Kochia (summer cypress): planting seeds when planting in seedlings. Growing kochia (summer cypress) from seeds, outdoor care

Kochia summer cypress is a curious plant, which is an annual subshrub, which belongs to the Marev family of plants. The origin of kochia is the south of Europe, the south and north of America, 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 narrow pyramidal crown, which stretches upwards, kochia is called cypress, and summer, because letnik grows one season.

Cochia Benefits

Kochia came to the culture of gardening a long time ago - back in 1629. But in our gardens for a long time did not take root. The fact is that growing kochia is not an easy task. It is quite capricious, it needs to be grown from seeds annually and it is better to do it with seedlings, and then plant tender seedlings in the ground. Not all gardeners want to mess with this plant, many prefer flowers with more decorative qualities.

But cochia has a number of advantages.

1. The emerald green of summer cypress effectively complements the composition of flowering plants.
2. Kochia really wins against the background of stones in rockeries and decorates the alpine slides.
3. Cochia makes elegant borders.
4. She willingly lends herself to a haircut. Even a novice designer can build topiary from kochia with simple scissors.
5. Kochia looks great in solitary plantings.

How to grow kochia

This green plant do not grow in pots and containers. This is a decorative inhabitant of open ground. Annual cypress can be grown by sowing seeds directly to the habitat. But it is usually not recommended to sow cochia directly into the ground. It is better to first grow seedlings, and then plant them in a place well lit by the sun, not blown by the winds.

Important! Kochia can tolerate light shading, it will not grow in strong shade. The bush is formed stunted and ugly. If planting in a place where the wind blows, the plants will most likely die. The way out is to plant kochia in a dense row so that the bushes support each other, protecting them from drafts.

Growing seedlings

This method guarantees the production of healthy seedlings of the plant. Seeds of cochia summer cypress are sown for seedlings at the end of the first spring month. Sowing is carried out in small containers.

Wash containers before planting hot water with soap, treat 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 is needed loose, fine-grained, moisture-permeable, aerated and always new, which has not been used before. Sand is mixed in half with peat or perlite is added.

Important! Cochia seedlings more often than other plants suffer from a black leg, so it is necessary to carry out disinfecting measures for containers and soil.

Video - How to grow cochia from seeds

Cultivation by sowing in the ground

Kochia summer cypress does not tolerate acidic soils. Either the land should be deacidified before sowing (for example, by sprinkling dolomite flour or ash), or add neutral soil directly to the flower bed or in the hole when sowing seedlings. Humus soils are quite suitable, you should not just add poorly rotted manure for planting cochia.

The plant loves water, but does not tolerate stagnant moisture. Especially young specimens, which are easily affected by the black leg. Kochia needs well-drained soil.

IN open ground summer cypress seeds are sown in late spring. Frost must pass. In warm areas, you can start sowing the plant in early May. Seeds are spread over the top of the soil. The most suitable temperature for seedlings in the open air is + 16 ° C ... + 18 ° С.

Seedlings will appear for quite a long time - about 12-14 days. At night, it is good to cover the crops with spanbond. At the beginning of the growing season, summer cypress grows slowly and looks rather stunted. In open ground, grown seedlings must be thinned out, removing the weak ones and leaving a distance of no more than 35 cm between the bushes.

Kochia care

The plant does not need specific care. He needs increased watering, plenty of sunlight and constant protection from pests. Kochia also needs to be trimmed regularly.

Watering

Summer cypress loves water. It is necessary to water the kochia often, otherwise the leaves will fade, begin to fade, and the plant will lose its attractiveness. But the lack of moisture is just as bad as its excess. Therefore, when watering cochia, you must observe next rule. The plant itself will tell you when it is time to water it. A little leaves are wilted, a portion of moisture enters. Under the root, abundantly, into the hole, until the entire soil near the roots is thoroughly wet. From a light fine "rain" in the summer, kochia will also not refuse. The main thing is not to do this on a hot afternoon - it is better to water in the evening or in the morning so as not to burn the leaves.

top dressing

Frequent top dressing of kochia will not hurt. Liquid fertilizer for deciduous plants in mineral complex once every 10 days is the minimum for her. The shrub has abundant foliage that needs to be well nourished. If the kochia lacks nutrition, its leaves are faded, looking sick and drooping. The tips of the leaves may wither and turn yellow.

pruning

Trimming kochia is an easy and pleasant task. From it you can form a short compact bush with a crown growing in breadth. To do this, you need to 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. On kohiya it is good to train in the art of topiary. It can be given any geometric and arbitrary shape with a single wave of scissors. Cochia bushes look great in the form of a ball, cube, rectangle, square.

