Kobeya is a climbing plant that attaches to a support with tendrils.
When cultivated in the garden and on the balcony, kobeya is grown annually from seeds.
The leaves end in a tendril.
The flowers are numerous, large, bell-shaped, hanging on long stalks.
The original appearance of the flowers is given by the stamens and pistils protruding from the corolla and bent upward.
The color of the flowers is initially pale green, then becomes bluish-purple.
There are also white-flowered forms.
White kobea flowers look good next to each other
with blue brovallia, phacelia, begonias and pelargoniums,
purple - with yellow marigolds, zinnia, nasturtium.
Soil for growing kobei in a container
make up
from turf and leaf soil, humus and sand
in a ratio of 1:1:1:1.
Kobeya is not one of those plants that you plant and forget.
She needs careful care:
Regular watering, spraying and fertilizing with complete fertilizer every two weeks.
For better branching, you need to periodically trim the tops of the shoots.
Kobeya produces a green curtain decorated with beautiful flowers.
An important condition for growing is placement in a place protected from the wind.
How it is grown:
Kobe seeds are sown in February-March.
(if you want to add greenery to your balcony).
Shoots appear in 2-3 weeks.
As soon as the seedlings have their first feathery leaves,
they are transplanted into permanent containers of 1-3 pieces and immediately tied to a support. As the plants grow, they will be able to cling to a support or rough wall themselves.
Kobeya is brought to “freedom” with the end of the cold weather
(depending on the region - from early May to early June).
At the same time, they plant it in the garden.
Keep in mind that kobeya can be damaged by strong winds.
My experience of sowing kobei
To prevent other gardeners from repeating my mistakes,
allowed when sowing kobe seeds, -
First, I’ll tell you how the kobei didn’t work out for me...
I sowed kobeya for the first time about five years ago.
I sowed it in early April with dry seeds.
Germinating kobei seeds then became a real challenge - both for them and for me. The kobei sprouts that emerged from the ground could not get rid of the seed coat on their own. And then I had to manually help the seeds to free themselves
As a result, not all of the kobei seedlings were destined to see White light:
out of five seedlings, only one “misunderstanding” barely survived...
I brought this plant into the garden in June, approximately at the end of the first decade.
Gradually, my seedling began to straighten, branch and grow stronger.
And by the end of August it was already a nice vine of normal size.
But I never saw flowers on my first kobe.
Because the very first autumn frost, which occurred in early September,
put an end to this story.
After all, tropical kobeya is very thermophilic!
In the previous gardening season, I decided to plant kobeya near the arch.
I bought two packets of kobe seeds - just to be sure to grow them!
Each bag contained 5 large seeds.
I decided to sow 6 seeds.
On the eve of sowing, in the evening, I soaked the kobe seeds in a solution of a growth stimulator (I prefer to use HB-1 or Epin).
Photo: kobe seeds; sowing kobeya in foil sleeves.
I sowed the kobe seeds on March 16
(many middle zone flower growers are convinced
that mid-March is a very good time for sowing kobeya).
In order not to injure the roots of kobe seedlings with picking,
Each seed was placed in an individual foil pot.
I made these foil sleeves
(I wrapped 2-3 layers of foil around a plastic medicine jar).
The use of these sleeves excluded the slightest damage root system,
which helped to avoid growth retardation due to this.
Sprinkle the seeds with soil on top, in a layer of 1-1.5 cm.
The first shoots of kobeya appeared on March 24
(on the 8th day after sowing).
First three sprouts sprouted, and a little later two more -
in total, from six seeds there were 5 seedlings.
It was possible to sum up the first results:
this time, after soaking the seeds, there was no pain during their germination,
as with the first unsuccessful sowing of kobeya.
Now each sprout has freely emerged to the surface of the soil without seed coats.
Transplantation and hardening of kobe seedlings:
I transplanted the kobei seedlings from tubes into cups on March 28th.
First, I watered the seedlings abundantly,
and then carefully unfolded the foil and removed the sprout with an undisturbed lump of earth. The roots of the seedlings were not damaged at all with this method of germination and replanting!
In the photo: kobei seedlings in foil sleeves; the kobei seedling is removed from the foil;
Kobe seedlings are placed in cups.
