Kochia - "aka Prutnyak, aka Izen": planting, growing and care in the open field. Features of care and cultivation of cochia from seeds Cochia crown latin

Kochia is an ornamental leafy plant from the Marev family. Its homeland is East Asia and Africa, although for a long time it has been actively cultivated around the world. Among the people, kochia is also known under the names "summer cyprus", "bassia", "izen", "annual cypress", "broom grass", "prutnyak". Slender, lush bushes represent a great scope for the creativity of gardeners. They decorate fences, borders and flower beds. The unpretentious nature allows even a beginner to master the care of the plant.

Botanical description

Kochia is a perennial or annual ornamental crop with a rapidly growing crown. The genus includes herbaceous and semi-shrub forms. They acquire an attractive appearance already in early June and persist until the first frost. The average height of kochia is 60-80 cm. It consists of many thin, highly branched shoots along the entire length. At the base is an upright woody stem.

Some people, when they first see kokhiya, refer it to coniferous plants. The reason for this is very narrow leaves that resemble needles. However, the foliage, like the upper part of the shoots, is very soft and pleasant to the touch. Narrow leaves have a short pubescence. Young kochia are covered with light green, emerald leaves, but within just a few months they change to pink and crimson.

In addition to decorative leaves, kochia has flowers, but tiny buds do not attract attention. They gather in paniculate inflorescences in the axils of the apical leaves. After pollination, miniature nuts ripen. Each bears only one seed, which remains viable for two years.

Types and varieties of cochia

The genus Kochia has about 80 species. In our country, only some of them are used in ornamental gardening.

Unpretentious and drought-resistant plant forms spherical bushes. In autumn, the crown turns red-burgundy tones. The plant is able to withstand even slight frosts, so it will please with a decorative appearance until late autumn.

The variety forms slender, elongated bushes up to 1 m high and 50-70 cm wide. Narrow, pubescent leaves are painted light green in spring, and become burgundy by autumn. The plant prefers sunny areas and can grow in poor soils.

Compact spherical bushes do not exceed 50 cm in height. Branching shoots are densely covered with light green foliage. It does not change color throughout the year.

Based on the listed species, breeders bred several ornamental varieties:

cultivation

Kochia is grown from seeds. They can be planted previously on seedlings or directly in open ground. Cochia seedlings are sown from the end of March to the end of April. Shallow boxes are prepared for sowing, which are filled with garden soil and sand. It is advisable to ignite the soil before use. The earth is moistened and they try to evenly distribute small seeds on the surface. They are pressed with a plank and not sprinkled. The container is left in a room with an air temperature of + 18 ... + 20 ° C. In order for seeds to germinate, sunlight must fall on them.

When shoots appear, the temperature should be lowered to +10°C. With the advent of three true leaves, kochia dive into small pots. In each container with a diameter of 10 cm, 3 seedlings can be planted. At the end of May, when the spring frosts pass, seedlings 10-15 cm high can be planted in open ground. Kochia loves space, so there should be a distance of 30 cm between the bushes.

It is allowed to sow kochia immediately in open ground. This is usually done in the southern regions, in the second half of May. Autumn plantings are possible, then the kochia will sprout after the snow melts. In favorable conditions, abundant self-seeding is observed. Seeds are able to withstand light frosts, but young shoots can die immediately from the cold. Before sowing, the flower bed should be dug up, and a small amount of peat and sand should be added. Seeds are spread on the surface and carefully watered. Shoots are expected in 10-12 days.

Care rules

Caring for kochia is not difficult. The plant is very unpretentious and is distinguished by vitality. However, it is important to choose the right place for it.

Lighting. In its natural environment, kochia is an inhabitant of rocky and desert areas. It suits well-lit areas. You can grow kochia in partial shade, but then the bushes cease to be so dense and stretch out.

The soil. It is important that the soil is well-drained, easy to pass water and air to the roots. It should be neutral or slightly acidic. Several times during the season, the soil should be loosened and weeded. Low-lying areas that are subject to flooding are contraindicated for the plant. The root system of kochia needs space, so it is impossible to grow a flower in pots. As soon as the rhizome becomes crowded, the crown stops growing and flowers appear. The same problem occurs when there is insufficient distance between plants.

Watering. Kohiya is a drought-resistant plant, so it can be content with natural rainfall. If the summer turned out to be too dry, the leaves begin to fall. In this case, watering will benefit.

