Growing kochia from seeds, when to plant? Features of care and growing kochia from seeds Kochia plant summer cypress

Kochia is an ornamental annual shrub, which is popularly considered a cypress, due to the similarity in the structure of the leaves. This plant is used not only as decoration, but also for making brooms. Moreover, using the plant as a material for brooms was previously the only reason for growing it. But thanks to the fruitful work of breeders, decorative species also appeared that change their color with the onset of autumn.

Due to the fact that kochia has dense shoots, which also grow very quickly, the crown can be given different shapes during pruning. And with the arrival of autumn, some species of this shrub change the color of their leaves to bright orange and red-pink shades.

Kochia species and varieties

- one of the most common decorative types. Among its varieties, the following can be noted: Kochia hairy And Childs . Their main difference is that the hairy one takes on red shades as autumn approaches, while the second one remains green.

– less decorative look. It reaches approximately 5-6 cm in height, has a denser base, and the remaining branches spread in different directions along the ground. Grows on rocky slopes and sandy steppes.

- an annual plant reaching half a meter in height, has reddish or yellowish-green shoots with curly hairs. Prefers sandy soils.

– annual shrub, more than a meter in height. The flowers are covered with many small whitish hairs, which gives the impression of a shaggy bush.

- a fast-growing subshrub that is excellent for shaped forming in flower beds. Reaches a meter in height with proper care and the application of sufficient fertilizer.

– This annual compact, rounded subshrub is well shaped. It reaches a height of 80-100 cm. Closer to autumn, there is a change in emerald shades of leaves to red (burgundy).

– has green leaves with silvery tips that turn purple in the fall.

– characterized by a more elongated, oval shape of the bush with emerald-colored leaves.

Kochia variety Green Forest - an annual elongated bush with bright green leaves throughout the entire growing season, which is why it is called “ green Forest "(translated from English).

- an annual heat-loving shrub that has not very pronounced flowering, but the leaves acquire a copper-red tint in the fall.

- this unusual variety, which has a red color already with the emergence of seedlings.

Kochia planting and care in open ground

No matter how much you would like to have this plant all year round, kochia is an annual plant and attempts to grow it in pots will most likely end in failure. Open ground only.

Planting and caring for kochia is not difficult. The time for planting must be chosen when it is warm, i.e. not in early spring (return frosts are not allowed, they can destroy the beginnings of the crop).

But it is not afraid of drought, it can easily survive for some time without moisture, but without fanaticism, since it may lose its decorative effect and the process of withering will begin. It is better to provide moderate but frequent watering.

During planting, it is necessary to take into account the fact that this is a bush that loves freedom, so the distance between seedlings (seedlings) or other neighboring plants should be at least 30 cm. Otherwise, you can get a skinny, limp or dried out broom.

Irezine is also a member of the Amaranthaceae family and is easily grown when planted in open ground, and with its decorative foliage it can decorate any garden plot. Recommendations for growing and care can be found in this article.

Fertilizer for kochia

The shrub prefers sunny areas with fertilized soil. Planting in acidic and waterlogged soils is not permissible. In addition, the soil around the bush should be loose, which is ensured by periodic weeding.

Fertilizers are applied several times, the density and brightness of the foliage, and the general condition of the kochia will depend on this. The first time complex mineral fertilizer is applied a week after planting in open ground, and the second time a month later. It is also advisable to feed the bush during the growing season and after pruning (shaping) with nitrogen fertilizers.

Pruning kochia

Kochia tolerates pruning very well, so you can give free rein to your imagination and experiment.

And due to the fact that the plant grows very quickly, you can change its shape every 2-3 weeks.

Kochia growing from seeds

The plant propagates by seeds, which can be sown directly in open ground, or seedlings can be pre-grown in a greenhouse. At the same time, do not forget that the time for this should be chosen when it is warm: if immediately in open soil, then no earlier than April. But you can plant seedlings early - March, and plant them in the ground as early as April-May.

When sowing seeds in open ground, you may need to cover them with film on top. The air temperature should not be lower than +16°C.

Seedlings planted in a greenhouse are in more favorable conditions, safe and at a constant temperature. Shoots appear within two weeks, and, at first, they grow very slowly, and then catch up in growth.

The seedlings are not picked, but are immediately planted in the soil, maintaining a distance of 30-50 cm from each other. But seedlings obtained by direct planting (directly into the soil) must be thinned out, maintaining the same distance.

