Most gardeners try to grow beautiful and easy-to-care flowers in their flower beds and personal plots. These plants include kosmeya. The photo shows that it bears great resemblance to chamomile, but it differs in bright and rich shades of its terry inflorescences. From this, any flower bed looks bright and attractive. Many flower growers are concerned about the question of how to grow cosmeia from seeds? What kind of flower care is needed when growing outdoors?
Adorable cosmeya
With its rainbow colors, kosmeya reminds of a bright sunny summer. This is not surprising, because the birthplace of flowers is Mexico... The flower belongs to the herbaceous plants of the Aster family. Kosmeya is perennial and annual, and there are about 25 types of flowers in the world. They are divided into varieties:
- terry;
- semi-double;
- anemic.
Despite its exotic origin, kosmeya has taken root well in our climatic conditions. It is successfully cultivated even in northern latitudes.
In the height of the kosmeya grows up to 50-150 cm... Its stems are erect, flexible and branched. On them delicate delicate double-dissected leaves grow. Inflorescences in the form of baskets are very similar to chamomiles. They reach 12 cm in diameter and can grow singly or gather in loose thyroid panicles. The breeders managed to bring out new terry varieties of cosme. Now her color scheme is very rich:
- purple;
- pink;
- red;
- white;
- purple;
- golden yellow.
The kosmeya flower has seeds, they retain their properties for 2-3 years and are suitable for sowing.
Kosmeya: growing from seeds, when to plant?
A flower is grown using seeds in two simple ways:
- sowing in open ground;
- seedling method.
If you choose the first method of planting seeds, then at the very beginning of spring, as soon as the snow melts, seeds are sown in open ground... They are scattered 3-4 pieces on the surface of the soil with an interval of 30-40 cm. They must be lightly sprinkled with earth by about 1 cm. With proper care, the kosmeya will delight you with its bright flowering in July-August. If for some reason it was not possible to sow the seeds of cosmos in early spring, this can be done in late autumn before winter. The plant reproduces well by self-sowing, so in the spring you can thin out the seedlings and remove weeds.
The seedling method is more complex, but it gives the most likely results. You need to start sowing with seeds in March-April. They should be spread out on top of a fresh and moistened substrate and pressed lightly without sprinkling with soil.
Sowing must be covered with glass or film. The container with seeds should be placed in a lighted place with a temperature of 18-20aboutC. Seeds sprout in about 7-14 days... Dense sowing should be thinned out, leaving a distance between shoots of 10-15 cm.It is best to pick the plants and keep the container at a lower temperature 16-18aboutC. The picking can not be done, but immediately sow the seeds in separate cups, 2-3 pieces each, and after a while they will be ready for planting in open ground.
Kosmeya: planting and care in the open field
Cosmey is best planted when the threat of spring frosts has passed.Seedlings should reach a height of about 6 cm. They are usually planted in the second half of May or early June. For growing, you should choose a well-lit area, protected from strong winds. The soil should be moderately fertile with good drainage. If the soil is very fertile, then the sprouts will grow very quickly. Because of this, there will be no abundant flowering. Planting holes are made with a depth of 30 cm, it is possible deeper if the variety is tall. First, the hole is watered and then the seedlings are planted, drop it and watered again.
For tall varieties of cosme need support... You need to take care of it in advance. For the plant to bush better, it needs to pinch the tops. This is done when the flowers have reached a height of 50 cm. The kosmeya, planted with seedlings in the middle of summer, begins to bloom.
Kosmeya is unpretentious in care, so even a novice gardener can cope with this task. It needs to be watered once a week, but very abundantly. Pour 4-5 liters of water under each bush. After watering, be sure to loosen the soil so that the root system develops better. We must not forget to remove the weeds, then the plant will become strong and strong.
For the whole season it is necessary feed flowers three times:
- before budding;
- during the budding period;
- at the beginning of flowering.
Abundant color will give foliar dressing. For this, special means are used, spraying the deciduous mass. You cannot over-fertilize the plant so as not to harm. Fading inflorescences should be removed in time. Tall bushes can be cut to make them more compact and attractive.
The plant is practically not afraid of pests and diseases, it is very resistant. The only thing that the flower is afraid of are slugs and snails. They can be collected manually or used for processing special tools. A one-time treatment may not give positive results, so after a week repeat the procedure.
Kosmeya in the garden
The original and delicate appearance of the cosmos makes it possible to create a garden landscape design that is unique and very beautiful. The flower looks simple and resembles village meadows and gardens in its appearance. The abundance of shades and colors creates an amazing landscape, the design turns out to be harmonious and cute.
The company will be accompanied by summer varieties of flowers, which are also very common - chamomile, marigolds, echinacea and phlox. Tall varieties are suitable as a hedgeto hide unsightly areas on the lot. Low-growing varieties can be used to decorate borders in combination with other flowers. Together they will create a charming look where the cosmeya will look just beautiful.