Fertilizer. For active growth, kokhiya needs regular top dressing. The first one is applied 2 weeks after planting. Next, monthly fertilize the soil with a solution of mineral fertilizers or organic matter. You can use mullein, as well as ash. Additional top dressing is made after each haircut so that the bush can recover faster.

Pruning. The crown of the kochia is so dense and uniform that it can be given any shape. It can be not only geometric shapes, but also complex garden sculptures. Shoots grow quickly enough, so you can cut them 1-2 times a month.

plant in landscape design

Kohiya is widely used in landscape design. Single plants are planted in the front flower bed and give them the necessary shape. You can also make a whole ensemble of several bushes. In addition to the variety of forms, a combination of plants with different foliage colors gives a good effect. Group plantings of undersized varieties are used for edging the lawn or decorating paths.

Cochias look great in rockeries, rock gardens, against the background of high stones or near fountains. High varieties can be used as hedges or for decorating outbuildings.

Emerald varieties are suitable for creating a bright blooming background. With the help of group planting, you can create the effect of a vase in which tall plants with bright buds will bloom. Variegated varieties with crimson or purple foliage look better in the middle of a lawn.

Use of kochia

In addition to its decorative function, cochia is used as a medicinal and fodder crop. AT folk medicine young shoots and seeds are used. They are dried and used to make decoctions and alcoholic tinctures. Medicines have the following effect:

• diaphoretic;
• diuretic;
• laxative;
• stimulating;
• cardiotonic;
• bactericidal.

Cochia preparations also help reduce the symptoms of eczema, erysipelas, and gonorrhea. In oriental medicine, creams are made from the shoots to strengthen nails and skin.

Young shoots of kochia after pruning can be given to feed livestock. On specialized farms, they are used to grow silkworms. In some countries, young foliage is used in cooking for cooking first courses. Cases of using cochia to produce soda are known.

Cochia replanting in open ground summer residents use as a decorative element. The growing process does not require special labor-intensive flower care. Despite this, the result is always pleasing.

Features and varieties of kochia

Kochia owes its name to the German botanist Welhelm Koch. The birthplace of this plant is China, and the first mention of it occurs in the 17th century. There are many “folk” names in the arsenal of kochia: summer cypress, bassia, prutnyak, broom.

By its nature, kochia is a strongly branching evergreen subshrub. Outwardly, the plant is very similar to a cypress or a small Christmas tree, for which it was called the summer cypress. Similarity is achieved due to long thin leaves and a branched bush.

Kochia is very reminiscent of a coniferous shrub and often replaces it in landscape design.

In the garden, kochia is easy to recognize by its green mass, but it has nondescript flowers. Often they are even hard to see. Whitish tiny flowers are hidden in the axils of the leaves and do not represent any decorative value. A feature of kochia is its pliability during pruning and long-term preservation of shape. Almost any figure can be created from dense bushes, and plants planted along the paths serve as a green border. In autumn, the kochia changes the color of the leaves and looks even more attractive.

Kochia is in most cases an annual crop, but there are also perennial varieties.

Cochia varieties:

• paniculate (coronal) kochia is a decorative and deciduous species, which includes annual and perennial subspecies. Used in ornamental horticulture and as an industrial crop;

Kochia paniculata

• hairy kochia is an annual shrub, up to a meter high. In autumn, this type of kokhiya acquires a bright red color;

hairy kochia

• Childsa kochia - plant height up to 60 cm, color throughout the entire growth period - light green;

Childsa kochia

• creeping kochia - squat half-bush;

Creeping kochia

• woolly-flowered - “shaggy” kochia, covered with thick yellow-red villi;

Woollyflowered kochia

• densely flowered - a tall type of cochia. Due to the many white villi, it has a white tint.

densely flowered kochia

Planting and propagation of kochia

Kochia reproduces only through seeds. Seeds are round, brown. Seed germination is always excellent. Seeds can be sown in three ways:

1. Seeds in seedling containers.
2. Seeds in open ground.
3. Self-seeded seedlings.

kochia seeds

Cochia seeds are sown for seedlings in early spring (March - April). The soil for growing seedlings of kochia is suitable for balanced. Seeds shallow (1 cm) are embedded in moist soil. It is recommended to create a greenhouse effect by covering the containers with foil. Seeds germinate within 7 days, after which the film is removed.

