How to grow cosmea at home?

Almost everyone knows the spectacular and undemanding beauty of kosmeya, growing from the seeds 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:

1. The plant is thermophilic, but it can withstand a slight frost.
2. It takes about 2 weeks for the seeds to germinate.
3. 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 kosmeya in open ground already at the beginning of May. For its placement, open sunny areas with sufficiently fertile and well-drained soils are best suited.

When choosing a place, 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 frost. So we learned when to plant cosmeia 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 the seedlings, they dive into more spacious containers or individual cups. To prevent the plants from stretching, the temperature is lowered to 16-18 ° C.

To avoid the time-consuming picking process, sowing can immediately be carried out in cups of several seeds.

Growing cosmos from seeds with direct sowing in open ground does not present any particular difficulties. Seeds are sown in prepared beds. In this case, the nest method of sowing 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 of the hand.

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 cosmeas 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 planting the seedlings. For this, universal mineral complexes are used. The second time is in the budding phase, the third time is during flowering.

With a strong overgrowth 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 its 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, having planted it once on your site, you will enjoy its spectacular, abundant and long flowering for many years.

Sowing cosmos - video

Most gardeners try to grow beautiful and easy-care flowers in their flower beds and backyards. These plants include kosmeya. The photo shows that it bears great resemblance to chamomile, but it is distinguished by the 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 a cosmea 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 grown 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, can grow singly or gather in loose thyroid panicles. 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 18-20 ° C. 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 of 16-18 ° C. You don't have to do a pick, 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

It is better to plant kosmey 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 cultivation, 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. In order 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 sturdy.

For the whole season it is necessary feed the flowers three times:

• before budding;
• during budding;
• at the beginning of flowering.

Abundant color will give foliar dressing. For this, special means are used, spraying the deciduous mass. You can not 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 is slugs and snails. They can be collected manually or use special tools for processing. 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 cosmea company will be made up of 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.

Kosmeya flower

Kosmeya (sometimes they write kasmeya, also called space, Mexican aster) is a herbaceous plant of the Asteraceae family. In its natural environment, it occupies vast territories of South and Central America, was brought by the Spaniards to Western Europe, where at present it not only decorates gardens, but also grows wildly along roads, fields, in wastelands.

Botanical description

The stem height is 50-150 cm. It is thin, erect, branched. The leaves are openwork, threadlike. The inflorescence inherent in all Compositae: the core consists of numerous tubular yellow flowers, and what we call a petal is actually a separate inflorescence.

These "petals" are oval in shape, elongated, the edges are slightly dissected. The color can be white, pink, yellow, red, dark red. At the top of the stem, the inflorescences are located singly or in several pieces. Fragrant flowers attract pollinating insects.

When it blooms

Flowering lasts all summer until the onset of severe cold weather. The fruit is a densely seeded achene.

In our latitudes, kosmeya is grown as a one - and a perennial plant.

Growing cosmos from seeds

Cosme seeds photo

Sowing in the ground

You can sow seeds directly into open ground or grow seedlings. In the first case, the flowering of the cosmos starts in July and early August, in the second, the cosmos will bloom in early summer.

You can sow kosmeya when the soil is ripe, already in March. In the conditions of the middle lane, kosmeya can be sown before winter, in October. Kosmeya is able to reproduce by self-seeding.

How to sow kosmeya in the ground when to plant photos of seedlings

• Dig up the soil, remove weeds, level the bed.
• Make holes no more than 1 cm deep, place 3-4 seeds there each, cover with a thin layer of soil, compact a little. Water gently to prevent the seeds from being washed away. Maintain a distance between holes of about 30-35 cm.
• Thin seedlings, weed young plants from weeds.

How to grow seedlings

Kosmeya growing from seeds photo seedlings

Sow seeds for seedlings in March-early April.... Sow in boxes or immediately in separate cups (then you don't have to transplant).

• Fill containers with light, loose soil, moisten, spread the seeds over the surface, press them a little with your finger.
• Sow 1-2 seeds in cups.
• Cover the crops with foil or glass, germinate in a bright place at a temperature of 18-20 ºC, ventilate the greenhouse, moisten the soil.
• Expect sprouting 7-10 days. Then remove the shelter, reduce the temperature by a couple of degrees.
• Thin seedlings in boxes, leaving a distance of about 10 cm between them.
• The grown seedlings are taken out into the street two weeks before planting in the ground and hardened, gradually increasing the time spent in the fresh air every day.

Planting seedlings of cosmos in open ground

How to plant kosmeya in the ground

Transplant seedlings into open ground with the establishment of real heat: in late May-early June.

