When to plant and how to care for cosmea outdoors

Care of young cosmos

Cosmos plants pleasantly surprise with drought resistance, but at a young age, at the very beginning of growth, it is necessary for a plant to maintain a stable soil moisture. At a time when the kosmeya is building up its vegetative mass and until the beginning of flowering in a drought, it is better to water the plants. During the flowering period, watering is carried out only during severe droughts and in heat, in order to maintain profuse flowering and extend the duration of the flowering period as a whole.

When growing cosmos, top dressing is not at all an obligatory care item. They begin to carry out them at the stage of budding, full of mineral fertilizers, repeating several times over the summer. During the growing season, top dressing can cause a build-up of greenery to the detriment of flowering. Excess nitrogen is especially dangerous for space.

If a tall kosmeya was sown or planted on a windy site, as the bushes grow, it is better to take care of installing supports and a garter. Thanks to the light greenery, an ordinary peg is enough for the plant.

With the appearance of the first flowers, you need to start regularly removing the wilting flowers. Without such a simple procedure, the flowering of Moscow chamomile will be quite short and not so lush. To collect seeds, selectively leave the largest flowers, while the rest are regularly removed.

Due to its hardiness and resistance, problems with pests or diseases are rare in this plant. Usually, difficulties with rot arise only in unfavorable autumn, young seedlings or seedlings are not afraid of the disease.

Types and varieties

In Russia, 3 varieties of cosme are most often found. They differ among themselves in the shape and shade of the inflorescences.

The main types of cosmos

The red-bloody perennial received another name - chocolate cosmeya, thanks to the specific aroma exuded by the flowers.

Kosmeya chocolate

Due to the diligence of breeders, gardeners have recently been able to grow another group of Moscow chamomile flowers. True, terry kosmeya has not yet been presented as a separate species in the official classifier. You can recognize it by the lush, astro-like inflorescences of pink, yellow, orange, red shades.

On the basis of the available species, beautiful varieties of perennial cosmos were bred, which immediately became popular with gardeners.

Kosmey varieties

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, the 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 in early spring it was not possible to sow the seeds of cosmos, 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 pick the 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 growing, 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, support is required. It needs to be taken care of 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 entire season, it is necessary to 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 are slugs and snails. They can be collected by hand or use special tools for processing. A one-time treatment may not give positive results, so the procedure should be repeated after a week.

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 company will be accompanied by summer varieties of flowers, which are also very common - chamomile, marigolds, echinacea and phlox. Tall varieties are suitable as a hedge to hide unsightly areas on the site. Low-growing varieties can be used to decorate borders in combination with other flowers. Together they will create an enchanting look where the cosmeya will look just beautiful.

Kosmeya flower

Description and care

Kosmeya (Cosmos) is a common plant of the Asteraceae family, which came to us from Mexico, Brazil and Central America. For a long time, the plant was not perceived as flowers, considering it an ordinary grass. But thanks to the work of breeders, it was possible to breed varieties that now adorn gardens and city flower beds with a riot of colors throughout the summer.

There is a popular name for cosme - "disheveled young lady", which was given to the flower because of its appearance: thin curly foliage resembles disheveled curls, the tips of which are dotted with bright inflorescences.

There are annual and perennial types of cosmos. In total, there are about 25 varieties of this flower, but the best of all have taken root and are popular with us sulfur-yellow kosmeya and double-pinned kosmeya. Regardless of the species, the plant loves light, but it takes root best of all and pleases with lush flowering longer if the flower is planted in partial shade.

For planting a plant, it is worth choosing light, breathable soils. Cosmey can be planted with seeds or seedlings. The first option is suitable for the most common simple varieties. They are sown directly into the ground in April-May, when the ground has already warmed up enough. After two to three weeks, seedlings appear, which, when they reach 5 cm, must be thinned out.

Selected, hybrid varieties are grown through seedlings. Planted in this way, the plants begin flowering from the second half of July. Kosmeya, which was sown directly into the ground, blooms in August. So that the flower does not lose its decorative properties, it is necessary to remove wilted inflorescences. Cosmey of any kind is watered until it forms into an adult plant. Further, moderate watering is carried out if necessary, that is, with dry summers and lack of rainfall.

It is an unpretentious, cold and drought-resistant plant. Photos of cosmos flowers will allow you to appreciate the beauty of the flower and understand the reasons for its popularity in landscape design and the arrangement of personal plots and flower beds.