Pests

Summer cypress has many pests. They like the succulent foliage of the plant in all growing seasons. The main danger is spider mite. This pest is capable of completely destroying kochia plantings. Therefore, when signs are found, it is immediately necessary to treat with insecticides.

Five mistakes when growing summer cypress

This plant is so beloved today in landscape design, traditionally previously grown and used to make brooms. Especially the technical grade broom kochia, from which the selection variety of kochia called "Summer Cyprus" originated.

It is still used today by florists to create creative dry bouquets, even wedding arrangements for the bride.

Kochia is a wonderful decoration adjoining territory, garden, dacha, park. This shrub belongs to deciduous plants highly decorative. After a haircut, it quickly builds up a green mass and becomes even more beautiful. Read about how to grow kochia from seeds in the article.

plant description

Kohiya is a fluffy annual shrub with a dense branching crown, reaching a height of one meter. Decorative plant gives not flowering, but the beauty of the foliage. The inflorescences are small and inconspicuous. Attractive is the narrow foliage of an oblong shape. It is bright green or light green in color, and in autumn - raspberry or burgundy.

Due to the peculiarity of changing shades of foliage in the process of growth, the shrub always stands out among other garden vegetation. The leaves bear a strong resemblance to needles and feel prickly to the touch. But in fact, the shoots are very tender and soft, for which the plant is popularly called broom grass. Bath brooms are made from its twigs. In addition, there is another popular name: summer cypress, and in science - bassia.

This plant from the haze family has 80 species, one of them is Green Forest cochia. Growing from seeds is carried out both in open ground and at home. This variety of kochia is characterized by a bright color of juicy green leaves throughout the growing season, which gives the shrub a special decorative effect. Hence the name, which is translated from in English means "green forest". There is no particular difference in the care of varieties. However, when landscaping garden plots hairy cochia and "Childs" cochia are more commonly used.

Cypress comes from the ancient country of the East - China. It was here that many varieties of this crop were bred, which was later brought to Europe by Koch, a professor from Germany, which determined the name of the plant. Due to its excellent decorative qualities, it began to be cultivated in various parts of the world. Kohiya is very similar to cypress crown, which has the shape of a pyramid.

Growing with seedlings

At this method are guaranteed healthy seedlings. To grow kochia (summer cypress) from seeds, they must first be sown and seedlings obtained. This time falls on the spring period, or rather, at the end of March. Seeds are sown in containers small size. Before this, the containers are washed with hot soapy water, and then treated with potassium permanganate.

The soil is also disinfected. First you need to steam it, and then spill it well with the same hot solution. The soil should be loose and finely structured. It is important that it is new and well passes air and water. It can be prepared independently, for which you should mix peat with sand or perlite in equal proportions.

Seed sowing technology

If everything is done correctly, planting material will quickly germinate. Growing cochia from seeds is not difficult. The sowing procedure is as follows:

• The soil must first be compacted, and the seeds evenly distributed over the entire surface.
• Sprinkle them on top with soil mixed with sand, or sand alone.
• Water the soil using a spray bottle. If necessary, moisturizing is carried out daily. The main thing is to prevent the top layer of soil from drying out.
• Cover landings.
• Place the container so that it is not rearranged later. After a week and a half, shoots will appear.
• After 14 days, their height will reach five to seven centimeters. It's time to start picking seedlings, preferably in peat pots along with a clod of earth, so as not to damage the roots.
• At this time, plants need regular watering and fertilizing with fertilizers containing nitrogen.
• As soon as they pass return frosts and the seedlings reach a height of 15-20 cm, they are planted in flower beds in the garden, keeping a distance of 25-30 cm between the bushes. If cochia is used to create living borders, then the plants are planted after 10-15 cm.

