and pressed lightly with the palm of the hand.
Sprouted seeds grow faster. Shoots appear in a week. Weak shoots are removed.
When sowing in autumn before winter, the seeds are sown together with sand and peat into slightly frozen ground. Seeds are not afraid of the cold, and in spring they sprout together.
When bushes grow up, they can be planted. The distance between each bush should be at least 30-40 centimeters, a denser cultivation leads to poor development of the bushes and the rapid release of flowers.
These methods of growing kochia are less effective than the seedling method and are used only in regions with a warm climate.
Cochia can reproduce on its own.
In order for self-seeding to take place, several bushes are left in the soil until spring. During the first warm days, young shoots similar to Christmas trees will appear.
Caring for kochia includes watering, loosening, weeding, feeding and pruning the bushes.
Watering is done with a watering can. The plant is drought-resistant. Watering is necessary in dry weather if the leaves of the flowers begin to fall down.
Loosening and weeding is done several times per season. The soil should not be crusty.
For active growth for kochia, regular feeding is necessary. The first fertilization is done 2 weeks after planting the bushes in the ground. After that, feeding is done once a month.
For feeding, organic or complex is taken mineral fertilizers... You can use mullein, ash. After cutting, for a quick restoration of the bush, an extraordinary feeding with nitrogen-containing fertilizers is performed.
Plants are pruned 1-2 times a month.
Cochia is quite resistant to diseases and pests. Rot may develop during prolonged rains. When rot appears, diseased bushes are removed, and healthy plants are watered with potassium permanganate.
Sometimes a spider mite may appear on the bushes. The mite damages the greenery of the plant. To combat the pest, special protective agents are used (Bitoxibacillin, Neoron, Akarin) or a decoction of cyclamen tubers, a soap solution.
The bushes easily tolerate a haircut and retain their shape for a long time.
With the help of sharp scissors and pruning shears, plants take the shape 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 planting along the paths, you can arrange a neat trimmed border. To create miniature bushes, the tops are pinched at the stage of early development of the bushes.
After any mowing, plants need feeding from water-soluble nitrogen fertilizers.
Tall bushes are used for decoration various buildings, arbors, in the form of hedges.
Cochia can be planted in a single copy among ground cover plants or on the lawn, as a tapeworm.
Can be planted in groups in a mixborder, in a flower bed. Cochia goes well with roses, marigolds, asters and many other flowers. 
These lush, slender bushes make it possible to decorate any area. They are used to decorate flower beds, borders, fences.
Look great in rock gardens, rockeries, topiary, near fountains and next to large stones.
Cochia (curb shrub): video
Unpretentiousness and ease of care make kohija practically ideal plant in the garden.
Cochia is a magnificent ornamental plant that spread throughout the world from China and got its name from a German biologist with the surname Koch. At first glance, it seems that this shrub belongs to conifers, the people even nicknamed it "one-year cypress". However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that its thin leaves are actually tender and soft. Kohija is grown as a decorative element in various compositions.
The plant is valued not only for its decorative appearance, but also because it is not afraid of a haircut. By putting him on your or personal plot, you can test your artistic talent by giving the kohija unusual intricate forms. The plant is among the unpretentious, so everyone can grow it on their site. The only way it reproduces kohija - growing from seeds... When to plant seeds in open ground and in a greenhouse for seedlings, as well as the main points of planting and care - all this will be discussed below.
Planting kochia seeds in open ground
In order for the seeds of the kochia to sprout well, and the young shoots subsequently to develop successfully, it is important to know when, in what soil and how to sow. Although the annual cypress is not particularly demanding, in some conditions it will not develop properly.
When to plant kohija
This decorative representative of the flora does not tolerate frost, therefore, it can be planted in open ground only when the air temperature becomes stable above zero. Even more, the thermometer should not drop below + 10 +С at night. Therefore, even in warm spring, in order to avoid the risk, kohija is planted only in May.
Preparing a landing site
The natural habitat for Kokhia is steppe and semi-desert. This should be taken into account when choosing a place for her in your summer cottage or backyard territory. The plant will not like poorly lit land. Cochia will delight the eye as it grows in non-acidic and well-drained soil. The soil can be fertilized, loosened and moistened before seed placement.
Planting seeds
In order to have good seedlings of kochia seeds, it is important to make sure they are no more than two years old. Planting is best done early in the morning, in the evening, or in the middle of a cloudy day. The seeds are not scattered thickly in the selected area and sprinkled with sand or fine soil a little, and then carefully moistened. The planted seeds are covered with a non-woven fabric on top until the air finally warms up. The weakest sprouts are subsequently removed, leaving a distance of 20-30 cm between them, for decorative borders - 10-15 cm.