Attention! Young shoots of kochia are not watered, but sprayed from a spray bottle, otherwise the plant will die.

Cochia seedlings can hardly be called tender. It grows quickly without much hassle. When the seedlings reach 6-8 cm in height, and the weather is warm outside, the seedlings are planted in open ground. The disembarkation scheme depends on the desired result. For decorative borders and hedges, plants are planted 10-15 cm apart. When growing flower arrangements, the planting scheme is arbitrary.

kochia sprout

When sowing cochia seeds in open ground, they should only be lightly tamped. It's not worth it to sprinkle. For faster germination, planting can be covered with a film, but not necessary. If the seedlings are too thick, the landings are thinned out.
Kochia is one of the many self-seeding crops. To do this, just leave a few adult plants to winter in the garden. New dense shoots will appear in the spring. Moreover, the seeds are dispersed by the wind, and kochia can grow even in the most unexpected places.

Advice! Do not rush to plant kochia. It grows quickly, but late spring frosts will kill this plant.

Kochia care, diseases and pests

Cochia is planted in a well-lit place, only slight shading is permissible. In the shade, culture grows quolo, lifeless.

Young seedlings need top dressing, at least several times a month. Top dressing should be carried out with nitrogen fertilizers, since it is nitrogen that affects the growth of the green mass of the plant.

Watering kochia should be done very carefully. Better underfill than overfill. The plant is able to withstand a short drought, but stagnant water is detrimental to it.

Avoid waterlogging the soil under the cochia

Pruning is also an important step in caring for kochia. It is carried out easily, with secateurs or scissors. After pruning, kochia keeps its shape for a long time.

Kochia diseases are not terrible. She has strong immunity. Here are the pests to watch out for. The spider mite infects kochia quickly enough, therefore, having noticed the first signs of its activity, you should not hesitate to treat it with pesticides.

Kochia in combination with other plants in landscape design

The topic of using kochia in landscape design is endless. You can draw ideas for arranging a flower bed from a photo on the Internet or turn on your own imagination. Cochia plantings are used to decorate hedges, green borders, decorate flower beds in home gardens and in urban gardening. Summer cypress will decorate the garden composition and even.

Cochia will dilute any paints with its greenery. Yellow lush hats of marigolds on a green background of kochia look gorgeous. No less effect is achieved from planting kochia in. The Alpine slide will sparkle with new colors when combined with kochia.

Kochia combined with rose

Particular attention, as an element of landscape design, should be given to figures from kochia. Their diversity is simply amazing. On the network there are photos of kochia in the form of a heart, nesting dolls, snakes, complex geometric shapes. Zigzag hedge or wavy border, whimsical shapes or strict geometric shapes - everything is possible with the use of grown kochia.

With the onset of autumn, flower beds with kochia are transformed again. The property of the kochia chameleon can be taken into account in landscape design and used to advantage. In summer, kochia can serve as a green background, and in autumn it can transform into red, yellow or orange accents of a flower bed. In combination with the queen of autumn, the effect is simply amazing.

Florists also respect kochia. Cut branches are used to create bouquets. Dried sections are dyed by florists in different colors and used in "dry" compositions.

Application of cochia

Cochia is used not only as an ornamental plant. It can serve as food for animals, and dried branches will find their use in the household as a broom. Culinary experts add cochia to gourmet first courses.

Kochia is not only a beautiful, but also a plant useful for humans.

In alternative medicine, cochia has also found its niche. Folk healers use cochia in the treatment of eczema and other skin diseases, inflammatory processes. The diuretic and diaphoretic properties of cochia help to cope with edema, and the cardiostimulating effect will help with heart disease.

As you can see, kochia planting and care in the open field does not require much effort. The plant is worthy of attention due to its wide range of uses. Unpretentiousness and resistance to all diseases makes caring for kochia a pleasure.

Growing cochia from seeds: video

Types of cochia: photo

Each amateur gardener tries to decorate his site with dignity and make it unique. Creating beauty in your area is not so easy. Nevertheless, desires do not fade away, and unique garden masterpieces are created.

Ornamental plants are the best helpers in the design of a personal plot. These include a plant such as cochia.

Kochia coronata hairy is an ornamental annual deciduous plant. She is loved for her beauty and forms, which are changed by the person himself at his own discretion and desire.