Sowing in the ground

Kochia is an ornamental inhabitant of open ground, although the plant is also grown at home. Since cypress is an annual crop, it can be grown by sowing seeds directly on permanent place growth. But experts do not recommend using this method. Better to grow indoors strong seedlings and plant it in a plot in the garden, where there will be a lot of light and no draft.

When growing cochia Summer Cyprus from seeds, it should be borne in mind that this plant acidic soils can't stand it. Therefore, before sowing, the soil must be deoxidized. To do this, its surface is sprinkled with ash or neutral soil is added to the landing site or directly into the hole. Sowing seeds can be done using soil fertilized with rotted manure. Kochia prefers to grow in humid environment but does not tolerate stagnant water. In this case, plants are susceptible to damage by a disease such as black leg. Therefore, it is important that the soil is well-drained.

When to plant kochia?

Growing from seeds begins with their sowing in open ground in the spring, at the end of the season. It is important that there are no return frosts. In regions with a warm climate, seeds are sown in May, at the very beginning of the month. Optimum temperature for their germination is 16-18 o C heat. It doesn’t matter if for some reason you didn’t manage to do it in May landing work. Sowing continues until the middle of the first summer month. The emergence of seedlings will have to wait a long time, about two weeks.

To speed up this process, give the seedlings plenty of sunlight. To do this, scattering the seeds over the surface of the soil, you should not cover them with a thick layer of earth. It is enough to press the seeds into slightly moist soil. To prevent young plants from being damaged by low night temperatures, they are covered with spunbond or other material at this time of day.

"Summer cypress" immediately after planting is no different rapid growth, in appearance it seems stunted and unsightly plant. This is because the seeds give almost 100% germination, the plants are too crowded. Therefore, seedlings should be thinned out, leaving a distance of at least 35 cm between them.

Watering

Cultivation of cochia from seeds in open ground is carried out using a number of agrotechnical measures, one of which is irrigation. Cypress is considered unpretentious plant, so it does not need to be watered often, it satisfies the need for moisture due to precipitation from the atmosphere. But in a dry summer, watering is necessary, they are carried out once a week. Mulch to keep moisture in the soil. To do this, use small gravel or bark, as well as decorative rock.

top dressing

Cypress grows amazingly fast and grows green after the next haircut. Therefore, in order to maintain its magnificent appearance, the plant should be fed. Approximate schedule of procedures:

• If the seeds are sown immediately in open ground, then two weeks after germination, full seeds should be added to the soil. mineral fertilizers, since at this time kochia needs trace elements.
• After a month and a half, top dressing is repeated, but with nitrogen fertilizers.
• After a bush has been formed with a haircut, the plant should be fed with nitrogen again so that the leaves grow faster.

How to grow kochia at home?

To do this, you need containers for seedlings, fertile soil and seeds. Growing kochia from seeds at home is not difficult. In the garden soil you need to add a little humus, peat or sand. Since the seeds of the plant are small, they do not require special preparation. It is enough to treat them with a growth-stimulating solution: Epin, for example, or Energen.

The soil needs to be calcined for 25 minutes at a temperature of 110 o C. After that, it needs to be processed, for this you can use a solution of potassium permanganate. Seeds should be sown in moist soil, on the surface of which grooves of small depth are made. Seeds are evenly poured into them and watered. planting material not sprinkled with earth, but slightly pressed against it. Planting boxes should be covered with film or glass and placed in a well-lit place, but away from heating devices.

When growing cochia from seeds at home, the temperature in the room should be maintained at 18-20 ° C. Water daily in the morning or evening. The seeds will germinate in a week. When three leaves appear, the seedlings dive into cups, preferably peat ones. In the future, they are planted in the ground along with plants. It's like an extra power source.

What are the benefits of kochia?