Find a sunny spot. Keep in mind that strong gusts of wind can break thin stems - plant tall plants in a secluded place or immediately build supports. Make shallow holes, keep the distance between plantings for low and medium-sized plants about 30 cm, for tall plants - 35 cm.Cosmea has cross-pollination - plant different varieties away from each other. When you reach a height of 50 cm, pinch the tops of the shoots.

• Kosmeya will grow well in water- and air-permeable neutral soil.
• If the soil is excessively fed with organic matter or synthetic fertilizers, the stems and leaves will actively grow, and there will be few flowers.
• Feed the depleted soil with complex mineral fertilizers, superphosphate or organic matter (mullein infusion) once a season.

Spray three times a season with a special preparation for flowering plants, for example, "Bud".Carry out the first spraying at the seedling stage, the second - before the beginning of budding, the third - during the period of active flowering.

Outdoor care for cosmos

Loosening the soil and watering

Weed young plants regularly, loosen the soil after watering or rain. More mature plants cope with weeds on their own.

The plant is drought tolerant - water only in severe drought.

Pruning

Removing wilted flower baskets stimulates the emergence of new flowers. Leave only a few if you want to collect seeds.

Preparing for winter

Perennial cosmos must be prepared for wintering. After the end of flowering, cut the stems, leaving 10-15 cm above the soil surface. Mulch the soil with fallen leaves, cover with spruce branches.

Diseases and pests

The plant is not exposed to diseases and pests. Fresh young shoots can be eaten by snails and slugs. Collect them manually or use traps.

Collecting cosme seeds

How to collect cosme seeds

Choose large baskets for collecting seeds. Ripe seeds are brownish in color, dry and easily peel off. In order not to miss the moment of collection (the seeds fly away easily from the wind), cover the baskets with gauze.

Collect the seeds carefully and place them in a paper or cloth bag.

Seeds germinate for about 3 years. Store them in a dark, dry place with good ventilation.

Types and varieties of cosme with photos and names

Cosmos bipinnatus

Cosmos bipinnatus bipinnatus cultivar Sensation Mix photo

An annual herb. The height of the stem is 80-150 cm. The leaf plates are similar to the leaves of dill. The diameter of the basket is 7-10 cm. The core is yellow, the petals can be white, pink, red, purple.

Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Cranberries’ photo

A popular variety of the species is the Kosmeya shell - the reed petals are rolled into tubes.

Kosmeya blood-red or chocolate Cosmos atrosanguineus

Cosmeya blood-red or chocolate Cosmos atrosanguineus photo

Perennial species. The core and petals are burgundy and exude a chocolate aroma. The plant is thermophilic, most often grown in flowerpots, pots.

Kosmeya sulfur yellow Cosmos sulphureus

Kosmeya sulfur yellow Cosmos sulphureus variety Cosmic Orange photo

The erect stem of the plant reaches a height of 1.5 m. The leaves are cut into 2 or 3 lobes, have pointed tops. The core is yellow, the petals have a golden yellow, orange tint. Annual.

Terry kosmeya

Cosmos variety Diablo Cosmos Diablo photo

A variety with reed flowers (petals) arranged in several rows. The flower is beautiful, lush. The stems are denser. The color is varied.

In turn, this variety has many hybrids:

• Golden Valley: has flowers of a sunny yellow color;
• Polydor fox - scarlet or orange inflorescences;

Kosmeya grade Piper Red Cosmos bipinnatus 'Pied Piper Red'

• Diablo, Red Pipe, Cranberry Click, Burgundy Button - color spectrum from scarlet to burgundy;
• Pink Bonbon, Pink Lollipop, Rose Valley, Snow Click, Terry Click, Glissandro, Iridescent tints, Orange - various varieties of terry cosme;
• Ladybug, Ariadne - semi-double.

Popular varieties of cosme

Cosmos bipinnatus Velouette photo

Sensation crimson, Rediance - has pink flowers;

Kosmeya variety Dezzler Dazzler photo

• Dezzler - reddish petals have a border of a darker shade;
• Purity - snow-white color;
• Sonata - undersized cosmea with white, pink, crimson-red petals;

Cosmos plant Fizzie Rose Pikoti photo

Pikoti - white petals are framed by a pink, fiery red border.

Kosmeya in landscape design

Kosmeya in landscape design photo of flowers

There are many directions in modern landscape design. Kosmeya is perfect for decorating a garden in the style of Country, Garden hi-tech, Art and Craft.

It is combined with short and tall plants.Good neighbors will be chamomile, delphinium, lily, mallow, aster, geranium, flax, calendula, bells, cloves, alissum, salvia.