Kochia pests

Application and beneficial properties

Kochia not only decorates gardens, flower beds, alleys and much more, but is also used in medicine. The plant has the following properties: cardiac stimulation, diuretic and diaphoretic effect, as well as a general tonic effect. Used during diseases of the urinary tract and bladder, eczema, rheumatism, swelling and skin inflammation. Kochia-based ointments treat skin and nail diseases.

In addition, some people use the leaves of the plant in preparing various dishes, but mainly as grass for livestock. The upper shoots with flowers are used as dried flowers, and the dried stems are used for brooms, as mentioned earlier.

This original and curious decorative foliage plant has gained rapid popularity among gardeners, flower growers and owners of suburban areas only in the last decade. Today kochia is widely used by both amateurs and professionals landscape design for various types of landscaping.

Kochia can be grown from seeds in two ways, each of which has its own advantages.

1. Through seedlings.
2. Sowing seeds directly into the ground.

Seedling plants will enter the growing season earlier, take shape faster and acquire a decorative appearance. Those sown in the ground will grow more slowly, but their resistance to diseases and weather influences will be higher.

Many varieties of kochia have been bred today. They may not differ very much, or they may differ dramatically - in height, leaf color, and shape.

Although, the plant is characterized by the fact that its bush can be given almost any shape. This, of course, is not boxwood, but among annuals, kochia is definitely a leader in cutting and can even serve as an excellent base for creating topiary.

By the way, some varieties of summer cypress have green, cheerful leaves, which quickly turn red with the onset of autumn days. Some species have foliage that is quite pale in color, but later turns blood red. There are varieties with foliage of the usual grassy shade, which will turn orange by autumn.

Sowing seedlings

Since the plant is used for decorative purposes, it is best and most convenient to grow it as seedlings. Seedlings ready for planting can be easily moved to the planned location, thus creating a design quickly and surely.

The timing of sowing summer cypress for seedlings will depend on climatic conditions. IN middle lane it's time to start sowing in the last week of March.

You will need containers with a depth of 12 cm. It is better not to use a round shape; a square with a minimum side of 25 cm or a rectangle 20x40 cm is more suitable.

Containers for kochia must be cleaned and disinfected so that the seedlings do not die at the beginning of the growing season. To do this, the containers are washed with hot soapy water (without impurities), and then rinsed with a bright solution of potassium permanganate.

Priming

You can buy ready-made soil, but it is better to prepare it.

Ingredients:

• fine-grained high-moor peat;
• fine-grained river sand;
• a fifth of crushed humus;
• perlite

The soil must be disinfected before sowing, as well as seedling containers. To do this, fully prepared, mixed and sifted, it is heated in the oven at a temperature of +60°C, and then spilled with a solution of potassium permanganate in water heated to +40°C.

Sowing step by step

Usually, if the temperature and water conditions are observed, summer cypress seedlings begin to sprout 8-10 days after the seed sowing procedure

Caring for summer cypress seedlings

As soon as the shoots appear, it’s time to remove the lutrasil and move the containers to another room, where the temperature is three to five degrees lower (you can simply gradually lower the temperature in this room, but without arranging through ventilation).

For the proper development of kochia seedlings, the temperature at the first vegetative stage should not be higher than +16°C.

Watering the seedlings is carried out with a thin stream of water, which flows down the edge of the container, and nothing else.

Summer cypress seedlings are susceptible to blackleg infection. You can protect the sprouts from death if you maintain a medium-low temperature. Overwatering and soaking of the soil are unacceptable.

The soil should not dry out either. At the slightest hint of drought, the leaves of kochia will droop, wither, and then recover with great difficulty.

If the seedling containers have drainage (which is very desirable), and the soil has a light structure that can be aerated, then water the seedlings twice a week.

What to do with black leg

If it does appear, and the plants begin to become covered with characteristic darkening, and then fall off and die with rotted, blackened stems, you need to take action.

1. Remove all diseased or suspected infected plants from the container.
2. Stop watering completely.
3. Cover the surface of the soil with dried river sand so that it absorbs excess moisture.
4. When the soil dries, water the seedlings at the roots with a solution of potassium permanganate.

If the measures taken did not help stop the mass death of seedlings, they urgently need to be transplanted into fresh and dry soil, previously disinfected soil.

Picking

To prevent the summer cypress from growing branchy and too fluffy, so that the bushes retain their compactness and neat appearance, the seedlings need to be pruned. Picking is carried out two to three weeks after emergence. By this time, the seedlings should have at least 2 leaves.