Botanical description

Kochia from the Amaranth family, subfamily Marevy, originally from China. There are a huge number of species, about 80. The differences are characterized by the size of the plant and its colors.

The plant is a herbaceous shrub. Kohiya has an oval conical shape. The stems are erect, strong and flexible. They are often covered with narrow green leaves. The leaves have a slightly curved shape and a soft texture.

In height, the kochia reaches 1 meter. The flowers are spike-shaped, barely noticeable in the fluffy crown of foliage. In autumn, the plant turns red, purple.

One of the worthy species is coronal cochia. It is widely used in the design of plots and decorative needs.

The people have the name "summer cypress".

Kochia crown is unpretentious in cultivation and care. From a distance, the plant resembles a family of conifers. But when you touch the green fluffy creature, softness and tenderness are felt.

Coronal kochia is a kind of summer chameleon. For the season will delight its owners with different shades. Throughout the warm period, the kochia proudly wears bright green attire. And in autumn, the plant dresses up in yellow and crimson tones.

In the flower beds, such changes look simply amazing.

Growing cochia crown. Care

The cultivation of coronal cochia is carried out either by seedlings or by planting in open ground. The plant does not require excessive attention to itself.

Coronal kochia, planting and caring for which are carried out in accordance with all the rules, will demonstrate all its possible splendor and grandeur.

The place for growing kochia should be sunny, preferably without drafts. But even in partial shade, Kochia will feel quite comfortable.

The distance between the bushes is on average 50 cm. If you plan to grow a lush single bush with further certain pruning, it is better to increase the distance to at least 1 meter.

With a curb planting, the distance between the bushes is 10-15 cm. In this case, a hedge is formed.

The soil of cochia crown loves fertile and moderately moist. Does not tolerate drought, begins to droop, lose color and wither.

Dislikes kohiya and temperature changes. Needs periodic loosening and weeding.

Sowing seeds and breeding

The timing of sowing seeds and growing seedlings depends on the characteristics of the local climate. In average climates, seed sowing can be started at last days March or early April.

Features of planting cochia crown for seedlings and caring for sprouts are as follows.

1. The right choice of container or other container. The depth of the box should not be less than 12 cm, as the roots of the kochia are quite long and they need enough space for good development.
2. Before planting, the container must be thoroughly disinfected. To do this, wash the box with hot soapy water or water with the addition of vinegar.
3. The soil should be light, airy and nutritious. Ready-made earthen mixes are on sale, but you can also prepare them yourself. The mixture is best prepared from peat with the addition of river sand. It's good to add a little humus.
4. The soil before sowing is treated with a warm solution of potassium permanganate.
5. The soil needs to be compacted a little. Seeds are evenly immersed in the soil and lightly sprinkled with a thin layer of humus.
6. After planting, the container is covered with a special non-woven material, greenhouse conditions are created.

It is necessary to regularly moisten the soil with a spray gun. Drying of the soil should not be allowed, but even through measured moisture it is unacceptable.

In autumn, you can remove the seeds from the bushes and sow them the next year. Seeds can be stored for two years. But of course, fresh is preferable.

Some gardeners prefer to sow kochia seeds in the fall. The subtlety of such a planting lies only in the sowing time. It is not recommended to sow before October. Otherwise, the seeds will germinate ahead of time and freeze.

Often self-seeding is obtained, especially with group plantings. It is very comfortable. Many seeds will sprout in spring. They will only be thinned out at your discretion.

seedling care

The seed germination period takes up to two weeks. Optimum temperature for growing seedlings - 16 degrees, it can be a little lower. The temperature regime at this stage is very important. If the rules are not followed, the seedlings run the risk of getting sick with a black leg.

Watering is carried out regularly, very carefully, along the edges of the container, so as not to injure weak stems.

When the seedlings grow up and 5 leaves form on the stem, you need to pick. In a pot with a small diameter, about 10 cm, 1-3 seedlings are planted.

Plant outdoors after all frosts around the second half of May.

Cochia seeds in the open field

If there is no opportunity or desire to grow seedlings, you can sow the seeds directly in open ground.

It is worth waiting for warm May weather.

We prepare the soil by loosening and introducing peat, mullein, compost or humus. After the soil is moderately moistened, it needs to be compacted a little. The seeds are sparsely sown. Top with a thin layer sprinkled with earth or sand.

If possible, then better place sowing cover with non-woven material. You should not use a film as a shelter, the seeds need air.