As a result, all five transplanted kobei seedlings underwent transplantation without problems.
I gave the kobei seedlings a couple of days to adapt after transplantation,
and then sent them to glazed loggia- harden up!
Caring for kobe seedlings:
The kobei seedlings on the loggia began to grow together.
I watered them the same way as the rest of the seedlings.
I fed the developing kobea 2 times with humate.
I didn’t fertilize any more - I was afraid that the kobeya would grow too long shoots, which would then be problematic to transport to the garden.
As the growing kobei developed, thin brown antennae began to appear, branched at the ends - these turned out to be such “Velcro” that one could not ignore them.
They tried to cling to clothes...
But then the hooked antennae were easy to remove without damaging them.
At the beginning of April, kobei seedlings were transplanted from plastic cups
in 3-4 liter plastic pots.
This was necessary to do so that in young plants
a powerful root system could develop,
and the shoots of the plant were well formed and strong by the time they were transplanted into the flower garden.
In the spacious container, my kobei began to grow actively.
I had to tie up the shoots of the seedlings with thin nylon cords
to the clotheslines on the loggia.
To provide support for kobe seedlings, it is recommended to use thin sticks,
but cords or strings are an even more convenient support than a long stick.
Because when transporting kobei seedlings to the dacha, the entire vine along with the cord is carefully rolled up into a ring and delivered to the garden without damage.
Planting kobei seedlings in open ground:
I planted kobei seedlings in the garden in early June.
Prepared the planting holes in advance by filling them fertile soil.
By the time of planting in open ground, my kobei vines had reached a height of about a meter.
Before planting, I watered the plants in pots generously, then removed a lump of earth from the pots, while carefully holding the coiled vine.
It is good if you have someone to help you during this operation.
The extracted lump of earth with the root system of the kobei was lowered into a hole, buried, and watered.
Then they very carefully freed the vine from the rope
(or rather, the auxiliary cord was separated from the vine).
In order not to break or damage the thin tendrils of kobei seedlings,
I cut the cord in several places - this way it was very easy to remove the pieces.
Then it was quick and easy to lift the vines freed from the cord onto the arch.
I have been sent along the arch plastic mesh with large cells so that the vine has reliable support.
In the photo: kobei liana develops; Kobeya braided the arch.
So my kobei seedlings were planted in the garden, and then they received careful care.
In order for the kobei to gain green mass faster, I fertilized the plants every week. Alternated organic fertilizers with mineral supplements
(infusion of blood meal and Kemira).
And one more thing - the rapidly developing kobe needs regular watering,
especially in drought good watering required!
With such care, the kobei vines grew “by leaps and bounds,” very quickly entwining the arch.
Kobea flowering:
In July I suddenly noticed
that all the kobei shoots were covered with unusual neoplasms,
turning into buds.
And then these wonderful “bells” began to appear from the buds
unusual greenish color with purple shading!
In the photo: kobeya is preparing to bloom; kobea bud; young kobei flower changes color
Then the young flowers changed dramatically,
turning into exquisite purple bells!
The efforts were not in vain - my kobeya grew and bloomed successfully.
The two resulting fruits with seeds were also a real gift for me.
They are so cute, with a dashingly curled mustache!
In the photo: the formation of a kobei fruit; kobe fruit with green seeds
Of course, the seeds formed by the kobei did not have time to ripen under the conditions of my garden.
But still, I received satisfaction from the fact that
that the long journey of the plant “from seed to seed” was completed successfully by my kobeya!
As a result of the successful cultivation of kobei, I made several conclusions:
including the use of vines in landscape design.
Considering,
that clematis almost finish flowering at the end of August-beginning of September,
then kobeya became not just a worthy temporary replacement for clematis,
and, perhaps, the permanent mistress of my arch!
In the photo: kobeya blooms on an arch; adult kobei flower.
A little help:
There are 15 seeds in 1 gram, germination persists for two years.
* * *
Kobei planting and care
The soil in the tree trunk circles should always be slightly moist, so it is recommended to mulch them using sawdust, peat or other organic material. The powerful and rapid growth characteristic of a flower requires a large amount of water and nutrients.