Types and varieties of cosme

In culture, three types of cosmos are grown - two annuals and one perennial. True, these species, thanks to breeders, have many varieties and hybrids. So, we present to you the annual types of cosmos:

Cosmos bipinnatus

An annual herb from the mountainous regions of Mexico with erect, densely branched stems ranging from 80 to 150 cm high. As the name implies, the foliage of this species is cut into filamentous lobes, so it looks like dill leaves. Baskets from 7 to 10 cm in diameter grow singly or are collected in large corymbose inflorescences. The color of the marginal flowers is white, red, pink, purple, and the tubular flowers form a small yellow disc in the middle of the basket. Double-pinned kosmeya blooms profusely and gives good self-seeding. In culture since 1799 and today it is the most popular species in floriculture.Varieties:

• Dazzler - blossoming inflorescences have a bright red hue, but after a while they become crimson;
• Purity - kosmeya white, like snow, with flexible stems;
• undersized kosmeya of the Sonata series, which includes the Sonata Pink Blush variety - pink kosmeya with a red rim around the middle.

Sulfur-yellow kosmeya (Cosmos sulphureus)

Distributed in Latin America, it is a very thermophilic species with branched erect pubescent stems up to one and a half meters high. The leaves are twice and thrice dissected into wide, feathery lanceolate lobes, pointed towards the apices. Ligulate flowers orange or golden yellow, tubular - yellow with protruding dark anthers with orange ends. In culture, since 1799. Varieties:

• Bilbo - orange kosmeya with semi-double inflorescences;
• Crest Lemon - lemon yellow kosmeya up to 50 cm tall;
• Diablo - This cultivar has fiery red inflorescences.

Blood-red cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus)

Perennial kosmeya is represented by such a species as blood-red kosmeya, brought to us from the same Mexico. Sometimes this species is called black cosmea, because its red color is very dark, and the velvety flowers smell like chocolate. The leaves of this species are complex, consisting of an unpaired number of leaves. Since the kosmeya red plant is extremely thermophilic, it is recommended to grow it in pots that can be brought into the house for the winter. If you decide to grow blood-red cosmea in the open field, you will definitely have to cover it for the winter.

Recently, terry kosmeya is gaining more and more popularity. Most often, flower growers are interested in the following varieties:

• Brightness - profusely flowering bushes with bright double inflorescences;
• Antiquity is a unique variety of compact cosme with flowers that gradually change their original color of Burgundy wine to salmon with a bronze tint;
• Double click rose bon-bon is a cultivar with very large double pink flowers that stand in cut for a long time.

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Description of the plant

There are perennial and annual types of cosmos. This herb belongs to the Asteraceae (or Compositae) family. Inflorescences (baskets) in representatives of this family have a round corymbose shape. They are complex, that is, what we call the "flower of the cosmos", in fact, is an inflorescence of dozens of individual flowers, collected in one basket.

In the central part of the inflorescence, there are thin tubular median flowers. They are tightly adjacent to each other. And each outer petal is also a separate flower.

In Russia, the most popular is the double-pinned kosmeya, the less common is the sulfur-yellow kosmeya.

The inflorescences of the cosmos are open to the sun's rays, their diameter is 6-12 cm. The petals (ligulate flowers) of the cosmos are colored pink, red, dark red, orange or yellow. They can also be white. The petals have an elongated, oval shape, their outer edges are slightly dissected. The central flowers are thin yellow tubes, collected in a bunch. One or more inflorescences can be located on the stem and its branches.

The stems of the plant are erect, thin and highly branched. They are very flexible and rarely break when exposed to wind. The leaves of the cosmos are long and delicate (threadlike). The plant reaches a height of 50-150 cm.

The fruit of the plant is a brownish, yellowish or gray basket (achene) up to 1 cm in size, in which the seeds are tightly collected.

Kosmeya blooms from July to frost. The plant, thanks to its large bright inflorescences emitting aroma, attracts pollinating insects to the garden plot.

SEEDLESS METHOD

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.

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 respond 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.

Description and types

Cosmos flowers (lat.Cosmos), or space, or Mexican aster belong to the genus of annual and perennial herbs of the Astrovye family, or Compositae, numbering more than twenty species. The name comes from the Greek word kosmeo and means “decoration”. The subtropics and tropics of America are considered the birthplace of cosmos; most of the species of cosmos grows in Mexico. In our climate, only three species of this genus are grown - one perennial and two annual cosmos.

The height of the cosmos bush can vary from 0.5 to 1.5 meters. Branched erect shoots are thin and rather flexible. Opposite double-cut leaf plates are very graceful and delicate. The inflorescences-baskets, similar to the outside of daisies, reach approximately 12 centimeters in diameter. They can be solitary or part of loose corymbose panicle inflorescences.