Kohia loves space Growing seedlings of kohija
Most often, kochia is propagated by pre-growing seedlings from seeds in a greenhouse. For the success of this venture, the following guidelines must be carefully followed.
The necessary conditions
The best time to start growing seedlings of kohija - March-April. Previously, this should not be done, since due to a lack of sunlight, the seedlings will be too thin and long. You can plant seeds in a mixture of fine peat, sand and humus, or from ordinary garden soil with humus. The substrate is disinfected by warming up in the oven or by treating it with a special agent.
Kochia likes light and non-acidic How to plant kochia seeds
Immediately before sowing, the prepared substrate is slightly tamped and thoroughly moistened. Next, sparsely scatter the seeds of kochia over its surface and sprinkle them with a small amount of sand or just press a little deeper. After that, they are sprayed from a spray bottle. In conclusion, the container is covered with lutrasil or other material that allows light and air to pass through.
Conditions for growing seedlings
The shelter is removed from the shoots that have emerged on the 7-10th day. So that they do not undergo dangerous diseases, watering should be regular, but moderate, and it is better to lower the air temperature in the room by a few degrees. If some seedlings have become ill, they must be urgently removed, and the soil must be rendered harmless with a solution of potassium permanganate or other suitable substance.
Kokhia seedlings picking
After the appearance of three leaves, a group of two or three sprouts can be transplanted into separate containers, the diameter of which should not exceed 10 cm. After that, the plant needs the same moderate watering and sunlight. A week after the dive, it is advisable to feed the seedlings, and then do this every two weeks. In order to plant seedlings in open ground, it is better to wait for stable heat. Most likely, this will be the second half of May. The main thing for growing beautiful and lush bushes is good lighting and moderate watering. Immediately after planting and a month later, it is advisable to feed.
Growing kohija is not as difficult as it might seem. Unfortunately, she cannot stand frost, so the only way to decorate her site with such an exotic beauty as kochia every year is to grow from seeds. When to plant this plant and how to do it correctly, we examined in detail. Now all that remains is to apply.
Cochia is a very beautiful, lush, magnificent and, of course, spectacular plant with unusual decorative foliage. Florists love this charming plant for its originality of form, as well as for the ability, depending on the imagination, to change this shape.
The homeland of kohija is China, but today the plant is widespread throughout the world, it grows in Europe and Asia, in America, Australia and Japan.
For a long time, the director of the botanical garden in the city of Erlangen was Wilhelm Daniel Koch, it was in honor of this German professor of botany that this plant was named - Kochia. In scientific literature, kohija is called bassia, and among the people - "annual cypress" and "summer cypress" - for the clear shape of the bush, which resembles a cypress. True, the plant has also got one more name among the people - "broom grass", since it is from the kohija that wonderful brooms are obtained.
Kokhia is a densely branching, fast-growing annual, reaching 1 m in height. Despite the fact that the small flowers of the kochia are rather ordinary-looking, the plant itself is very decorative. Thanks to the many small narrow lettuce-colored leaves, the kochia really resembles a small cypress. With both narrow thin leaves and the shape of the bush, the kohija is very similar to the representatives of conifers, but it is worth touching it, and you will understand that, apart from external similarities, there is nothing in common between them. By the way, the decorative foliage of the kohija has one more feature - in the fall it is painted in a bright red-carmine color, which makes it even more decorative.
Cultivation of kohija is a very exciting and completely easy process. The only upsetting thing is that the plant is completely unstable to temperature extremes, so even completely short first autumn frosts can completely destroy it. But on the other hand, kochia is drought-resistant and can calmly survive a lack of water.
Cochia is propagated by sowing seeds, most often directly into the ground, which can be produced from early May until mid-summer. If you want to get seedlings of kochia, you can start sowing its seeds in greenhouses from April. By the way, kochia reproduces well by self-sowing, and its seeds remain viable for no more than 2 years, keep this in mind.
Light is very important for the germination of plant seeds, so when sowing, do not cover them with soil - just press lightly into the soil.
Kokhia seedlings tolerate slight frosts normally, but if you grow the plant as seedlings, it can be transplanted into open ground only when the threat of frost has completely passed.
Planting kochii
Kochia is very fond of freedom, so it is necessary to plant a plant at a distance of about 30 cm from each other. In the case of too dense planting, the plant can "take revenge", that is, instead of a chic bush, you will get a half-dried broom with completely ugly foliage.
