How to plant?
The process of planting cosmea seedlings in open ground includes several stages: choosing a site, preparing a substrate and planting seedlings directly. During each stage, certain subtleties must be taken into account, which will be discussed below.
Seat selection
To plant the cosmos, you need to choose an open, sunny place on the north side of the garden. Kosmeya loves sunlight, which is reflected in the abundance of flowering culture. In addition, the place should be sufficiently dry and windless - lowlands, in which moisture accumulates after rain, or hills with gusts of strong and cold wind, are not suitable for this.
In partial shade or close to other shrubs, these flowers should not be planted - in such conditions, the cosmeya will delight you with a minimum number of buds, but the green of the flower will grow greatly.
Soil preparation
Kosmeya does not differ in specific requirements for the quality of the soil on the site - it can grow even on loam or on depleted sandy loam, but the soil in any case should be light and breathable. In addition, on a flower bed with cosmos, the soil must pass moisture well - otherwise, a drainage layer is organized in the holes with seedlings.
Planting seedlings
Prepared kosmeya seedlings are planted in open ground in the first half of June or in mid-May (if we are talking about the southern regions). The planting process is as follows.
- Before planting, the soil in the flowerbed is dug up, while all weeds and roots of old shrubs and trees are removed. Then, wide holes up to 35 cm deep are dug in the flowerbed.
- The wells are abundantly watered with settled water, after which the gardener waits until it is absorbed into the soil.
- At the bottom of the hole, a drainage layer of broken brick, expanded clay, pebbles or river sand is placed.
- One seedling is placed in each hole along with a lump from the container where the seedlings grew. All free holes are filled with a mixture of meadow soil, peat and sand (if the soil is depleted or heavy). After that, the plant is watered again abundantly.
- As soon as the seedling takes root in a new place and reaches a height of 50 cm, it should be pinched to provoke the growth of lateral shoots - this will make the flower more lush.
Planting cosmos
Seat selection
First of all, it should be borne in mind that the stems of this plant are very thin and quite tall. Consequently, the landing of the cosmos should be well protected from the wind. However, this place must be sunny.
As for the soil, light, not particularly nutritious soil is preferable. Paradoxically, if the land is fertile, rich, the plant will develop remarkably, but the expected flowering will come a little later and will not be particularly lush
Pay attention to the acidity of the soil. It should be slightly acidic, about pH6-8
Another requirement for the selected area is that it should not be waterlogged, the water should not stagnate. For cosmos, waterlogging is much worse than drought, which it tolerates quite easily.
Landing
Seedlings can be planted when the threat of freezing is guaranteed to pass. This can be either mid-March or early June. By the time of planting, the seedlings of the cosmos should grow to a height of 5-6 centimeters.
The planting scheme is approximately the same as when sowing seeds in the ground. Make the minimum distance between the planting holes at least 30 centimeters, and if you chose a tall variety, then up to 50 centimeters. Do not make the holes deep, according to the size of the plant root system. Pour water into the holes first, and let it soak into the ground. After that, plant cosme seedlings.Water after planting.
When the kosmeya grows up and reaches about half a meter in height, pinch the tops, this will contribute to the branching of the plant.
The flowering of cosmos planted with seedlings occurs in June-July.
How to take care of it properly?
Kosmeya is considered a rather unpretentious flower when it comes to care - it has excellent immunity, which allows the plant to bloom even on depleted soil without regular gardener care. The whole process of caring for cosmos flowers is reduced to watering, feeding, loosening and decorative pruning.
Watering
Kosmeya belongs to garden crops that retain moisture poorly at the roots, and therefore watering this plant should be not only abundant, but also frequent. Young seedlings are watered every 2-3 days, older bushes - once a week or as the earthen crust dries up in the near-stem circle of the flower.
Watering one adult bush of cosmos should take about 4 ten-liter buckets of settled water. Water should be applied exclusively under the roots, since when watering with a watering can there is a chance of rotting flower shoots and sunburn. The watering procedure itself is best done in the early morning or evening.
Top dressing
Vitamin dressings are introduced into the soil to the space 3 times per season. The very first feeding is carried out 14-15 days after planting the seedlings in a permanent place - complex mineral fertilizers are best suited here. The second feeding is carried out during the period of bud formation. The third and last dressing should be carried out during the flowering period of the cosmos - for a richer color of the buds and prolongation of flowering.