The inflorescences consist of cylindrical median flowers that are very small and pale yellow in color, as well as large ligulate flowers that can be pigmented in pink, white, purple, yellow-golden and red.

In recent years, more and more often you can hear or read about how to grow terry kosmeya. In such a situation, we do not mean any single species, but a terry variety of cosme, which was obtained by scientific breeders not very long ago. The fruit is an achene that has a gray, yellow or brown color. The seeds remain viable for 2-3 years.

Varieties of cosme

The genus of cosmos is not very extensive. It contains approximately 24 species.In culture, only three main varieties and a huge number of decorative varieties are used.

Cosmeya double-feathered

A popular garden annual stands out with thin, dill-like or needle-like leaves of bright green or olive color. The height of highly branched erect vegetation is 80–150 centimeters.

In the upper part of the shoots, inflorescences-baskets with a diameter of 7-10 centimeters are formed. Each grows on a separate peduncle as thin as a thread. The convex center is covered with large yellow stamens. Along the edges there are a number of reed flowers of pink-purple, pink, red or snow-white color. A thin linear petal has a wavy or rounded edge. Varieties:

• Puriti - filamentous stems end in snow-white flowers with wide, triangular leaves;
• Radiance - corrugated petals increase towards the edge, forming a solid circle; closer to the middle, there is a contrasting speck on the petals.

Kosmeya sulfur-yellow

The heat-loving variation has more dense branched shoots, dotted with pinnately dissected foliage. Single leaf segments are wider. They are pigmented dark green. Vegetation up to 1.5 meters high is completed with bright orange flowers up to 5 centimeters in diameter.

The core is taller and denser than that of the previous species. It consists of golden tubular flowers with dark brown anthers on top. The inflorescence is surrounded by corrugated bright orange petals with a wavy edge. Varieties:

• Bilbo - amber-orange semi-double flowers bloom on stems about 50 centimeters high;
• Diablo - blooms bright red ordinary flowers.

Kosmeya blood red

The variety looks very unusual, thanks to its large flowers with dark red petals and an almost black core. The plane of the petals is matte, as if velvety. During flowering, a sweet chocolate aroma spreads over the flower bed. Under the flowers on the stems are dark green odd-pinnate leaves.

Recently, many varieties with lush flowers have emerged, which are combined under the name Terry cosmos. This group is not represented in the official classification as a single species. But she is very popular with gardeners. Varieties:

• Ladybug - a bush up to 30 centimeters high blooms with yellow, red or orange semi-double inflorescences up to 7 centimeters in diameter;
• Sunny Gold - bright yellow double flowers over low emerald growth;

How to sow: step by step instructions

Sowing is carried out in several stages:

1. Soil preparation. Kosmeya prefers loose, light soil. Any ready-made mixture from a store or self-prepared substrate from fertile soil and sand in equal quantities is suitable. A little humus or compost is often added for nutritional value.
2. Soil processing. Self-prepared soil must be disinfected in a steam bath or in an oven for 30 minutes.
3. Disinfection of seeds. A weakly concentrated solution of potassium permanganate is suitable for disinfection.
4. Distribution of seeds in pots. Seedling containers are filled with prepared soil, the surface is tamped. The seeds are lightly pressed into the soil. You do not need to sprinkle them, since they need light to germinate.
5. Creation of greenhouse conditions. After distributing the seeds, the soil is moistened with a spray bottle. The containers are covered with glass or foil and placed in the brightest possible place. The optimum temperature for germination of cosme seeds is 15 to 18 ° C.

Cosme seeds do not need stratification; on the contrary, they need to create greenhouse conditions and ensure a constant supply of sunlight

Landing

When to plant

The planting of the cosmos is carried out in early June, when the return frosts have passed and the seedlings will stretch up to 6 cm. Planting in mid-May is permissible if you are sure that the cold will not return.Find an open sunny area for the cosmos, sheltered from the wind, with moderately fertile, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Too fertile soil contributes to the lush growth of greenery, but, alas, the quality and intensity of flowering suffers from this.

How to plant

So, in mid-May or early June, when the heat finally comes, prepare shallow holes in the garden according to the scheme 30x30 or 35x35, if you are going to plant tall varieties, and spill them with water. Then plant the seedlings in the holes, dig in and water them again. Do not forget that tall varieties of cosmos may need support, therefore, in advance, when planting seedlings, dig in slats or twigs around which you will tie an adult bush. When the kosmeya reaches a height of 50 cm, pinch the tops of the shoots so that the plant bushes better. The seedling-grown kosmeya blooms in June or mid-July.

WHY DOES NOT FLOWER

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

1. For starters, 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 into the greens, without giving buds.

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.