The plant needs regular watering, especially abundant in dry, hot weather, while overmoistening and stagnation of moisture should be avoided, which can cause fungal diseases root system. The liana quickly gains vegetative mass and blooms only with weekly fertilizing, which begins while growing seedlings indoors.
The crop is fed alternately with organic and mineral fertilizers, while at the beginning of growth the bush requires mainly nitrogen, and from the end of June, closer to the flowering period, phosphorus, potassium and microelements. In case of excess nitrogen fertilizers During this period, the bush will continue to grow foliage to the detriment of flowering.
It is interesting that the acidity of the soil can affect the color of flowers; the more acidic it is, the more red pigment there is in the flowers; if there is lime in the soil, blue tones predominate.
Kobeya is often affected garden pests, especially aphids and spider mites, it must be regularly inspected and, if necessary, treated with insecticides on time.
Since it is quite easy to grow kobeya from seeds, in temperate climate zones the plant is grown mainly as an annual. Meanwhile, some flower growers practice perennial liana culture.
Despite the fact that the large size of the bush and poor survival rate after replanting make overwintering quite difficult, it significantly accelerates the onset of flowering and increases its intensity.
In order to keep the plant in winter period, in the month of October it is completely cut off, carefully dug up, trying not to damage the fragile root system, and transferred to a container that is kept in a dark, cool (8-10 ° C) room, preferably in a cellar.
During this period, the kobeya does not need care; it is only necessary to moisten the soil from time to time so that the roots do not dry out. With the onset of spring, the flower is transferred to a lighted and warm place, and watering is increased. They are usually planted in the ground at the end of spring, when the threat of return frosts has passed. Further care the same as for an annual crop.
Growing kobeya from seeds
The crop is usually propagated by seeds, using the seedling method, less often vegetatively, by cuttings.
When growing kobei from seeds, planting is done in February-March.
Seeds, especially if they have been stored for a long time, have difficulty germinating; to speed up the process, it is recommended to pre-germinate them. Individual seeds are placed in a damp cloth or toilet paper, moistened with a weak solution of potassium permanganate, lay out so that they do not touch each other, and wrap in a plastic bag. Germination is carried out in the light in a warm room, 20 ° C and above.
It may take two to three weeks for sprouts to appear; if mold forms, the seeds are washed with potassium permanganate, and the fabric or paper is replaced.
The hatched seeds are planted in loose nutritious soil, laid horizontally, flat side down, to a depth of 1 - 1.5 cm.
They dive after the first true leaf appears, or, since the seedlings do not tolerate transplantation, each seed is placed in a separate pot. Young plants are watered, fed regularly, and, if necessary, pegs or cords are used for support.
As the bushes grow, they are transferred to larger containers, trying not to damage the earthen lump. Kobei seedlings are characterized by intensive development, stretch out greatly, for better tillering it must be pinched several times, forming a lush branched crown, which in the future will significantly improve the decorative qualities of the flower. Young vines are planted in the ground at the beginning of summer, placing them at a distance of 70-90 cm from each other.
If it is necessary to obtain more powerful and early flowering specimens, the seeds can be sown in July and the seedlings can be left for the winter in cold, light greenhouses at a temperature of about 8-10 °C.
For vegetative propagation They use cuttings that are obtained from overwintered mother bushes. Lianas, transferred in the spring to a bright and warm place, begin to sprout young shoots, some of which can be harvested as cuttings. They are carefully cut off and planted for rooting in wet sand. Young plants that have begun to grow are transferred to open ground after the onset of stable heat.
Note that vines grown from cuttings bloom faster than those grown from seeds, but the latter bloom more spectacularly.
If you want to grow not just flowers, but a climbing vine on your balcony or plot, then you should turn your attention to kobeya. This perennial for southern countries, in our country the flower is an annual plant. But this does not prevent it from delighting with bright buds and beautiful greenery during the summer.
Kobeya: growing from seeds at home, as well as others important aspects We will describe in detail how to care for this flower in this material. In southern countries, the flower has nine species. But in our latitudes you can most often find kobeya with purple or white flowers. The shape of the buds resembles large bells. Which flowers .
As for the shoots of this plant, they must be long so that the vine can easily jump from one support to another. In practice, this is true; kobei shoots often reach a length of six meters. The plant has tendrils with which it clings to support.