Cochia is a very unpretentious plant, but it is better to plant it in sunny place, on fertilized garden soils. But the often flooded and acidic soils are not tolerated by Kokhia.
Cochia care
During the growing season, kochia needs frequent loosening and weeding. In addition, it must be fed 2 times with full minerals - 10 days after planting the plant in the ground and again a month later.
During the period of intensive plant growth and after cutting the bushes, nitrogen fertilization is needed. Cochia is extremely responsive to the introduction of various liquid.
Caring for kochia consists not only in timely feeding, but also in cutting the plant, which can be done every 2 weeks, forming bushes in the form of a ball, an egg, a pyramid, a cube, a column - everything that is enough for your imagination. Cochia tolerates pruning well.
Kochia pests
The most dangerous pest kohii is, in case of which the plant must be immediately treated with a special preparation, for example, Neoron - dilute 1 ml in 1 liter of water. After 15 days, it is advisable to repeat the treatment.
Kokhia species
Kochia - Kochia is a genus that unites both perennial and annual plants, numbering over 80 species belonging to the family of hamsters. The most popular and decorative species in cultural floriculture today is the broom kochia (Kochia scoparia). It comes in two varieties - Kochia trichophylla (hairy cochia) and Kochia scoparia var. childsii (childs cochia). Despite the fact that the plants are very similar, their main difference is that hairy cochia in autumn changes the color of the leaves from green to carmine red. But the Cochia Childs remains green throughout the gardening season.
There are still a few less decorative species kochii.
Creeping cochia is a rather squat shrub, the stems of which are very branching at the base.
Cochia woolly is annual plant, reaching 80 cm in height. The stems of woolly-flowered kochia are yellowish-green or slightly reddish, completely covered with small curly hairs.
Densely flowered cochia is also an annual, strongly branching plant from the base, reaching a height of 130 cm. Its branches are located almost horizontally, they are only slightly directed upwards. The flowers of the plant are surrounded at the base by whole bunches of white long hairs, which is why the plant is white-haired.
The genus Cochia or brassia (Bassia) has about 80 dozen species belonging to the amaranth family, but only one of them has gained fame and popularity as a horticultural crop with high decorative qualities - corona cochia (Bassia scoparia).
The culture comes from the warm regions of Europe and Asia. Planting kohija and caring for it in open ground do not present any difficulty, and high decorativeness allows the plant to be used in any garden style.
The aerial part of the bush consists of numerous, branched stems with narrow needle-like leaves covered with hairs, like shoots.
In favorable climatic and soil conditions the bush reaches a height of more than a meter. In June, inconspicuous flowers appear in the leaf axils, forming inflorescences in the upper part of the shoot.
After flowering, small seed pods ripen. One plant produces thousands of seeds, which, after ripening, germinate very easily by self-sowing, giving dozens of seedlings near the plant.
Varieties
In the gardens, two forms of crown kochia are grown.
Hairy brassia (Bassia scoparia var.trichophylla)... Most beloved and demanded in garden design. With the arrival of autumn, the green color of the plant acquires all shades of fiery, burgundy, pink, orange and even purple, becoming bright accent autumn garden.
In Japan, during this period, a real natural show of summer cypress comes, the color of which comes to see from all over the world.
Cochia Childs (Bassia scoparia var.childsii) unlike the previous variety, it remains green throughout the season.
Outdoor Cochia Care
Summer cypress feels best in a sunny place, but it can also tolerate some shading. The plant does not tolerate cold winds, but if the site itself is open to winds, you can protect the bush by making the planting denser.
Light, non-acidic nutritious soils fertilized with humus are optimal for this culture. When caring for cochia, do not forget about frequent watering, because with a lack of moisture, the leaves immediately begin to wither and lose their attractive appearance.
However, it is important to avoid stagnant water, which is detrimental to the root system. In order for the summer cypress to retain the bright color of its leaves and look healthy, it is advisable to feed it once a week with a liquid fertilizer, for example, Azophos or around plantings.
Kohia easily tolerates pruning, which can be carried out with ordinary garden shears, without even possessing the special skills of creating curly garden forms... To keep the bush compact, just pinch the top.
And having ventured on a thorough haircut, you can give this pliable plant any topiary shape or make a low hedge out of the plantings.
Growing kochia from seeds and planting in the ground
Summer cypress is easily propagated by seeds. You can sow them in open ground in the fall or early May, when the threat of the last frost blows.
