Now the gardening stores Apple nowhere to fall – gardeners swarm around the shelves with seeds in anticipation of the upcoming spring harvest. And if you, too, in the coming days are going to replenish their stocks of seed, be sure to buy a package of kohia seeds – unpretentious decorative culture, which throughout the summer season will delight you with its exotic beauty.
Plant description
This amazing plant, also called annual cypress and broom grass, came to us from China. However, despite its foreign origin kohia, unlike other foreign women, perfectly adapted to our climatic conditions and every year finds an increasing number of fans of its unusual beauty.
It should be noted that before there was a genus Kochia, which is now abolished, and its species are distributed among several genera of the subfamily Chenopodioideae, most of the Eurasian species transferred to the genus Bassia. However, the sale of this plant can be found under the same name Kochia.
The Most widespread bassia scoparia, which will be discussed. This herbaceous annual plant attracts attention with the ideal form of its rounded-oblong crown, made up of numerous branched shoots and small narrow leaves.
Bassia grows very quickly and in a couple of months turns into a thick-leafed oval “egg”, which becomes a bright accent in any garden. It attracts attention is a neat appearance and elegant foliage, which, depending on the variety can be from bright green to crimson or crimson. But its inflorescences are unremarkable – they are small and nondescript.
One-year cypress was immediately noticed by landscape designers and began to be used to decorate city parks and squares, because the plants perfectly tolerate the gas contamination of a crowded metropolis and are characterized by enviable drought resistance.
No less impressive broom grass looks at the dacha, placing bright accents in the flower garden and garden. Amazing kohia can be planted not only alone, but also to create with it dense borders or placed in the background of the flower garden.
Cultivation
Exotic outfit of this plant should not make you think about his capricious and fastidious character. On the contrary, Kochia is absolutely easy to care and has an innate modesty, therefore do not require special attention.
This plant feels great in the hot dry summer, so it will be an excellent choice even for summer residents of the weekend, who have the opportunity to water their green Pets only on Saturday and Sunday. But the cold Kochia, on the contrary, very afraid and could die under the action of a return spring frosts. Therefore, it is necessary to plant it only with the onset of sustainable warming.
Landing
Kochia is easily propagated by seeds, which within two years after the collection show an excellent germination rate and yield sprouts. Due to the rapid growth rate of this annuals seeds can be sown directly into the open ground in may and June, when the threat of return frosts passes. Seeds are laid out in shallow moistened grooves and only slightly sprinkled with earth or simply pressed into the soil with the palm of your hand.
Broom grass should be planted in a well-lit place, the maximum that she agrees-it’s a light penumbra a few hours a day. But the area where water accumulates after precipitation, the plant does not make.
Kohia can put up with any type of soil, but a particularly lush crown with juicy bright greens will form, being planted on a loose fertile soil. Therefore, it makes sense to once spend an extra hour of your time to properly prepare the bed for planting this plant, well seasoning it with humus and mineral fertilizers, and a great aesthetic pleasure from the contemplation of beauty is provided to you.
And if you want such unusual plants to decorate the suburban area early, you can sow seeds on seedlings in April and with the onset of favorable weather conditions, plant hardened “teenagers” in the open ground.
Maintenance
Most ornamental crops require constant soil moisture in their basal layer, but kohia in this regard is more durable. As a native of arid regions, it is able to do without moisture for a long time.
However, this measure is extreme, so do not forget in the summer heat abundantly watered kohia at least once a week. But in seasons with sufficient rainfall can do without watering. The only thing, do not forget to loosen the soil under the plants – they are much better developed.
To kohia formed a thicker crown, it should be periodically pinched-remove the tips of the apical shoots, which from this begin to branch more strongly. Kohia fed twice a season – a couple of weeks after emergence and again in 3-4 weeks. To do this, it is better to use a complete mineral and complex organo-mineral fertilizer, the solution of which is poured under the bushes on the pre-moistened soil.
Broom grass shows enviable resistance to diseases and pests. The only concern may bring spider mites, which damage plants during the dry seasons, criss-crossing their tender shoots webs and sucking the juices from them. To protect the landing from enemy, you can use the insecticide solution, which processing is repeated in accordance with the instructions to the agent.
This culture is very easily tolerate a haircut and can become the embodiment of the whimsical fancies of his master, to the surprise of all guests and neighbors. So feel free to grab a garden scissors and cut out of kohia any figure-a ball, a cube, a pyramid or a heart.
With this simple care Kochia continues to please the eye until the first autumn frosts. In addition, most varieties by the end of the season are painted in spectacular red tones, why become the main focus in a dull autumn garden.
With the arrival of the autumn cold annual cypress dies quickly, but do not grieve about it, because the plant is very easy to reproduce by self-seeding. Therefore, next spring you will only need to protect a thick carpet of seedlings with a covering material from return frosts, and with the arrival of sustainable warming, plant them on the site or simply thin them out.
Species and varieties
Bassia scoparia is the most common form, a highly decorative form of his leafy crown. One of its species — Bassia scoparia f. trichophylla, forming a beautiful crown oblong up to a height of 1.2 m and a diameter of 0.7 m. This plant differs in that the fall is replaced by its green interior in Carmine red, dark pink or Burgundy dresses.
Of no less interest to landscape designers and gardeners calls her own “sister” — Bassia scoparia varieties ‘Childsii’, forming a more compact shrub with a maximum height of 0.5 m. Green foliage of this plant has a lighter shade than that of Bassia hirsuta, and this color it retains for the entire season.
Among today’s varietal range is to highlight the amazing variety ‘Sultan’, characterized by a rounded shape of the crown height of 0.7-1 m and changing its color to fall from emerald to bright red.
Looker spectacular cultivar ‘Jade’, growing to a height of 1 m. the Variety is excellent endures “hairdresser” procedure and is suitable to form fanciful compositions.
Will be a bright accent in any garden variety ‘Flame’ with a beautiful oblong crown shape, reaching a height of 0.8-1.0 m and painted in autumn in crimson tones. The variety is resistant to small frosts.
Vivid green summer foliage and crimson shades in autumn unmatched variety ‘Chili’. The plant forms a dense dense crown of an ideal oblong shape without any hassle from the gardener, reaching 1 m in height and 0.6 m in diameter.
Very nice look “cypress” varieties ‘Green Lace’, stand out the correct form of elongated crown and emerald color of openwork foliage. The plant tolerates haircut and becomes even more attractive in autumn, when it is painted in bright red tones.
Grow delicious Koch under the power of even a novice gardener. Therefore, if you are still not familiar with this unique plant, be sure to buy its seeds for the coming summer season. With minimal care, this Chinese woman in a short time will transform your suburban landscape and give it an exotic look.
Dear readers, and you liked the Asian beauty, decided on the most suitable grade for yourself? Share with us in the comments where you decided to plant this wonderful plant. And if you have already grown it, tell us how it feels in your region.
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