Despite the fact that the cultivation of cochia from seeds must be started anew every year, gardeners breed shrubs on their plots due to a number of advantages:

• Emerald greens are a great addition to any garden arrangement.
• Kochia looks advantageous on stones in rockeries, and is also an adornment of alpine slides.
• Borders using shrubs are very neat and elegant.
• The plant lends itself readily to shearing. Krone can give any shape even to a novice designer.

To help a park or garden look original and beautiful, it is often necessary to use more than just traditional plants. A good effect is provided by annual cypresses. Among flower growers, they are also known as kochia, which has many advantages. Many appreciate it for its unpretentiousness and the absence of strict requirements for the landing site. Such an operation, which is detrimental to many plants, such as pruning and forming a bush, does not affect the further development of kochia, since this plant is gaining leaf mass in a fairly short time.

Usually cypress planting is carried out late spring. In this case, when creating favorable conditions, this annual can grow up to 1 m in height. From the point of view of landscape design, kochia is attractive in that it retains a beautiful columnar shape. Many people like her with a neat crown, which is why she is perceived by many gardeners as a miniature cypress.

Cochia varieties

Sometimes this plant, which has been widely used in landscape design, is called broom cochia, for which there is a completely logical explanation. The fact is that once this plant was cultivated to obtain brooms for economic needs. However, as interest in kochia has increased, a large number of new varieties have appeared, distinguished by their diversity. color palette foliage. Therefore, today, for the design of the site, you can use cypresses of salad, emerald green, pinkish and almost purple hue, choosing from them the one that best matches the general style of the territory design.

Kochia is one of prominent representatives the Marev family. In fact, she is a semi-shrub, as indicated by its stems, which are succulent and supple at every stretch. IN wild kohiya is represented in the south of Europe, in Australia, in Northern and South America. Because of this, it is difficult to say where this plant first appeared. In the process of development, it forms a large number of branches, which are decorated with narrow leaves attached to separate branches.

There are quite unique varieties of kochia that begin to transform in autumn: at this time of the year, instead of their usual color, the leaves turn purple. From this kokhiya until the first frosts it retains a very bright and decorative look. Some varieties of plants, even with a cold snap, do not lose their juicy greenery, which also makes them very elegant. If you pay attention to the flowers, they do not stand out for their pronounced decorative properties, since they are in the axils of the foliage and are hidden from view.

Kochia: planting and care

Observations show that this plant feels better in steppe and semi-desert conditions. Therefore, if you want to grow summer cyprus kochia in your garden, then it is advisable to place it in sunny areas. And it's good if they are open. If the kochia remains without moisture for some time, then this will not harm her much. The consequences may turn out to be completely different if it grows in conditions of stagnant water or good drainage is not provided for it before planting.

The owner does not have to worry about carrying out top dressing to provide the bushes with the necessary nutrients. On almost any soil, kochia feels good, the only exceptions are acidic. That's why this moment must be taken into account when choosing a place for sowing seeds and transplanting adult seedlings. However, if you want the bushes to be able to acquire their own maximum dimensions, it is recommended to apply fertilizer to the soil during planting.

Landing features

Plants should be placed at a distance of at least 30 cm, and even better if it is increased to 50. In this case, during the first stage of growth, the cochia will spend all its energy on gaining vegetative mass and only after that will it enter the flowering phase. At this point, it stops growing. Due to the lack of free space for growth, the process of bud formation begins, which makes it difficult for the flowers to acquire a beautiful, natural shape.

Kochia summer cyprus applies among cold-resistant crops, therefore, it is necessary to plan its landing no earlier than the first decade of May. However, if you are itching to quickly enjoy its flowering, then you can start growing seedlings.

But you can choose another way - sowing seeds in open ground. However, in this case, you will have to protect the planting from frost.

Kohiya: growing from seed

The easiest way to get beautiful and large kochia bushes is grow it in a greenhouse. In this case, you will have the opportunity to place the bushes when planting in the way you yourself want. Usually, when sown, all seeds germinate, and young bushes show excellent survival rate when transplanted.

