Cosmea: planting and care in the open field, description of the best varieties, growing from seeds

In summer cottages you can often find tall purple daisies. But not everyone knows the name of this flower. The plant is called kosmeya. Planting and caring for cosmea in the open field is quite simple. It does not take much effort to grow a flower of this variety.

Description

Cosmea can be perennial and annual. The plant belongs to the Astrov family. The birthplace of culture is Spain. The flower grows well in Russian latitudes, even in the northern regions. The culture grows well in arid regions on sandy soil.In nature, there are about 25 varieties, but in Russia two species are the most common - sulfur-yellow kosmeya and double-pinnate.

Depending on the variety, the inflorescences are both regular and terry. The shade of the petals is also different. From white to rich burgundy. Cosmea is tall and short.

Features

The height of the bushes can vary from 60 cm to 1.5 m. The inflorescence looks very much like chamomile. Most varieties are characterized by the usual type of inflorescence. But relatively recently, breeders managed to bring out terry cosmea.

Types and varieties

There are a large number of cosmea varieties that differ from each other in a number of characteristics.

Double pinnate

The most common variety of cosmea in Russia is double-pinnate. These are annual hybrids with large inflorescences, they can reach up to 10 cm in diameter.

Dazzler

Inflorescences of a bright red hue that gradually turn crimson.

Purity

Purity's stems are thin and flexible, the shade of the petals is snow-white.

Short

The height of the bushes is not more than 65 cm. The inflorescences come in various shades. Most often there are pink inflorescences with a red border in the center of the flower.

Sulfur yellow

This variety was brought from the southern regions of Mexico. Prefers to grow in areas with hot summers. With prolonged rains and constant cold snaps, it grows poorly.

Bilbo

Low-growing variety, stem height grows up to 50 cm. Intense yellow-orange inflorescences.

Crest Lemon

Height of adult bushes is 50 cm. Petals are yellow.

Diablo

The height of the bushes is from 60 to 85 cm. The petals are red with a yellow border in the center.

Blood Red

Grows only in warm regions. In the north, it can only be grown at home in flower pots. The inflorescences of this variety are rich burgundy with a pleasant smell of chocolate.

Brightness

The variety belongs to semi-double. Flowers come in a variety of colors. Basically, these are warm shades of orange and yellow. Due to their small height of 30 cm, they are used to decorate borders.

Antiquity

During the flowering period, the Activiti variety changes shade from wine to a delicate salmon color.

Double click rose bon-bon

Terry variety, tall bushes. Flowers are suitable for making bouquets. Inflorescences of lavender-pink color. To make the inflorescences lush, it is recommended to plant bushes in sunny areas.

Terry cloth

Terry varieties were bred not so long ago. The main difference from other varieties is the terry inflorescence. The shades of the petals are different.

Golden Valley

The shade of the petals is orange-yellow. The bush is undersized, grows up to 65 cm in height.

Polydor Fox

The height of the bush is from 65 to 100 cm. The shade of the petals is yellow. The flowering period is long, starting in July and ending with the first frosts.

Red Pyle

The shade of the inflorescence is raspberry-pink. Bushes up to 75 cm high. Flowering continues until frost.

Burgundy button

Suitable for cutting, burgundy buds. Plant height is 80 cm.

Chocolate

The peculiarity of this variety is the smell of inflorescences - it resembles sweet chocolate. The shade of the petals is blood red.

Dwarf

Short variety, height does not exceed 85 cm. Shades of petals range from black with a red tint to white.

Sensation

Mixture of shades of inflorescences. The flowers of this variety are white, pink and salmon. There are varieties with white petals and a purple border around the edges. The height of adult bushes is up to 1.2 m.

Sonata

Short variety, the height of the bushes is no more than 75 cm. The color of the flowers is purple. The inflorescences are large, usually 10 to 13 cm in diameter. The flowering period lasts from July to mid-October.

Sea shell

The peculiarity of this variety is that the petals look like a tube, from which the variety got the name Seashell. The shade of the petals is purple.

Picotie

The petals of the flowers are white, with a purple border around the edges. Bushes grow up to 80 cm in height.

Features of growing from seeds

You can plant cosmos in seedlings, or immediately sow planting material in open ground. Both methods are quite effective.

Sowing

The easiest way is to plant the plant immediately in open ground and wait for shoots. The culture sprouts quickly if the seeds are provided with favorable conditions.

Timing

Planting material is planted in warm soil in mid-May. If the spring turned out to be cold, it is better to postpone planting until the end of May.

Plant pattern

Before planting seeds, the soil is weeded and wood ash is applied.

How to sow seeds:

• Make shallow holes.
• Plant seeds 5-8cm apart.
• Sprinkle lightly with soil.

At the end of sowing, irrigate the ground abundantly with warm water.

Seedlings

Another way to grow cosmea is seedlings. Seeds are first planted at home, and then transplanted into open ground.

When to plant

It is recommended to plant planting material in the first half of March, so that the bushes have time to grow up by the time it is warm outside. When grown in the southern regions, planting material can be planted in mid-February. And in the north - towards the end of March or the beginning of April.