In the case of growing by seedlings, sowing is carried out in March in a mixture of universal soil and vermiculite. It is preferable to sow a small amount of seeds in one pot, pressing them lightly into the soil. The optimum temperature for germination is 16 ° C. During the growth process, it is necessary to monitor the moderate moisture content of the substrate.
You can see the seedlings after ten days. Although seedlings grow slowly at first, by the time they are transplanted to a permanent place, they reach considerable sizes. Seedling picking is relevant when the seedlings reach 10-15 cm.
Planting kochia in open ground is carried out after the last frost, but if the cold suddenly returns, young plants can be covered with paper caps or agrofibre. The distance between individual specimens is not less than half a meter.
Summer cypress is actively self-seeding. Allowing nature to reproduce on its own, one should only monitor the planting density, protect them from frost and thin out the seedlings so that they do not crowd each other.
The use of the kochia plant in landscaping and not only
Surprisingly, initially it was attractive plant was used only for the manufacture of brooms. Now, having appreciated this culture, gardeners fully complement it with bright greenery, various compositions until the very frost.
The culture stands out effectively against the background of green puddles, and looks like an elegant border. She will also advantageously decorate a rockery, a flower bed, a front garden, a mixborder and any other flower garden.
It can be used for landscaping both as a separate plant and as an appropriate accent in a group planting. The plant looks spectacular in composition with silvery cineraria, lobularia, begonia, salvia, low roses. In addition, dried shoots are actively used by florists to create winter bouquets with dried flowers.
However, landscape design is not the only area of \u200b\u200bapplication of this culture. The aboveground part of the summer cypress is famous for traditional medicine, helping with diseases of the urinary system, erysipelas of the skin, eczema, edema and rheumatism.
In China, for medical and cosmetic purposes, its leaves and fruits become an ingredient for the preparation of ointments for skin and nail diseases.
It is also used in food preparation. Housewives often add it to soups, not to mention using it as feed for livestock and silkworm caterpillars.
Kokhia summer cypress is a curious plant, which is an annual subshrub, which belongs to the family of plants Marevye. The origin of kohija is the south of Europe, the south and north of America, and the west of Asia. The plant is found in the wild in Australia. The kochia bush develops quickly, reaches a meter, the leaves have unusual, similar to cypress needles. For these leaves and for general form a narrow pyramidal crown, which stretches upward, is called kohija cypress, and summer, because the summer grows one season.
Benefits of kochia
Kokhia came to the culture of gardening a long time ago - back in 1629. But it didn’t take root in our gardens for a long time. The fact is that growing kochia is not an easy task. She is quite capricious, she needs to be grown from seeds annually and it is better to do this with seedlings, and then plant tender seedlings in the ground. Not all gardeners want to tinker with this plant; many prefer flowers with more decorative qualities.
But kochiya has a number of advantages.
- Emerald greens of summer cypress effectively complement the compositions of flowering plants.
- Kochia is very advantageous against the background of stones in rockeries and adorns the alpine slides.
- Graceful borders are obtained from kohija.
- She willingly gives in to a haircut. Even a novice designer can make topiary from kohija using simple scissors.
- Kohia looks great in solitary plantings.
How to grow kohija
This green plant is not grown in pots or containers. It is an ornamental outdoor resident. Annual cypress can be grown by sowing seeds directly to their habitat. But usually it is not recommended to sow kochia directly into the ground. It is better to grow seedlings first, and then plant them in a well-lit sunbeams, not windswept place.
Important! Cochia can tolerate light shading; it will not grow in strong shade. The bush is stunted and ugly. If you plant in a place where the wind blows, the plants are likely to die. The way out is to plant the kohija in a dense row so that the bushes support each other, protecting them from drafts.
Growing seedlings
This method ensures healthy seedlings of the plant. Summer cypress seeds are sown for seedlings at the end of the first spring month. Sowing is carried out in small containers.
Before sowing, the containers must be washed with hot water and soap, treated with a solution of potassium permanganate or other antiseptics.
You also need to disinfect the soil - steam it, spill it with a hot solution of potassium permanganate or fungicides. The soil must be carefully prepared.
The soil needs a loose, fine-structured, moisture-permeable, aerated and always new, which has not been previously used. Sand is mixed in half with peat or perlite is added.
Important! Seedlings of kochia more often than other plants suffer from black leg, so it is necessary to carry out disinfecting measures for containers and soil.