Interesting! The bells have an average diameter of 8 cm. The stamens protrude from them. When the buds just appear, they are light, and then become brighter and darker as they grow.
About growing from seeds
To grow kobeya from seeds at home, look carefully at the photos given in this material. If you simply plant kobeya seeds in open ground, the flower will not have time to ripen in our weather conditions. So, growing from seeds at home is not the easiest process. Be prepared right away for the fact that seed germination is low: of the total amount of planted material, only a third of it germinates.
Experienced gardeners advise starting to grow kobei in early winter. Landings can be carried out until the beginning of April, although, if possible, everything should be dealt with in March.
Options for growing from seeds:
- You can take dry seeds and immediately plant them one at a time in separate cups. Place the planting material flat on the ground, sprinkle it with a layer of 2 cm and press down well. Seed coat will be quickly shed during growth. You should not remove the first cotyledon leaves: the plant may die because of this.
Advice! If, before sowing, kobei seeds are soaked for several hours in a growth stimulator (you can buy them at a flower shop, use aloe juice), this will significantly increase the germination of the seeds.
- The peculiarity of growing this particular plant from seeds is that it planting material has an unusual shape and size. Kobe seeds are large, flat and have a hairy appearance. Their surface is durable, making it difficult for the seed to escape. Therefore, many gardeners insist that the seeds must be soaked before planting. As for the shell, you should not remove it immediately, mistakenly believing that this will help the plant. The seed shell can be separated only after a few days, when they are already growing in the ground. This must be done extremely carefully.
Advice! If after a day of pre-soaking the kobe seeds still do not hatch, it is recommended to pierce them with a needle and place them in water for another day.
In the video you can see in detail how kobeya is grown from seeds at home. After the seeds are planted, you will have to wait for the first shoots for two, and most often three weeks. Planting material takes a long time to germinate.
Interesting! Some gardeners believe that it is possible to plant kobeya in the summer, but do it in peat pots. With such a landing in this year There is no need to expect flowering, but slightly grown plants can be stored in the cold during the winter. In mid-March, place the peat pots in the sun and start actively watering them. When it's nighttime spring frosts run out, the plant can be planted in open ground. During storage, it is important to ensure that the humidity in the room is not high, otherwise the plant may die.
About picking young shoots
We still continue to consider the option of growing kobeya from seeds. When, after three weeks, the sprouts hatch and the first real leaves appear, you can start picking the seedlings. For each flower, take a three-liter pot so that the plant can grow and develop freely in it for a long time. It is important that the pot is large also for the reason that already at this stage of growth the kobeya forms a strong root.
Before planting, water the sprout well so that you can remove it from the pot with a lump of earth. Next transplant into new pot, sprinkle required quantity new soil and water well. It is important for Kobei to have plenty of light during the day. How to care for .
You can wait for the flowering of kobei planted in this way from seeds at home only at the end of summer or at the very beginning of September. If the seeds were planted in February, then expect earlier flowering. It is better not to replant seeds planted in early April into open ground, but to grow this vine in indoors to wait for it to bloom.
Interesting!
Liana kobeya (lat. Cobaea)- a perennial climbing subshrub of the Sinyukhidae family, grown in cultivation as an annual. The kobeya plant received its name in honor of the Spaniard, the Jesuit monk-naturalist Barnabas Cobo, who lived for many years in the homeland of kobeya - Mexico and Peru. IN natural conditions Kobei flower grows in tropical and subtropical rainforests of the American continents. In culture, kobei flowers have been used since 1787, mostly for vertical gardening - hedges, gazebos.
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Planting and caring for kobeya
- Landing: sowing pre-scarified seeds for seedlings in February or early March, planting seedlings in the ground at the end of May or early June.
- Bloom: from the end of July until the first frost.
- Lighting: bright sunlight or partial shade.
- The soil: fertile, well fertilized.
- Watering: regular, sufficient, in hot weather - frequent, from moderate to abundant.
- Feeding: at the beginning of growth - weekly, with fertilizers containing a significant amount of nitrogen; during the budding period, the plant will need phosphorus and potassium.
- Garter: There is no need to tie up the plant: the vine, with the help of tendrils, climbs itself along a support, wall or fence.