Of course, the germination of seeds will take longer than with home or greenhouse cultivation.

AT without fail seedlings are thinned out.

If the temperature during the day or at night drops below +10 degrees, it is better to cover the seedlings.

Feeding and spraying

Soil nutrition is recommended before planting the plant in the ground. For intensive growth and the formation of a dense crown, the plant is fed weekly (during the growth period). Fertilizers are used liquid specialized, containing minerals, and most importantly - nitrogen.

The first top dressing should be carried out 1.5-2 weeks after transplantation.

Diseases of cochia coronary

Cochia seedlings are susceptible to black leg disease. If a diseased seedling is present in the container, it should be removed immediately. Stop moistening the soil for a while.

In the event of the spread of the disease, healthy seedlings are transplanted into another container.

Kochia coronata is quite resistant to various diseases. Nevertheless, open field cochia bushes are recommended to be regularly sprayed against various pests.

The most dangerous for an ornamental plant is the spider mite. If a small cobweb is present on the plant, the cochia should be immediately treated with an insecticide.

If the ground is too wet, the trunk may begin to rot. If the problem occurs in the upper part of the plant, you need to cut off the damaged areas. When decaying near the root part, the cochia will have to be removed.

Kochia in design

Coronal kochia is a favorite of landscape designers and gardeners. The plant is widely used in various compositions. Kohiya looks perfect in a group mix of his relatives and other colors.

It is combined with various flowers and shrubs. You can verify this by looking at the photo of the coronal cochia.

Used as a mini-fence, decorative fences. It is widely used in the division of horticultural zones.

If you create the right contrast of plants, it will turn out just great. It will look unusual, for example, a ring of coronal cochia with a blue or red center of other colors.

With the onset of autumn cold weather, the kochia begins to wither. You can extend the summer a little and enjoy the greenery at home, for example, on the balcony. For 2 months before the onset of serious frosts, the green beauty will delight households and guests.

The dried bush can be used in decorative purposes, make ikebana or add to a bouquet. Get an unusual composition.

Shaping and trimming

Caring for coronal kochia involves cutting the bushes. This procedure allows the branches to grow evenly and proportionally.

Various geometric shapes are also created and not only.

Haircut can be done every 2 weeks. You need to regularly pinch young shoots. This will provide the plant with splendor.

After shearing, the plant needs top dressing.

It is easy to train and get your hand on kochia before cutting conifers, especially for beginners.

There are many different options for transforming a garden plot with the help of a cropped cochia.

You can create borders, mini-fences of a rectangular or conical shape. A lone bush can be designed in the form of a square, a circle, or, for example, a butterfly. It will be very effective and varied. Cochia in the form of a real spruce will look unusual.

Benefits and uses of kochia

Cochia coronata, the description of which is being considered, is used in folk medicine. All parts of the plant have medicinal properties.

Kochia is used:

• as a means for emptying the intestines;
• with heart problems;
• with ailments of the genitourinary system;
• with kidney disease;
• with fungal diseases of the nails.

Medicines are prepared by drying and preparing decoctions, tinctures and ointments.

The use of kokhiya also touched the culinary sphere. It perfectly complements the taste of first courses, giving them a special piquancy.

Also, from time immemorial, kochia has been used for household needs. A dry plant is used instead of a regular broom.

Kochia is rapidly gaining popularity among amateur flower growers and professional landscape designers. Why do they love this culture, which blooms with nondescript small flowers that do not carry decorative value? The flowers are barely visible, hiding in the leaf axils. Kochia is definitely not grown for flowers. The leaves are thin, long, delicate, and in themselves are not highly decorative either. In addition, kochia is also an annual, that is, it has to be grown from seeds every year. Nevertheless, it is a popular plant that can be found on every second site today.

Cochia can be grown through seedlings or by sowing directly into the ground. In general, there are many varieties bred in culture. They differ mainly in size and color. Some have bright green leaves that turn red in autumn. Some have intense light green foliage that later turns dark green. There are varieties in which the leaves turn orange.

Sowing for seedlings

The timing of sowing seeds of cochia for further growing seedlings depends on the climate of your area.

At the end of March, you can start sowing in a standard Central Russian climate, when the last threat of frost on the soil is the beginning of May.