If you decide to immediately sow the seeds in open ground, then you will have to carry out frequent watering especially during the first months of growth. This is very important, because it is at this time that the formation of the vegetative mass occurs. At other stages of development, plants are undemanding to care. They respond well to weeding, as this allows you to increase the amount of incoming air.

The second top dressing is usually planned a month after germination. At this time it is recommended apply mineral fertilizers. If create favorable conditions for growth, it takes about a month and a half for the bush to reach its maximum height, and from that moment the process of crown formation begins. Kohiya summer cyprus tolerates a haircut without consequences, so it can be regularly given the necessary shape.

At the end of the next pruning under the bush, it is recommended to apply nitrogen fertilizers. It is also useful to feed plants with liquid nutrient solutions. Although she can do without them, however, such fertilizers also have a good effect on her condition. If you constantly make top dressing for kochia summer cyprus, then she can easily tolerate a haircut every two weeks.

Many gardeners like Kochia because resistant to many diseases. Although it cannot cope with some pests, for example, spider mites. When signs of infection are found, it is often necessary to use special preparations. Since this plant consists of dense foliage, for her spraying is useful, which is recommended to be carried out twice a season with an interval of two weeks.

It is usually enough to look at the plant to understand what it needs most.

• if the plant lacks moisture, then its foliage will wilt, and this will certainly affect the attractiveness of the plant. To correct this situation, you need to water as soon as possible - this usually allows you to return the decorative properties to the bushes again.
• if the problem is related to deficiency nutrients, then the kochia begins to fade, its color loses its former beauty. The solution in this situation may be the introduction of liquid fertilizers.

Preparing for winter

Since cochia is annual plant, in the fall they dig it out, thereby preparing a place for planting next year. For sheltering perennial varieties, you can use any materials available, combining them with crown shortening. A favorable moment for opening in the spring is the period when the frosts have passed. For middle lane In Russia, this moment usually comes in mid-May.

Kochia impresses many with its pronounced decorative properties, so it can often be found in gardens and parks. Moreover, it remains in demand also because it is easy to grow it in various conditions. However, it will still be necessary to specific activities:

• first of all, it is necessary to monitor the absence of weeds near it;
• it is also necessary to prevent the appearance of flowers and other cultivated plants between the bushes;
• if there is enough free space near the root zone, then this will create an excellent opportunity for the formation of a crown that can acquire a perfectly symmetrical shape.

Conclusion

Many owners of suburban areas often want to see in their garden not only plants familiar to our country, but also quite original specimens. Therefore, often the choice of many of them falls on kokhiya. This annual culture fully justifies their decision, since does not create problems with growing and care. A clear confirmation is that today kohiya can be found not only in gardens, but also in parks.

In general, the high interest in the plant, which is regularly used in landscape design, is due to its unpretentiousness in care. After all, the main difficulties arise only with the cultivation of young seedlings. Mature plants can often do without moisture without losing their attractiveness. The only thing you need to take care of is protection from freezing, as this can greatly harm the plant.

cochia plant

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 xerophyte plants.

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.

Flowers inconspicuous, paniculate or spike-shaped, very small, collected in inflorescences and hidden in the axils 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 appearance until late autumn.

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.

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.

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.

- 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 an fast growing plant reaching 100 centimeters in height. Suitable for curly haircut.

- a neat rounded shape, grows up to 70-100 centimeters in height. In summer the leaves are emerald green, and in autumn they become burgundy tones. 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, the 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 quality seeds. The earth can be collected from the garden, humus, sand and peat are added to it. Kochia 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 planting in a peat pot, seedlings are planted in open ground along 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 drying out charcoal, calcined sand or perlite. During watering, potassium permanganate or any antifungal drugs are added. 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. A lowland or an area with a close occurrence of groundwater is 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 spring frosts 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 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. With more early sowing you need to use a covering material 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.

When sown in autumn 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 quick release of flowers.

These methods of growing cochia are less efficient than 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 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 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 early development 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.

Kohiya can be planted in a single copy among ground cover plants or on a 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.