The container for picking is personal - pots with a diameter of 10 cm.
Disinfection of containers, preparation and disinfection of soil are carried out in the same way as before sowing seeds.

Three seedlings are placed in each container, so that the weak ones can then be removed and the stronger ones left for planting.

After picking, the plants are given the brightest place, and the temperature and watering schedule remain the same.

Feeding

Summer cypress seedlings will have to be fed at least three times before planting. The complex is used for seedlings for the first time. Feeding takes place after diving, a few days later, during watering.

The second and third times, fertilizing is also carried out using a complex where nitrogen predominates. This happens two weeks after the previous feeding.

Transplanting

Summer cypress will be planted in mid-May, but it is better to wait until the end of the month. The place is preferably sunny, so the plant can “open up” in all its glory. Drafts and winds are excluded - kochia needs calm.

The soil will need to be loose, above average fertile, and in no case swampy.

The distance between kochia seedlings when planting them in a regular flower garden is maintained at 30 centimeters. If the plant is planted as a border or low hedge, leave no more than 15 centimeters between seedlings.

While the seedlings are taking root, they will need increased watering. After two weeks, planting should be followed by another feeding. Then you can carry out the first haircut, and after this procedure, each time the summer cypress will need to be fed again.

If you sow in the ground

A few words about how to sow kochia directly into unprotected soil, for those who do not have the desire or ability to grow seedlings.

1. Be sure to wait for suitable temperatures - +18°C during the day, and not lower than +12°C at night. Traditionally this is the month of May.
2. The soil on a sunny site for kochia will have to be thoroughly loosened, the lumps crushed, and watered.
3. It is better to sow in the morning. The same as in a container - along the top. Then sprinkle with sand and cover, but not with film, but with non-woven fabric.

Kochia will take twice as long to sprout “in the wild,” and the seedlings can be quite stunted. They must be thinned out at the above distance, depending on the purpose of cultivation, and then fed with a mineral-nitrogen complex.

Kochia or summer cypress is an annual plant; it must be grown from seeds every year. However, this ornamental plant is worth the effort spent on growing it. Lush balls of summer cypress can change and ennoble any landscape.

Video review of kochia

Kochia (Kochia) or summer cypress is a fast-growing ornamental foliage plant from the Amaranthaceae family of the Chenopodiaceae subfamily. The genus includes drought-resistant semi-shrub and herbaceous xerophyte plants.

Kochia got its name in honor of the director of the botanical garden in Erlangen (Germany), Elangen Koch.

The plant is popularly known as summer cypress, bassia, summer cypress, izen, prutnyak, broom grass.

The homeland of this plant is China. Kochia 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 frost begins. Height 60-150 centimeters.

Kochia consists of an erect woody stem and large quantity branched thin shoots. Young branches are formed along the entire length of the shoots.

The leaves are entire, thin, linear, petiolate, soft, similar in appearance to cypress needles. The leaves are covered with short pubescence, often lanceolate, less often filiform.

On young kochia, the leaves are dark green or light green; closer to autumn, the foliage acquires a yellow, orange, crimson or pink tint. The root is taproot, goes into the ground up to 3 meters deep.

The flowers are inconspicuous, paniculate or spike-shaped, very small, collected in inflorescences and hidden in the axils of the apical leaves. Flowering of kochia extends from July to September.
After pollination, miniature nuts are formed in place of the flowers.

Each nut ripens with seeds that remain viable for 2 years. If the seeds are not collected, they scatter on the ground and sprout in the spring.

Fresh kochia leaves are added to soups. The plant is used medicinally. Kochia helps with eczema, erysipelas, skin inflammation, rheumatism, edema, and gonorrhea. It has diuretic, laxative, diaphoretic, cardiotonic, bactericidal and tonic properties.

In addition, Kochia is not averse to feasting on livestock and silkworm caterpillars. Some farms specifically grow this crop for these purposes.
Dried bushes can be used in the form of a broom (broom).

Types and varieties with photos

There are about 80 species of kochia in nature. Only a small part (about 10) is grown in ornamental horticulture.

Kochia broom (paniculata) is a low, spherical plant. In autumn, the subshrub turns reddish-burgundy. The plant can withstand light frosts and retains its decorative appearance until late autumn.

Perennial kochia is a subshrub 10-50 centimeters high, strongly branched at the beginning and spread along the ground.