Video - How to grow cochia from seeds
Growing by sowing in the ground
Cochia summer cypress does not tolerate acidic soils. Either the soil should be deoxidized before sowing (for example, sprinkled with dolomite flour or ash), or neutral soil should be added directly to the flower bed or into the hole when sowing seedlings. Humus soils are quite suitable, you should not only add poorly rotted manure for planting kochia.
The plant loves water, but does not tolerate stagnant moisture. Especially young specimens that are easily affected by the black leg. Cochia requires drained soil.
Summer cypress seeds are sown in open soil in late spring. The chance of frost should pass. In warm areas, you can start sowing the plant in early May. The seeds are spread over the top of the soil. The most suitable temperature for seedlings in the open air is + 16 ° C ... + 18 ° C.
Seedlings will appear for a rather long time - about 12-14 days. It is good to cover crops with spunbond at night. At the beginning of the growing season, the summer cypress grows slowly and looks rather stunted. In the open field, grown seedlings must be thinned out, removing the weak ones and leaving a distance of no more than 35 cm between the bushes.
Cochia care
The plant does not need specific care. He needs increased watering, a lot of sunlight and constant protection from pests. Also, the kohija must be cut regularly.
Watering
Summer cypress loves water. It is necessary to water the kohija often, otherwise the leaves will fade, begin to wither, and the plant will lose its attractiveness. But lack of moisture is just as bad as too much moisture. Therefore, when watering the kohija, the following rule must be observed. The plant itself will tell you when it is time to water it. Slightly the leaves are planted, a portion of moisture comes in. At the root, abundantly, in the hole, until all the soil near the roots is thoroughly wet. Kokhia also will not refuse a light, fine "rain" in summer. The main thing is not to do this on a hot afternoon - it is better to water it in the evening or in the morning, so as not to burn the leaves.
Top dressing
Frequent feeding of kochii will not hurt. Liquid fertilizer for deciduous plants in the mineral complex every 10 days is the minimum for her. The shrub has abundant foliage that needs to be well nourished. If the cochia lacks nutrition, its leaves are faded, sick and drooping. The tips of the leaves may wither and turn yellow.
Pruning
Trimming the kohija is easy and enjoyable. It can form a short compact bush with a crown growing in breadth. To do this, pinch the apical shoots, preventing them from growing in height. The plant will lose its resemblance to cypress, but will not lose its decorative effect. It is good to train in the art of topiary on kohii. With one stroke of scissors, you can give it any geometric and arbitrary shape. Cochia bushes look great in the shape of a ball, cube, rectangle, square.
Pests
Summer cypress has a lot of pests. They like the succulent foliage of the plant during all growing seasons. The main danger is the spider mite. This pest is capable of completely destroying the plantings of kochii. Therefore, if signs are found, it is immediately necessary to carry out treatment with insecticides.
Five mistakes when growing summer cypress
| № | Problem | Cause |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The seeds did not sprout | This often happens, especially when sprouting summer cypress from store-bought seeds. The fact is that the germination rate of summer cypress seeds is very short - only a year. If they are not sown in the next season after harvesting, the seeds can be thrown away - waiting for seedlings from them is useless. Therefore, when purchasing seed material, you need to pay attention to the date of its packaging and expiration date. |
| 2 | Seeds sprout poorly | Seeds can sprout poorly even if the conditions necessary for their germination are not met. Summer cypress kochia seeds, unlike many other plants, need light to germinate. They should not be placed after sowing on seedlings in a dark and even shaded place. |
| 3 | Shoots are not friendly | The seeds do not need to be buried deep in the soil. They are sown on the surface, but they must be lightly sprinkled with sand mixed with soil. Crops should not be left open, such as petunia. |
| 4 | Seedlings are rare | Cover boxes with cochia or open field crops. But they are covered not with film, plexiglass and glass, like other plants, but with thin tissue paper, spunbond, lutrasil, and other covering material that "breathes". Otherwise, the seeds will suffocate and not sprout |
| 5 | Seedlings are not uniform | For successful seedlings, it is necessary to strictly observe the room temperature not lower than + 18 ° С and not higher than + 20 ° С.As soon as the seedlings appear, without reducing the illumination, the temperature must be reduced to + 15 ° С and kept at this level, plus or minus one degree, before picking seedlings |
This plant is so beloved today in landscape design, traditionally previously grown and used to make brooms. Especially the technical variety broom kokhia, from which the selection kokhia variety called "Summer Cyprus" originated.
It is still used today by florists to create creative dry bouquets, even wedding compositions for the bride.