Video - Growing cochia from seeds

Seedling Care

Shoots appear on the eighth - tenth day. The protective material is removed. Immediately it is worth moving the containers in a room with a temperature of 3-5 degrees lower. Maximum +16°С. Sprouts must be carefully watered, along the edge of the container, avoiding overflow. Cochia seedlings are susceptible to the disease of all seedlings - the black leg - to a greater extent.

To protect green sprouts from disease, it is necessary to maintain the indicated temperature, preventing its increase. Watering seedlings is carried out moderately, especially if the room has high humidity.

Advice! The soil in the container should not dry out - the seedlings will immediately wilt and the leaves will begin to wither. With aerated soil and good drainage in a container, it is advisable to water young plants twice a week.

Disease - black leg

If, nevertheless, a black leg happened, and you found diseased specimens with characteristic spots and darkening on the leg, you must:

• remove diseased plants;
• stop watering the container;
• sprinkle the soil with dry sand, which will absorb some of the excess moisture.

When the soil dries, the next watering should be carried out with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.

If the black leg continues to spread, the seedlings will have to dive into dry, fresh, disinfected soil.

To obtain compact seedlings that have not stretched excessively, they need to be dived after 2-3 weeks, in the phase of three leaves, in a personal container of 2-3 things. Pots for picking should be up to 10 cm in diameter.

After picking, the temperature of the content is the same, the place is the brightest, watering in the same mode, top dressing.

The first top dressing with a fertilizer complex with a predominance of nitrogen a week after the dive and then every 10-14 days.

Landing at the very end of May. A place for kochia should be chosen sunny, where there is no wind, calm. The soil should be moderately fertile, not swampy, loose. The distance between seedlings when planting in flowerbeds and rabatkas is up to 30 cm, when growing on a border in the form of a hedge - 10-15 cm.

During the period of rooting of seedlings, the plant needs increased watering and the next top dressing, two weeks after planting. Be sure to feed the plants when carrying out haircuts each time after the procedure.

Sowing in the ground

If there is no desire to mess with seedlings, you can grow kochia by sowing in the ground. For the successful emergence and development of seedlings, several conditions must be strictly observed.

In open ground, seeds germinate one and a half times longer than in a container for seedlings. Shoots can be thin and unpresentable. Subsequently, the weak ones must be removed, leaving a distance of 20-35 cm between the bushes. If you grow a decorative cochia border, the distance between plants can be reduced to 10-15 cm.

At night, when the temperature drops below + 10 ° C, the plants should continue to be covered.

Outdoor care

Caring for seedlings in the open field differs little from caring for seedlings. It is necessary to water intensively, trying, however, so that the plants do not rot and do not get sick. As an adult, kochia is relatively drought-resistant, but nevertheless, it is not necessary to allow the soil to dry out so that the foliage - the main "property" of the plant - does not lose its decorative effect.

In the flower bed, it is imperative to weed the plants and loosen the ground, especially in the early stages of the growing season. You can mulch the soil between the bushes with a rare planting of decorative pebbles, bark and other mulching materials.

At least twice during the summer, you need to feed the kochia with a complex of minerals, in which nitrogen has a large proportion.

Kochia must be pruned so that the branches grow evenly. It can also be given any shape - it is well subject to an artistic haircut.

The use of kochia in landscape design

fit type	Peculiarities
Solitary landing	As single accents, e.g. on a lawn or among low ground covers
Group boarding	Groups in a flower bed or discount or in a mixborder for a background row
Alpine slide or rockery	Near large stones or in small groups
curb landing	As a border for a flower bed, along paths, like a hedge
Topiary	Single planting followed by crown formation in the style of topiary

Kochia can be sown not only in spring, but also in autumn. For winter sowing, flower beds are prepared in October. Sowing is superficial, with a little sprinkling. It is important not to sow before October so that the seeds do not start growing until spring. It is especially convenient to sow kokhiya in the winter to create borders.

Cochia seeds have a short germination period. 50% "survive" with proper storage up to two years, but the standard shelf life is limited to a year. It is better to sow fresh plant seeds that you can collect yourself from female specimens. They are in seed boxes, and if they are not removed in time, the plant will propagate by self-sowing. With continuous group plantings in a flower bed, self-sowing reproduction may come in handy. With the onset of spring and the appearance of sprouts, it will only be enough to thin out so that the plants do not oppress each other.