- Reproduction: seeds and cuttings.
- Pests: aphids and spider mites.
- Diseases: root and gray rot.
Read more about growing kobei below.
Kobei flower - growing conditions
Since the kobeya plant is characterized by rapid growth, its root system is powerful and branched, with numerous thin fibrous roots. The stems of this climbing shrub reach six or more meters in length. Its leaves are alternate, complex-pinnate, consisting of three lobes. At the ends of the shoots, the leaves change into branched tendrils, with the help of which, clinging to a support, the plant rises to a considerable height.
How to grow clarkia from seeds - recommendations from gardeners
Large, bell-shaped flowers with protruding stamens and pistil, reaching 8 cm in diameter, solitary or in groups of 2-3 flowers, grow on long stalks from the axils of the leaves. Blooming flowers have a greenish-yellow tint, and blooming ones are purple or purple. White color. The kobei fruit is a leathery capsule opening at the side seams with large flat oval seeds.
Growing kobeya from seeds
Sowing kobei
If you don’t know how to grow kobeya from seeds, read our recommendations carefully. Growing kobeya flowers from seeds is complicated by the fact that the large seeds of the plant are covered with a very dense shell, which greatly complicates germination, and before sowing kobeya, you need to dissolve this crust to the state of mucus and remove it mechanically . To do this, place the kobe seeds on the bottom of a wide container so that they do not touch each other, fill with water and cover the container with a lid, preventing the evaporation of moisture. As soon as the crust becomes limp, try to remove the part that comes off easily and put the seeds back into the water. It will be possible to completely clear the seed from the peel in a few days. And this is just a description preparatory stage sowing campaign.
The stage is next: how to sow kobeya for seedlings? We sow kobeya in February or early March, one seed at a time, in personal cups, in order to avoid in the future such a complex and often traumatic manipulation as the first picking of kobeya. The substrate for sowing is a universal one; we place the seed on it, flat side down, and sprinkle it on top with a layer of the same substrate one and a half centimeters thick.
How long does it take for kobeya to sprout? It’s different for everyone, but if you sowed shelled seeds, you can expect the first sprouts after two weeks from the date of sowing.
In the photo: Growing kobeya from seeds
Kobei seedlings
Slightly grown seedlings with two true leaves are transplanted together with a lump of earth into three-liter pots so that the plant has the opportunity to develop a powerful root system in gentle home conditions and acquire strong shoots. When transplanting, install a plastic or metal ladder in the pot so that the kobeya can grow by clinging to it. At this stage, growing kobei involves hardening off the seedlings. To do this, the kobeya is placed on a balcony or loggia, preferably insulated or at least glazed, where the seedlings, getting used to the cool air, will wait to be transplanted into open ground. Typically, three weeks of hardening is enough to prepare the kobe for transplanting to the garden plot.
Planting kobei
When to plant kobeya
Seedlings are planted in open ground in May or early June, when return frosts have passed and the temperature at night does not drop below +5 ºС. But you don’t need to keep the plant in pots too long, otherwise it will grow a lot, and it will be much more difficult for you to replant.
In the photo: Kobea flowering in the garden
How to plant kobeya
First, decide on the place where the kobeya will grow. It is best to choose a sunny area with fertile soil for it, although kobeya grows well in partial shade. It is also important that the plant is protected from cold winds. Dig holes in advance at a distance of 0.5-1.0 m from each other, fill them with a loose mixture of peat, humus and turf soil, lower the kobeya along with a lump of earth into it, dig it in and water it.
Immediately install supports on which the plant will climb - a fence or arch, so that the kobeya in the garden does not use neighboring trees and bushes as this.
If you are not sure that night frosts will not return, protect the kobei planting with two layers of non-woven covering material - for a while.
Kobei care
How to grow kobeya
Caring for kobeya involves regular watering of the plant, especially abundantly during dry seasons. However, try to avoid fanaticism in this matter, otherwise excess moisture will provoke the development of root rot in the plant, especially if it grows in partial shade.