One of the best varieties of perennial kochia is Kochia creeping.
The shape of the plant depends on the place of growth. The shoots spread along the ground and rise at the ends. The length of the stems is 70 centimeters.

At first they are covered with weak or dense pubescence, towards the ends the stems are almost bare, reddish in color. Leaves are filamentous or linear. Silky, fluffy or smooth to the touch.

Flowers are collected in spike-shaped inflorescences of 3 pieces.

Kochia wooliflora– annual subshrub, 78-80 centimeters high. The stems are yellowish-green or reddish in color, covered with short curly hairs.

Kochia dense-flowered- a highly branching annual. Height 130 centimeters. The branches are slightly directed upward, located horizontally.
The flowers are surrounded by long white hairs around the base.

- 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.

Childs' Kohia It is a compact spherical bush, 40-50 centimeters high.
The shoots are branching, heavily 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 a fast-growing plant reaching 100 centimeters in height. Suitable for curly haircuts.

– neat round 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 sculptural cutting.

In addition to them, very beautiful varieties can be distinguished: Acapulco Silver, Kochia Cypress, Flame, Green Lace, Shilzi, Royal Castle and others.

Growing kochia through seedlings is considered the most effective way. In regions with a cool climate, this plant is grown as seedlings; in the south, kochia can be grown from seedlings or sown directly into the ground.

To sow at home, you need to take seedlings, containers or pots, fertile soil and high-quality seeds. The soil can be collected from the garden; humus, sand and peat are added to it. Kochia is unpretentious; the main requirements for the soil are moisture permeability and looseness. The soil should be slightly acidic or neutral.

After the seedlings grow, they need to be planted in separate pots. Seating can be done in one or 2 stages. That is, picking several pieces in containers, and then seating them in separate containers. Or transplant one plant into a 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.

Seeds are sown at the end of March or beginning of April.

Seeds are sown on the surface of the soil and are not buried.

If there is a dense layer of soil on top of the seeds, the crops may not sprout.

When buying seeds, you need to pay attention to the expiration date, otherwise you may not get germination.

Preparing soil and seeds

Kochia 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. After calcination, the soil is treated with a solution of fungicides or a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
The soil 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, film or a transparent lid and placed in a bright place away from any heating devices. The room temperature should be 18-20 degrees. Watering is done using a spray bottle, in the morning or evening, daily. The first shoots appear after 7-10 days.

When 3 main leaves appear, kochia seedlings need to be planted in pots or cups. You can plant 3 sprouts in a container with a diameter of 10 centimeters. With this type of planting, before planting in the ground, another transplant of seedlings into separate pots is carried out.

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 including additional lighting should be at least 12 hours.

If there is 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 are 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 location, you need to take into account that the area should be light and warm. In partial shade the bush turns out to be more compact and low. A lowland or area with close groundwater is not suitable for planting kochia.

The plant is not picky about soil, but the best option is fertile soil with a neutral or slightly acidic reaction.

The soil should easily allow air and water to reach the roots. The subshrub does not need frequent watering and easily tolerates drought.

After the spring frosts have passed, you can begin planting plants in a permanent place. The gap between the bushes should be at least 30-45 centimeters. By the time of transplantation, the seedlings should become stronger and grow up to 15 centimeters.

Plants need to be replanted together with a lump of earth. The holes for planting should correspond to the volume of the pot. The recesses are well shed with warm water. The plant and soil fall into the hole and are pressed down with soil.

If the seedlings were planted in peat pots, the plants are planted directly into them. The bushes quickly take root in their new location and begin to grow.

Kochia 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, you need to use covering material to protect from the cold.

For faster germination, the seeds are soaked in warm water for several days or treated with a growth stimulant. The area is dug up and loosened. A mixture of sand and peat crumbles. This mixture allows the seeds to germinate faster.

The 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 sowing in autumn before winter, the seeds are sown together with sand and peat in slightly frozen ground. The seeds are not afraid of the cold, and in the spring they sprout together.

When the bushes grow, they can be planted. The distance between each bush should be at least 30-40 centimeters; denser cultivation leads to poor development of bushes and rapid release of flowers.

These methods of growing kochia are less effective than the seedling method and are used only in regions with warm climates.

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 similar to Christmas trees will appear.

Caring for kochia includes watering, loosening, weeding, fertilizing and pruning bushes.

Watering is carried out using a watering can. The plant is drought-resistant. It is necessary to water in dry weather if the leaves of the flowers begin to droop.