During the autumn cold, kochia quickly withers and dies. The decorative effect can be extended by moving the plants into containers. On the balcony, the kochia will turn green for another 1.5-2 months, before the onset of serious frosts.

When the plants are dry on the vine, they can be used to create flower arrangements and dry arrangements. Traditionally, kochia was used as an ordinary broom.

Kohiya is a very showy plant with decorative foliage and an unusual shape that is easy to change. This feature allows even inexperienced gardeners to try their hand at creating creative green figures. This original plant will decorate the summer cottage and backyard territory, turning into a lush decorative bush. Surprisingly, this beautiful element of landscape design does not require special skills in care and reproduction, it is quite unpretentious and undemanding. Cochia is grown from seeds, and how to do this will be discussed in this article.

First, a little about the features of this plant. The homeland of the origin of kochia is China, however, it is now widely popular in many other countries of the world. The plant got its name in honor of the German professor of botany named Wilhelm Daniel Josef Koch.

The scientific name of cochia is basia., although the people firmly entrenched in it the name "annual cypress" and "summer cyprus", thanks to the clearly traced shape of the shrub, very similar to cypress. Some have nicknamed kochia "broom grass" because beautiful brooms come out of it.

Kohiya is an annual plant about one meter high. It is a densely branched shrub with small flowers. Due to the narrow small leaves of a light green color, kochia is often confused with representatives of conifers, however, this misconception disappears as soon as you touch it with your hand.

This shrub has amazing decorative feature, which distinguishes it from other plants - in the autumn, its leaves acquire a bright red hue, which makes it even more attractive.

Growing Features

The growing process is very exciting and absolutely not complicated. The only drawback of the plant is its instability to temperature extremes. Due to short early autumn frosts, kochia may die. However, it is drought tolerant and will also cope with water shortages.

Kochia may be grown in several ways:

• sowing seeds in open ground;
• growing seedlings in greenhouses;
• self-seeding.

Consider the cultivation and propagation of cypress from seeds. Sowing of seeds is carried out directly into the ground from May to mid-July. It is important to remember that kochia seeds should not be stored for more than two years, otherwise they will not sprout. Germination of fresher seeds is 100%. Seeds need a lot of light to germinate. So do not overfill the seeds with soil, you just need to slightly press them into the ground.

The plant will give the first shoots quickly enough. They need water using a lightly coated watering can.

To obtain seedlings, you can sow seeds in a greenhouse as early as April. Light frosts are not terrible for the first shoots, but in the case of growing it with seedlings, transplanting into open ground is possible only when the frosts have completely passed.

The plant is able to reproduce and self-seeding. At the end of summer, as a rule, cypress branches are overgrown with nuts, which contain seeds. These seeds must be collected in order to use them for seedlings next year in the spring.

Kochia - freedom-loving plant, so do not plant its seeds too often. The optimal distance between the bushes is 25-30 centimeters. With an excessively dense planting, there is a risk of getting half-dried bushes with ugly foliage instead of chic dense shrubs.

Despite the fact that kochia is an unpretentious plant, the best place to grow it is a sunny area with fertilized garden soil. Often flooded and acidic soil is detrimental to it. However, lack of moisture can negatively affect the appearance of the plant - they will lower the leaves and look extremely untidy.

Kohii are needed frequent weeding and loosening the soil especially during the growing season. She also needs double feeding. Feed the kochia with mineral fertilizer for the first time ten days after planting, the second time after a month. Top dressing is also needed during intensive growth and in the case of cutting shrubs. For this, nitrogen fertilizers are used.

In addition to timely top dressing, the shrub needs to be provided with a regular haircut. You need to cut the plant 2 times a month, forming a bush of a certain shape: a ball, a pyramid, a cube, a column, an egg, and so on. Pinch the top of the bush regularly. Use garden shears to cut kochia. Thanks to the unique opportunity to practice landscape design, you can create entire hedges from cypress trees planted in a row.

annual cypress has strong stems, you do not need to tie it. Its main advantage is that it is resistant to diseases and in most cases is not affected by pests. But there are also exceptions.

For the plant, the appearance of a spider mite is dangerous - this is the main pest of the annual cypress. Therefore, when it appears, immediately treat the bush with a special Neoron solution. The second treatment will be needed after two weeks.

Beautiful bushes of the kochia plant

Cochia varieties

Kochia is a genus that unites annual and perennial plant varieties. The total number of subspecies of this plant is about 80.