On the picture: Large flower kobei
It is necessary to feed kobeya at the beginning of growth weekly with fertilizers containing large quantities nitrogen, and when the plant begins to form buds, it will need phosphorus and potassium. Fertilizers begin to be applied from the first days of the plant’s life.: as soon as the seedling has its first leaf, the kobeya is fertilized with humate. Then they alternate mineral fertilizers, for example, Kemira, with organic ones - mullein infusion - until the beginning of flowering. In addition to moistening the soil and fertilizing, caring for kobeya in the garden requires loosening the soil and removing emerging weeds.
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Reproduction of Kobei
In addition to the seed method of growing kobei, there is a more reliable vegetative method - cuttings Cuttings are cut from mother bushes that have overwintered indoors - in the spring, when active growth of young shoots of kobeya begins, some of them can be cut off and rooted in wet sand, and at the end of May or beginning of June plant them in open ground.
It should be noted that kobes grown from cuttings bloom faster than kobes from seeds, but their flowering is not as abundant and spectacular.
In the photo: Blooming kobeya
Pests and diseases of kobei
Among insect pests, mites and aphids can cause trouble. Pests can be destroyed by spraying the plant with a solution of liquid potassium green soap with Fitoverm. Liquid soap can be replaced with pet flea shampoo - it also works great against other harmful insects.
Kobeya after flowering
How and when to collect kobe seeds
Kobeya blooms from July until frost. In our latitudes, kobeya is grown as annual plant Therefore, it must be destroyed in the fall. You are unlikely to be able to collect seeds for sowing next year - in our climate they do not ripen, so if you want to grow kobeya in your garden next summer, you will have to buy seeds in the store. Even for kobei seeds professionally prepared for sowing from well-known trading companies, the germination rate does not exceed 30%, so what can you expect from personally collected immature seeds from your garden?
Kobea is a beautiful tropical vine with lacy leaves and huge bell-shaped flowers. Plant seeds are available for sale and kobeya is successfully colonizing gardens Middle zone Russia.
Popular varieties
There are 9 known species of kobei, the most common type in gardening is climbing kobeya. This is a perennial grown in our country as an annual. The plant has shoots 4–6 m long and complex, wrinkled, oppositely arranged leaves. The stems cling to the support with strong tendrils. The flowers are large, growing from the axils of the leaves, 2–3 each. In buds, the flowers are greenish in color; when in full bloom, they are purple or white. Long stamens and pistil protrude from the flowers. An adult kobei is not afraid of autumn cold snaps and temperatures dropping to -5°C. It blooms from late June until frost.
You will find information about other types of vines popular among gardeners in the article “”.
Variety "Lady Hamilton"
Spectacular kobeya 2–3 m high with double lilac-white flowers with a diameter of 8 cm.
Variety "Jingle Bells"
This kobeya grows up to 3 m, has milky white flowers with a diameter of 8 cm
In plants varieties "Kalando" blue-violet flowers with a diameter of 7–8 cm.
Growing from seeds
Heat-loving kobe seedlings are prepared in mid-March. With such planting dates, it will bloom in June. For seedlings, use universal soil for flowering plants or prepare a mixture of equal parts garden soil, compost and peat. Small containers or individual peat or plastic pots are suitable as containers if the seedlings will grow without picking.
The containers are filled with a damp substrate, compacted slightly, and dry or Epin-treated seeds are laid out on the surface.
Dry seeds take a long time to germinate. And to get guaranteed germination, it is better to sow pre-sprouted seeds. To do this, place a damp cloth on a saucer, on which flat and round seeds are laid out so that they do not touch each other. The saucer is covered plastic bag and put it in the light in a warm place. Every day the seeds are checked, ventilated and the mucus that forms is removed - it makes it difficult for the seeds to germinate. The fabric should always remain damp. If mold appears on the seeds, wash the fabric and seeds with a solution of potassium permanganate. As soon as the seeds hatch, they are placed in pots.
The seeds are sprinkled with a 1.5 cm layer of soil on top and left until germination in a room with a temperature of +17–20°C. The soil is periodically watered as it dries. Shoots appear within 14–20 days (if dry seeds were sown), germinated ones will sprout faster. With the appearance of sprouts, the pots are moved to a bright and cooler place with a temperature of +15–16°C. Suitable conditions content on glassed balcony– there is more air and sun here.