Loosening and weeding is done several times a season. The soil should not become crusty.

For active growth, kochia requires regular feeding. The first application of fertilizers is made 2 weeks after planting the bushes in the ground. Afterwards, fertilizing is done once a month.

For feeding, organic matter or complex mineral fertilizers are used. You can use mullein and ash. After cutting, to quickly restore the bush, extraordinary fertilizing with nitrogen-containing fertilizers is carried out.

Plants are pruned 1-2 times a month.

Kochia is quite resistant to diseases and pests. With prolonged rains, rot may develop. When rot appears, diseased bushes are removed, and healthy plants are watered with potassium permanganate.

Sometimes spider mites may appear on 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 pruning and retain their shape for a long time.
Using sharp scissors and pruning shears, plants take the shape of a pyramid, ball, oval, rectangle, nesting doll, column or any other shape. When planting a group of bushes, you can create something like a vase; tall, bright flowers are planted in the middle for this.

When planting along paths, you can create a neat trimmed border. To create miniature bushes, the tops are pinched at the early stage of bush development.
After any cutting, plants need fertilizing with water-soluble nitrogen fertilizers.

Tall bushes are used to decorate various buildings, gazebos, and 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. Kochia 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, and 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 an almost ideal plant in the garden.

Kochia summer cypress is an annual semi-shrub plant from the Chenopodiaceae family. Thanks to the leaves resembling needles, as well as the pyramidal shape of the bush, Kochia looks very much like a cypress. But such a bush is happy for only one season.

Benefits of growing Kochia summer cypress

Kochia summer cypress has gained particular popularity in the last few decades. The reason is the difficulty of growing this plant. Every year it is necessary to sow seeds for seedlings and care for them. Not everyone wants to do this, believing that it is better to devote their time and work in an original way flowering plants.

However, growing Kochia has several advantages. Firstly, the bright green color of the bushes gives a special background to flowering plants. Secondly, the plant looks great in a rock garden, is a real decoration for alpine hills, and can be used to create an elegant living border. In addition, using simple Kochia scissors you can make topiary.

How to grow Kochia summer cypress from seeds at home

You can grow Kochia summer cypress only with seeds and preferably through seedlings. Seeds can be sown both in containers and in pots, which in the summer can be taken out into the fresh air, compositionally decorating the garden plot. Kochia "Summer Cypress" growing from seeds

Seeds for seedlings at home should be sown at the end of March. Since Kochia is very susceptible to the “black leg” disease, before starting sowing, it is necessary to disinfect the seedling containers and soil. To do this, the containers are first placed in a soap solution, washed thoroughly, and then disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate.

As for the soil, it must first be steamed, then spilled with hot water with potassium permanganate or fungicide.

When preparing the soil for sowing seeds, it is necessary to take into account the fact that Kochia summer cypress prefers loose, draining, fine-textured soil and, very importantly, that has not been previously used.

Sowing seeds for seedlings

Containers prepared for sowing seeds are filled with soil, which is compacted with the palm of your hand or a special board. The seeds are laid out on top and lightly sprinkled with sand. After this, the soil is moistened with a spray bottle, and the container is covered with film or glass. From time to time, the containers must be opened, condensation removed, and moderate watering carried out if necessary.

The first shoots germinate in about 1-1.5 weeks. From this time on, the film is removed from the containers. After 20 days you can pick. Seedlings are planted in a separate container.

When to plant Kochia summer cypress seedlings in open ground

Grown-up seedlings of Kochia summer cypress can be planted in open ground only when warm weather has finally settled.

When choosing a place for planting, you must remember that Kochia is a light-loving plant. She can still put up with partial shade, but she will not grow or develop in the shade. Kochia also does not like open areas. Wind and drafts are destructive for her.

If Kochia summer cypress is planted in a flowerbed, then the distance between seedlings should be 25-30 cm, but if used as a border, then the interval between bushes is reduced to 10-15 cm.

In order not to damage the root system of the plant, it is best to plant seedlings together with a lump of earth.

Caring for Kochia summer cypress

Kochia is a moisture-loving plant, but does not like damp soil, and therefore watering should be moderate. If you do not water it in a timely manner, the leaves will lose their brightness. The plant itself will tell you when it needs to be watered: if the leaves begin to fade, watering is urgently required. Kochia must be watered directly at the root. So much water is added until the soil near the roots becomes moist. It is better to water Kochia in the evening or morning.