Almost every gardener has his own set of favorite flowers, which he regularly plants on the site. There are people who are experimenting, looking for something new. Both of them have one thing in common - at least once they have grown cosmeya in the garden - an amazing flower that looks simple and unpretentious at first glance. How to plant cosmos in the open field and what care nuances should you remember?

Features of growing cosmos as a culture

Kosmeya (its second name is "space") is an unpretentious plant, quite easy to care for, even a novice gardener can cope with the task of growing it. However, here too there are rules and subtleties that must be adhered to.

Cosmeya came from the southern latitudes, but, as it turned out, she also liked the climate of the middle and northern regions, and she began to march through the cities and villages, gaining more and more distribution, and at the same time the people's love.

Kosmeya is an unpretentious and unpretentious flower, which, however, blooms amicably and very effectively

Kosmeya loves warmth and light, especially for perennial varieties. She has well developed roots, so drought does not pose a great threat to the plant.

Kosmeya takes root on almost any soil, but it blooms most beautifully and most luxuriantly on light soils with good drainage and low acidity.

For cosmos, a sunny, but at the same time protected from strong winds, place on the site is required. The flower also feels good in a shaded place, however, being deprived of such a beloved sun, it will use all its strength to build up lush greenery to the detriment of flowering.

Video: acquaintance with cosmeia

Varieties

Like many flowers, cosme has many varieties that are divided into several categories. Some are perennial, others are double-pinnate (a variety widespread in the European territory of Russia), and there are sulfur-yellow cosmos.

1. Cosmeya is double-feathery. An annual variation known to everyone and everyone, which is planted in parks and squares, in the courtyards of city houses and front gardens. Its flowers reach a diameter of 10 cm. The height of the plant reaches one and a half meters, so this variety is often used to decorate walls, fences, as well as the edges of paths. It reproduces well by itself by self-seeding. In our latitudes, the double-feathery species of cosmos has been living for a long time, and therefore managed to create many new varieties, among which Dazzler, Radiance, Purity and Sonata are especially popular, which, in turn, is divided into Pink, White and Carmine (according to the color of the flowers).
2. Kosmeya is sulfur-yellow. It belongs to the category of annuals, however, it is more dependent on solar heat, and therefore in a cold summer (which does not happen so rarely in mid-latitudes) it will feel bad. But in the southern regions it is the place - there it will show itself in all its glory. In height, it is the same as double-pinnate, but inferior in size to flowers (no more than 5 cm). The buds are orange-red, like a living sun - this is the original color of the plant, on the basis of which varieties with other colors were bred. The most famous varieties of sulfur-yellow cosme are Bilbo and Krest Lemon.
3. Cosmeya is blood-red. The flower is very similar to sulfur-yellow in its dependence on the heat, and in the middle lane it makes sense to grow it only at home on the balcony. It is a perennial variety.
4. Terry kosmeya... The fruit of selection work, which is distinguished by lush dahlia-like flowers and thickened stems to keep all this floral weight. This species has many varieties and colors, among which are the Golden Valley (blooms until October), Polydor Fox (magnificent orange and scarlet inflorescences), as well as Cranberry Click and Red Pipe (only red flowers).

A big plus of terry varieties obtained as a result of selection is that they do not change color as a result of sowing seeds collected by hand after flowering.

Varietal variety of plants in the photo

Reproduction methods

Of course, it is easy and simple to propagate cosmea using stem cuttings, which have exceptional rooting. However, in this case, we will consider precisely the seed method, which is divided into seedling and non-seedling.

Seedless way

This option takes less time and is the simplest. And given the germination of seeds, it is practically a win-win. The rules for planting seeds in open ground are as follows:

1. In late April - early May or before the onset of stable cold weather (in Siberia, planting is carried out much later - in early June), the soil is loosened at the chosen place, removing all weeds.
2. Create holes 1 cm deep with a distance of 35 - 40 cm from each other, in each of which are laid 3-4 seeds (nest planting method).
3. The holes are sprinkled, the earth is compacted so that it is not blown out by the winds, and watered.

When planting in the spring, closer to August, kosmeya will bloom on your site.

Kosmeya is usually propagated by direct sowing into the ground - there is less hassle, and the germination is good.