Kobei seedlings grow quickly. Grown seedlings dive into separate pots if the seedlings were first grown in total capacity. After transplantation, a small support is placed in each cup for the kobeya and the shoots are tied to it.
Before planting in the ground, make sure that the plants do not intertwine with each other. Pots with kobeya are not placed close to each other. If the seedlings have grown, but the time for planting in the ground has not yet arrived or the weather does not permit, then you can replant them into larger pots, or pinch out too long shoots - this will allow the plants to bush more.
Choosing a place and soil for planting
Kobeya loves well-lit areas protected from the wind, but can also grow in partial shade.
She loves nutritious, loose and well-drained soil. Planting pits for kobei are prepared in the fall. They are filled with humus, peat, river sand and turf soil. IN soil mixture add superphosphate or mineral mixture for flowering plants. In such areas, kobeya grows quickly and fills large areas. The acidity level of the soil affects the color of flowers. On more acidic soils, the flowers have a bright and rich color, alkaline soils The blue color of the petals becomes more pronounced.
Planting in open ground
Kobei seedlings are planted in the ground at the end of May - beginning of June after the onset of consistently warm weather. The distance between plants should be at least 60–70 cm. Before planting, the seedlings are well hardened, otherwise the tender leaves and shoots will turn white in a couple of days from the burning sun.
The fragile stems of the planted bushes are carefully fanned out and tied to a support. Most often, kobei is used in the form of a mesh or lattice. Within 2 weeks, the young kobe will take root in the new place and begin to rapidly increase its green mass.
Care
The soil around the plant should always be moist, but without excess water. It is especially important to adjust the watering regime if the kobeya grows in partial shade.
During the summer, the vine is fed 2-3 times mineral complexes for flowering plants.
Faded flowers are removed, but the kobeya itself can take care of the decorative effect - the withered petals will fall to the ground and the plant will look neat. In autumn, nets or grates are cleared of shoots and tendrils.
Reproduction
The plant is propagated by seeds or cuttings.
Large seeds ripen inside the fruit capsule. Own seeds They don’t always have time to ripen due to weather conditions, so it’s safer to use ready-made ones from the store. The freshness of the seeds is maintained for 3–4 years.
In August, you can prepare cuttings for planting kobei next season. Cut petioles are planted in pots with loose substrate. The queen cells will spend the winter in a warm room on the windowsill. In early spring they are cut from them required quantity shoots, root and, with the onset of warm weather, planted in open ground.
Pests and diseases
Of the diseases, kobeya is most often affected by various rots. The reason for their appearance is waterlogging of the soil.
It can also live on kobeya. Pests are controlled using biological or chemical insecticides.
Kobeya – worthy decoration garden A thick green carpet of leaves with large flowers attracts attention to the area. Just 3–4 plants in a short period of time can change appearance country house, fence, gazebo, balcony.
You will learn more about planting and growing kobei from the video.
There are only 9 species in the kobei genus, growing in tropical America. These are perennial subshrubs, reaching a height of 6 meters with paired leaves and very decorative bell-shaped flowers.
Kobeya is perfect for vertical gardening purposes, while it is unpretentious, grows quickly regardless of neighboring plants and is capable of covering large area, which together makes it a real find for the designer.
Varieties and types
(aka creeping or kobeya scandance ) in its homeland - Mexico - is a perennial, growing up to 4 meters in length, while in our country it is grown as an annual. The stems of this species are covered with feathery foliage with branched tendrils at the end, thanks to which the plant clings to support.
In their natural environment, bells up to 8 cm in diameter are purple in color; their elongated stamens and pistils are easily visible from the outside. Flowering begins in July and ends with the onset of frost.
It is this type of kobei that is cultivated, as a result of which, among the numerous varieties, specimens with white flowers have appeared.
- White kobeya variety ,
- Kobeya Lady Hamilton variety .
Kobea violet (can be specified as “ lilac ”, if its flowers have a color close to this shade or mixed violet-lilac) is represented, for example, by the variety kobeya calando .
In the climate of the Russian Federation, far from that in the tropics, it is most often grown as an annual vine. However, preservation of a perennial trait is possible, although it requires special care and mandatory movement with roots into containers for the winter.