In order for the plant to bush better and not lose its emerald color, it is recommended to feed it with complex mineral fertilizers as often as possible. It is best to do this once every 10 days.

To make Kochia bushes look neat, they should be trimmed. This procedure is not difficult. By cutting off the tops, you can force Kochia to grow wider, thereby obtaining round bushes. You can try using scissors to get bushes of an unusual geometric or other shape - it all depends on your imagination.

Main pests of Kochia summer cypress

Many harmful insects are not averse to feasting on the succulent leaves of Kochia. The plant is especially “loved” by the spider mite, which is capable of destroying all plantings of the plant. To prevent this, it is necessary to inspect the bushes for pests as often as possible. If they appear, it is necessary to immediately treat the Kochia summer cypress bushes with an insecticide solution.

Kochia summer cypress is a curious plant, which is an annual subshrub that belongs to the Chenopodiaceae plant family. The origin of kochia is the south of Europe, the south and north of America, the west of Asia. The plant is found wild in Australia. The kochia bush develops quickly, reaches a meter, and has unusual leaves, similar to cypress needles. For these leaves and for the general appearance of the narrow pyramidal crown, which stretches upward, kochia is called cypress, and summer, because the summer tree grows in one season.

Benefits of Kochia

Kochia came to the gardening culture 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. It is quite capricious; it needs to be grown from seeds every year, 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 kohia has a number of advantages.

1. The emerald green of summer cypress effectively complements compositions of flowering plants.
2. Kochia looks great against the backdrop of stones in a rock garden and decorates alpine slides.
3. Kochia makes elegant borders.
4. She willingly gives in to a haircut. Even a novice designer can make topiary from kochia using simple scissors.
5. Kochia looks great in solitaire plantings.

How to grow kochia

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

Important! Kochia can tolerate light shade; it will not grow in strong shade. The bush becomes stunted and ugly. If planted in a location where the wind blows, the plants will most likely die. The solution 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 plant seedlings. Kochia 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.

The soil also needs to be disinfected - steamed, spilled with a hot solution of potassium permanganate or fungicides. The soil must be carefully prepared.

The soil you need is loose, fine-textured, moisture-permeable, aerated, and always new, which has not been used before. Sand is mixed in half with peat or perlite is added.

Important! Kochia seedlings suffer from blackleg more often than other plants, so it is necessary to carry out disinfection measures for the container and soil.

Video - How to grow kochia from seeds

Growing by sowing in the ground

Kochia 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 flowerbed or into the hole when sowing seedlings. Humus soils are quite suitable, just do not add poorly rotted manure to planting kochia.

The plant loves water, but does not tolerate stagnant moisture. Especially young specimens, which are easily affected by blackleg. Kochia needs well-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 distributed over the top of the soil. The most suitable temperature for seedlings outdoors is +16°C...+18°C.

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

Caring for Kochia

The plant does not need specific care. It 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 wither, and the plant will lose its attractiveness. But a lack of moisture is just as bad as its excess. Therefore, when watering kochia, you must follow the following rule. The plant itself will tell you when it’s time to water it. The leaves have wilted a little, and a portion of moisture is coming in. Under the root, generously, into the hole, until all the soil near the roots is thoroughly wet. Kochia will also not refuse a light, fine “rain” in the summer. 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.

Feeding

Frequent feeding of kochia will not harm. Liquid fertilizer for deciduous plants in a mineral complex once every 10 days is the minimum for her. The shrub has abundant foliage that needs to be well nourished. If kochia does not have enough nutrition, its leaves are faded and look sick and drooping. The tips of the leaves may wilt and turn yellow.

Trimming

Trimming kochia is an easy and enjoyable task. From it you can form a short compact bush with a crown that grows 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. Kochia is a good place to practice the art of topiary. With one stroke of the scissors you can give it any geometric and arbitrary shape. Kochia bushes look great in the shape of a ball, cube, rectangle, or square.

Pests

Summer cypress has many pests. They like the plant's lush foliage throughout the growing season. The main danger is the spider mite. This pest is capable of destroying kochia plantings completely. Therefore, if signs are detected, it is necessary to immediately treat with insecticides.

Five mistakes when growing summer cypress

This plant, so beloved today in landscape design, was traditionally previously grown and used to make brooms. Especially the technical variety broom kochia, from which the breeding variety of kochia called “Summer Cyprus” originated.

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