If we talk about certain fertilizers, then “Bud” is best suited to stimulate flowering and the formation of lush buds, but the drug “Agricola” showed itself well as an optimal mineral fertilizing for the whole season. Kosmeya is also good for organic fertilizers, but they should not be applied fresh to the soil - this applies to compost or manure.
Organic fertilizers are usually applied to the soil to the space or serve as a mulch layer, but mineral fertilizers are usually mixed with water to water the plant and can be applied under the roots of the flower or sprayed over its shoots.
With fertilizers, the main thing is not to overdo it: an excess of vitamins in the soil can lead to wilting of the flower or a decrease in the number of buds.
Pruning and loosening
In order for the cosmos bushes to retain their decorative appearance for a longer period, their dry and faded buds are advised to be removed immediately - this will stimulate the growth of other buds and prolong the flowering period.
Some varieties of cosme are distinguished by excessive bushiness, and therefore young shoots of cosme are sometimes pinched even before the period of active growth - in perennial varieties this is usually done in early spring. The decorative appearance of the flower will help maintain a regular haircut. During this procedure, it is advised to remove no more than 30 cm from young and adult shoots.
Another important step in caring for the cosmos is loosening the earth in the trunk circle near the flower. This not only lightens the soil, but also makes it more airy, which allows oxygen and moisture to reach the roots of the flower unhindered.
Wintering
If you are going to grow a perennial kosmeya in your garden, then in the fall, before the onset of the first frost, the flower must be properly prepared for wintering. Experienced gardeners cut off all the shoots and buds of the cosmos to a level of 10-15 cm above the ground, and then cover them with a layer of spruce branches, which will protect the flower from frost and heavy snow. It is better not to use the fallen foliage for shelter - the larvae of many garden pests prefer to winter in it. To keep the roots of the flower from freezing, a layer of mulch made of straw, peat, rotted manure, sawdust or tree bark must be organized in the trunk circle.
With the onset of the first warm spring days, the shelter from the cosmos is removed so that the flower does not snatch under the sun's rays.
If perennial kosmeya is grown in southern regions with long and harsh winters, then it is best to dig up the flower for the wintering period and transplant it together with an earthen clod into a temporary pot, where it will be stored until the onset of warmth.
Cosmeya double-feathered
The double-feathered cosmos flower is an annual herb that came to us from the mountains of Mexico. It has erect stems reaching 150 centimeters in height. The stems are covered with leaves dissected into threadlike lobes. Outwardly, they may resemble dill. The baskets have a diameter of ten centimeters and grow mainly singly, but it happens that they gather in corymbose inflorescences.
The marginal flowers have a rather varied color palette, but the tubular ones, located in the middle of the basket, are presented in the form of a yellow disc. The plant is characterized by a fairly abundant flowering, and gardeners note good self-seeding. It is this species that has gained the greatest popularity in floriculture. It has become known in culture since 1799.
Cosmeia care
By and large, this flower does not require special care. But, as every grower knows, if the plant is not taken care of at all, then nothing good will come of it.
Loosening, watering and feeding
Loosening the soil is the main thing to pay attention to when caring for cosmos. She needs light soil that allows moisture and air to pass through well.
But even the lightest soil loses these properties without periodic loosening. This is especially true at the initial stage of plant development, when it has not grown and matured enough. An adult kosmeya, at the peak of its development, is able to suppress weeds on its own. But while it is still growing, you will have to remove them.
The kosmeya plant is drought-resistant and practically does not need watering. Moreover, excessive watering can harm it. If the summer is normal, not dry, then there is enough rain for watering the cosmos. But if there is a drought for a long time, then watering will be needed.
The same is the case with fertilizers. Cosmea should be fed only if the land is very poor. Excessive feeding will lead to the fact that the plant will grow lush leaves, it will perfectly strengthen the stem and branches, but the flowering will be poor. An exception may be the budding period. At this time, you can apply a small amount of fertilizer with a predominant phosphorus content. Better yet, spray the cosmea with any flowering activator. For example - "Bud".
Diseases and pests
As already mentioned, kosmeya is independently capable of defeating weeds. It's the same with various diseases and pests. Excessive watering can kill the plant, all other diseases bypass it. Cosmeya is also protected from pests. It has the unique ability to attract beneficial insects - lacewings. This wonderful live insecticide perfectly protects the plant from the most harmful insects such as aphids, spider mites and others.
The main pest of cosmos is snails and slugs. They are especially dangerous for young plants, at the beginning of their development. The most effective way to deal with slugs and snails is manual collection or special traps.