How to plant

Make shallow grooves in the soil and plant the seeds. Cover them lightly with soil and water generously. You can cover the boxes with cling film so that the seedlings sprout faster.

Temperature

Cosmea belongs to heat-loving crops, therefore, in order for the seeds to begin to actively germinate, all the necessary conditions should be provided for them. Shoots appear at a temperature of +19 degrees. Lighting is also important. It is not recommended to put boxes with seedlings in the shade. Most of the day they should be exposed to sunlight. If the weather is often cloudy, you need to install artificial lighting and turn it on in the evenings.

Thinning

Thinning is necessary if the planting material was planted very densely, and the bushes prevent each other from growing. After the shoots appear and the seedlings grow a little, it can be thinned out. The weakest and smallest seedlings should be pulled out.

Dive

You need to dive seedlings into separate pots after a couple of full-fledged leaves appear on it. For picking, it is best to use peat cups, from which it is not necessary to extract seedlings later, but plant flowers with them.

Landing in open ground

Planting seedlings in open ground is done after the soil warms up well and the weather is warm outside. Usually transplantation dates are at the end of May. It is recommended to plant bushes in fertile, loose soil with a low nitrogen content.

How to plant cosmea in open ground:

• Dig holes and fill the bottom with drainage.
• Apply a small amount of mineral fertilizer for flower crops.
• Plant seedlings.
• Buy the holes with soil and lightly tamp near the base of the stem.

Pour plenty of warm water at the end of planting. Seedlings can be covered at night. Although if night frosts are not expected, you can not cover the plants.

Care

Probably, among all flower crops, kosmeya is the most unpretentious. It seems that it is enough to plant it and water it occasionally. But with a little more effort, the flowering will be long and abundant.

Irrigation

The plant is drought-resistant. You can water the bushes 2-3 times a week in the evening, after sunset. Sun-warmed water is used for irrigation.

Feeding

Although kosmeya belongs to unpretentious crops and can do without fertilizing the soil, to increase the appearance of inflorescences, you should not forget about the regular application of top dressing to the soil.

First

Cosmeus in the first half of the season before flowering is fed with nitrogen-containing dressings. The main thing is not to overdo it and not overfeed. Bushes do not tolerate excess nitrogen in the soil and may even stop blooming. Between dressings should pass at least 14 days. Plants are watered with nitrogen after irrigation of the soil, so as not to burn the root system of the bushes.

Second

The second feeding should be aimed at the formation of inflorescences and increasing their number.Phosphorus and potassium are suitable for this purpose. Fertilize the soil in the evening. During fertilization, it is important not to allow them to fall on the foliage, but to water only the soil. From organic dressings, wood ash and weed-based infusions are suitable.

Third

The third dressing is applied towards the end of the growing season. If these are annual varieties, then you can do without it. And if perennial, then it is better not to forget about the third stage of fertilization. Fertilizing at the end of summer is necessary in order to prepare the bushes for winter.

As fertilizers use rotted manure or bird droppings diluted in water. The introduction of organic fertilizers will prepare the bushes for winter. In addition, in the spring the soil will already be fertilized, and the bushes will begin to grow faster.

Break of withered inflorescences

Regular removal of faded inflorescences will increase the flowering period. Inflorescences are cut together with peduncles at the base, where they are connected to the stem.

Cutting

Some varieties are annuals, they do not need to be cut in autumn, the bushes are completely dug up and thrown away. Perennial varieties are pruned in the fall, after the flowering period. The bushes are cut so that the height of the stem from the ground is 15 cm.

Flowering

To increase flowering and increase its duration, you need to regularly fertilize the soil and immediately after the inflorescences fade, cut them off.

Diseases and pests

The plant is resistant to diseases and pest attacks. If you provide the bushes with favorable conditions for growth, then you will not have to deal with diseases at the entire growth stage.

Snails and slugs can appear from pests on bushes. And then, only when the seedlings are still small and weak. On adult bushes, as a rule, there are no harmful insects.Collect snails and slugs by hand. You can also set up beer traps and burn them when insects crawl on them.

Collection and storage of seeds

Seeds from the culture are harvested after the inflorescences have completely faded and dried out. It is recommended to store seeds in the refrigerator for no more than two years. It is worth noting that kosmeya belongs to cross-pollinated crops, so it will still not be possible to preserve varietal characteristics when collecting seeds.

Wintering

After pruning, the bushes are covered with spruce branches or agrofiber. Perennial cosmea is cut so that only 15 cm of stems remain. You can also mulch the soil. When grown in the southern regions, shelter for the winter is not required.

Landscape use

Cosmea looks great in landscape design. It is used both for planting in summer cottages and in the urban landscape. The plant goes well with other flower crops.

Reviews

Alena, 35 years old: “As a child, in my grandmother's dacha, kosmeya always grew, which I really liked. Until now, I can not imagine a cottage without this flower. The plant is unpretentious and always blooms profusely. I especially liked the variety with double inflorescences. The flowers look like peonies.”

Karina, 26 years old: “I have been planting cosmea for several years. Seeds always sprout together and grow quickly. And the main advantage of this flower is that it blooms from the very beginning of summer until autumn.”

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