How to grow cosmeia from seeds
Almost everyone knows the spectacular and undemanding beauty of kosmeya, the cultivation of which is available to everyone. The main thing is to understand when to plant an unpretentious flower. This common annual can be found almost everywhere. It is used for landscaping not only local areas, but also city lawns and flower beds. Even the name of the plant is translated from Latin as "decoration". Cosmeya flowers, their planting, care and photos are very often discussed on thematic forums. So, how and when to plant cosmeia?
Sowing terms and technology
You can grow kosmeya on your site both by direct sowing of seeds in open ground, and through seedlings. In the first case, it will bloom in July, in the second - in June. To better understand when to plant cosmea when growing from seeds, you need to know the following about the plant:
- The plant is thermophilic, but it can tolerate a slight frost.
- It takes about 2 weeks for seeds to germinate.
- The optimum temperature for pecking seeds is 12-15 °.
Taking into account all of the above factors, we can conclude that it is possible to sow cosmeya in open ground already in early May. For its placement, open sunny areas with sufficiently fertile and well-drained soils are best suited.
When choosing a site, you also need to ensure that it is protected from the direct effects of cold northerly winds.
It is in such conditions that the plant will fully reveal its potential and will delight with abundant flowering until the very frost. So we learned when to plant cosmea in open ground when growing from seeds, and what are the terms for seedling cultivation?
With the seedling method of growing, the cosmos seeds are sown in the second half of March. They are simply pressed slightly into the loose nutrient soil, and then watered. At a temperature of 18 to 20 °, seedlings appear within 10 days. At first, the sprouts do not require any special care. When real leaves appear on seedlings, they dive into more spacious containers or individual cups. To prevent the plants from stretching, the temperature is reduced to 16-18 ° C.
To avoid the time-consuming picking process, sowing can be immediately carried out in cups of several seeds.
Growing cosmos from seeds with direct sowing in open ground does not present any particular difficulties. The seeds are sown in prepared beds. In this case, the nest sowing method is used, that is, the seeds are distributed over the soil surface in nests of several pieces. After that, they are simply slapped lightly with the palm.
Growing and care
Planting and caring for cosme in the open field has its own characteristics. With the seedling method of growing, the planting of young plants begins in the second half of May. They are planted in small holes at a distance of 30 cm from each other. After planting, the plants are watered abundantly.
Tall varieties of cosme require support. It is best to install them immediately after planting.
When the plants reach a height of half a meter, pinch the tops. This technique contributes to better tillering and abundant flowering.
Caring for the cosmos also consists in timely watering, loosening the soil and applying top dressing. Also, do not forget about the timely removal of weeds. Cosmeya should be watered no more than once a week.Its powerful root system perfectly draws moisture even from the deepest soil layers.
To prevent the formation of a soil crust, the soil surface is loosened after each watering. To save time, loosening can be combined with weeding. Timely feeding will significantly improve the appearance of plants and increase the abundance of flowering.
The first time fertilizers are applied two weeks after transplanting. To do this, use universal mineral complexes... The second time is in the budding phase, the third - during flowering.
With a strong growth of the bushes, you can cut them. It will give the plants a more compact look. Overgrown bushes should be cut off by no more than 30 cm, while already faded inflorescences must get into the pruning zone.
Kosmeya is such a not demanding and resistant plant that it is almost never damaged by pests and diseases. The main threat to her seedlings is only slugs... It is easy to destroy them, in the aisles you just need to scatter special preparations. With a small number of pests, they can be collected manually.
Planting and caring for cosmos flowers is not difficult at all. This culture reproduces well by self-seeding, once planting it on your site, you will enjoy its spectacular, abundant and long flowering for many years.