Kobeya planting and care in open ground
In order for kobeya to look like a full-fledged beautiful vine in the garden, planting must be done in the first days of March (maximum in the middle). The plant's seeds are large enough to be planted one at a time and not in a bunch.
The germination of kobei seeds is directly proportional to their age, and therefore it is not recommended to take seeds from last year. Instead, it is better to choose planting material from the latest harvest.
Kobeya watering
It is necessary to water the kobeya regularly, especially in hot weather. summer time. Here, however, it is important not to overdo it, since excessive amounts of moisture can provoke the occurrence of root rot, in particular if the plant is grown in a semi-shaded area.
Kobeya loves fertile, fertilized soils, where it grows especially quickly and massively. A warm, wind-protected area near a wall, fence or some other support on loose, well-fertilized, drained soil is the best option.
In the zone tree trunk circles The soil needs to be kept slightly moist, for which mulching with sawdust or peat is used. Mandatory measures Soil care, in addition to moistening and fertilizing, includes loosening and removing weeds.
Feeding Kobei
Feeding for Kobei initial stages growth should be applied every week. They must contain large volumes of nitrogen. With the beginning of the formation of buds, the time comes for fertilizing based on phosphorus and potassium.
When the seedlings acquire their first leaves, it is recommended to fertilize them with humate and then alternate mineral fertilizers(for example, kemiru) with organic (mullein infusion) until flowering begins.
Kobea transplant
If you plant the kobea in individual containers before planting it in open ground, you can help it gain strength even before it reaches the ground. permanent place. Foil cups, rolled up without a bottom, are well suited for this, placed in a large container and filled more than half with nutritious substrate.
Place one seed in each cup and cover it with 1-1.5 cm of soil. After 10 days, sprouts should appear and require regular watering. Then, the already taller kobe is transplanted into larger cups, and at this stage the benefits of their design become apparent.
Because the foil easily unfolds without damaging the root system of the plant, which is subsequently transplanted, together with the earthen ball, into the next container.
Another transplant before planting in the ground will be required when, due to the intensive growth of the plant, the roots begin to occupy even more space.
Kobeya wintering
As noted earlier, growing perennial kobeya is, in principle, possible in our country. The difficulty is that the plant does not tolerate transplantation well, which often does not allow it to survive the winter in more favorable conditions.
But a kobei that has managed to endure winter hardships will be characterized by an accelerated onset of flowering and increased intensity. So, first you need to save the plant in winter - in October it needs to be completely cut off and carefully dug up, avoiding the possibility of damaging the fragile root system.
Afterwards, the kobeya is transferred to a container placed in a dark, cool (about 10 ° C) room (a cellar is ideal). As long as the winter period lasts, the plant does not need care, with the exception of periodically moistening the soil to prevent the roots from drying out, and when spring comes, it should be moved to a sunny place and watering should be increased.
In this case, planting in the ground is usually carried out late spring, when all return frosts have passed, and are cared for in the same way as an annual crop.
Kobeya growing from seeds
Some of the problems with growing kobei are associated with one of its natural features - the seeds have a tough skin, which is difficult for the sprouts to cope with.
Therefore, before planting, it is recommended to prepare them in a certain way:
- Place at the bottom of a wide container, fill with water at room temperature and seal with a lid;
- After 24 hours, remove the softened crust, detaching only its easily peelable parts;
- The seeds, peeled in the previous step, must be immersed in water until the peel peels off completely.
The resulting “clean” seeds will germinate an order of magnitude faster, if you also use the pre-germination methods in foil described above.
As a result, we will have an intensively developing, highly elongated, bushy, lush crown (subject to pinching), very decorative garden plant. We sow kobeya in open ground in June, placing young growth or seeds at a mutual distance of 70-90 cm.
Diseases and pests
The most significant damage is caused by mites and aphids. If kobeya blooms poorly - this is the first sign of damage by these insects. Spraying with a solution of liquid potassium green soap with phytoverm will help get rid of them, and pet flea shampoo works well against other pests.
This plant is characterized difficulty opening buds , therefore, if they swell for a long time without opening, they should be carefully cut with scissors.
To reduce the likelihood non-emergence , you should use the recommendations outlined above, and also choose seeds from several manufacturers in the store and, as an additional measure, water the soil with kobea crops with zircon.