Seedling method

If you are going to grow cosmea through seedlings, then you need to proceed as follows:

1. Towards the end of March or early April, prepare flower seeds and scatter them over the surface of the ground in a pot or container. Press them into the soil and spray with water. You do not need to drip them in - they react well to light and will rise faster without being sprinkled. If you are a supporter of the traditional planting, pour very little earth on top - in a thin layer, then put the box on the windowsill or balcony if it is sufficiently insulated.
2. Within one to two weeks, the seeds will begin to germinate. The optimum temperature for this process is about + 20 ° С, while the seedlings will feel good even at + 16 ° С.
3. If the seeds were densely planted, then with an abundant number of seedlings, it will be necessary to thin out the plants. There should be at least 10 cm between neighboring seedlings. Everything that is closer can be dug up or transplanted, fortunately, the cosmeya easily tolerates the transplanting process.
4. The cassette method of growing is also common, as well as in separate pots, if the width of the container is about 8 cm. In this case, three plants are sown in one place at once.
5. At the beginning of June, it will be time to plant the seedlings in a new place - in open ground. By this time, as a rule, the probability of recurrent frosts is significantly reduced, and the weather is comfortable. However, under favorable weather conditions, you can transplant the kosmeya in mid-May. For plants, holes are prepared according to the scheme 30x30 cm or a little more. Cosmey after transplantation is watered abundantly. If everything is done correctly, the weather is favorable, and the seedlings are of good quality, then by the end of June - mid-July you will be able to observe the luxurious flowering of the cosmos.

Growing seedlings of cosmos allows you to see flowering earlier than with direct planting of seeds in open ground

Flower care from the moment of planting until autumn

Since kosmeya is undemanding to care, your main occupation will be periodic weeding and loosening. Plants should be watered only in case of prolonged drought - once every one and a half to two weeks.

Cosmos can be used to create beautiful flower arrangements in the garden, or simply let it grow on its own anywhere.

Cosmeies of some varieties grow quite tall and need a garter. Pegs or sturdy stems of neighboring plants can be used as support.

Cosmeya can also be grown on the balcony due to its unpretentiousness

If you want the plant to bush well, just cut off the top, and then all the forces of the cosmos will be directed to the development of lateral shoots. Faded inflorescences need to be removed so that the flower begins to grow new ones sooner.You can also work with the shape of the cosmos by subjecting it to a haircut - this way you will not only get neat bushes, but also stimulate them to bloom abundantly.

By the way, if you want to collect seeds on your own, do not remove your old inflorescences - just wait until they dry a little and the seeds darken. Then the time will come to collect them. If you overexpose the baskets, they will open, the plant will begin to multiply itself.

There is another interesting point regarding the reproduction of cosmos: you should collect seeds by hand only if you are interested in simply breeding a flower, and not preserving varietal traits. Kosmeya is cross-pollinated, and therefore the seeds of the hybrids next year will make it possible to see plants with smaller pink flowers. However, if you liked this or that hybrid variety, it is better to purchase seeds in the store next year. All this does not apply to varietal plants, the seeds of which can be harvested by hand if you want to keep your favorite species.

An important advantage of cosmos over many flowering plants: it does not get sick and is not damaged by anyone. On the contrary, it attracts pollinating insects and beneficial insects that fight pests to the site.

Most varieties of cosmeia grow easily and naturally outdoors, but there are varieties that need shelter, such as blood red kosmeya and chocolate.

Kosmeya reproduces very well by self-seeding and can form entire fields

Preparing for winter

Of course, we are talking about perennial plant varieties that you want to keep on your site for next year. It is not difficult to do this: immediately after the end of flowering, the cosmea is cut so that the length of the remaining stems is no more than 15 cm, and before the onset of cold weather, the plants are covered with spruce branches.

Why doesn't the cosmos bloom?

Sometimes gardeners are faced with the fact that their beloved kosmeya flatly refuses to bloom. There may be several reasons for this:

1. To begin with, the most common reason is the oily and very fertile soil on which the kosmeya, as they say, “fattens”. That is, he uses all his strength to build up the green mass. As a result, we have tall, densely leafy with thick stems, on which there are no buds or appear, but in single specimens. A smart decision is not to feed the flowers and leave them to themselves. Gradually, albeit not immediately, the land in the chosen place will be depleted, and the cosmos, oddly enough, will begin to bloom more and more abundantly.
2. It so happens that the gardener can delay sowing - in this case, flowering can not wait. This usually applies to southern varieties that are trying to grow in the northern regions - they simply do not have enough heat and time for full development. If you just missed the right time for planting, you should take into account that you risk not waiting for a beautiful picture on your site this season.
3. Failure to comply with the conditions for caring for the plant is usually too abundant watering or planting cosmos in the shade. In this case, she will direct her forces to the greens, without giving buds.

Video: planting cosmos

Kosmeya is an elegant, beautiful and very unpretentious flower that does not require special care, reproduces well by self-sowing and almost always pleases with friendly flowering. In addition, many beneficial insects gather on the site where the kosmeya grows, as a result of which the garden only benefits. That is why you should definitely try to plant this wonderful plant in your home.

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