Kobea is an ornamental vine native to South America. IN natural environment habitat it grows in the humid climate of subtropical forests. Widely used in landscape design as vertical element for garden decoration, climbing kobeya. Growing from seeds at home is not a very complicated process and even a novice gardener can do it.
general description
Using kobeya, people decorate arches, hedges, gazebos and balconies in their gardens. In the more severe climatic conditions of Russia, this ornamental plant grown as an annual. In nature, there are 9 species of vines that belong to the genus Kobei. Gardeners use only one species - climbing kobeya. This vine also has other names:
- Mexican ivy.
- Creeping kobeya.
- Monastery bells.
Kobeya is a climbing shrub, which has a branched and powerful root system, presented in the form of thin fibrous roots. In one season, this plant can grow more than 6 m in length.
Kobei has a branched stem, covered with beautiful, complex-pinnate leaves, which are arranged alternately. The stem is angular. At the ends of each shoot there are tendrils, which are modified leaves. With the help of these tendrils, the vine can rise to great heights on almost any surface.
The plant is fed by a powerful root, so the kobeya develops very quickly. In a short period of time, the plant is able to weave a vertical surface large area, which is very important in landscape design when gardens or personal plots are designed.
Peduncles are located in the axils of the leaves. The length of the peduncles reaches 20 cm. The flowers of kobei are fragrant and quite large. They have a bell shape. The flower reaches 8 cm in diameter. The stamens and pistils protrude strongly from behind the petals. Thanks to this, the flowers look unique and elegant. They are located in pairs or singly.
Flowering in kobei is very long. The liana can bloom until the first frost. The plant blooms with the arrival of July. At the end of the season, fruits form from the flowers. Externally, the fruits resemble a box. The seeds are quite large, oval-shaped, flat. When the buds open, the flowers smell of musk and have a greenish-cream hue. However, over time, the flower changes, and the smell takes on a different aroma. The color of the petals becomes purple or white. The shade will depend on the variety. The aroma of musk changes to honey.
Main varieties
Flowers belonging to the genus Kobei, in wildlife There are 9 species in total. But gardeners use only one of these species for cultivation, which is called climbing kobeya. This species can be propagated by cuttings or seeds. Since kobeya is a tropical vine, it prefers to grow when high humidity air and warmth. In many regions of Russia, the climate for growing this plant is harsh, the vine will not be able to winter in such conditions, so it is grown only as annual crop.
To green a vertical surface, it is best to use purple kobeya. In 1 season, this vine can grow up to 4 m in length. This variety is different big amount shoots. Purple kobeya blooms beautifully big flowers, which look like a bell. To decorate vertical walls, you can also use white kobeya, which differs from purple only in the shade of its flowers.
Kobeya variety Tsar Bell grows up to 3 meters in height. Flowers on this vine white, are up to 8 cm in diameter. The shape of the flowers resembles a large bell. This vine variety blooms in early July, and flowering lasts until the first frost. This vine is ideal for landscaping vertical walls. Most often, this variety is used to decorate a gazebo, veranda, or the facade of a house.
Sowing and caring for seedlings
To grow a liana, you need to purchase kobea seeds and have knowledge of some agricultural techniques, after which even an inexperienced gardener can independently grow healthy and strong seedlings at home. When choosing a future location for planting a plant, you need to take into account what the kobeya prefers:
- Deeply dug soil.
- Fertile and pre-fertilized soil.
- Area without drafts.
- Bright place.
In the climatic conditions of Russia, where spring frosts are often observed, it will be possible to achieve flowering of the vine only if timely care is taken to grow the seedlings. It is recommended to sow seeds in February. This must be done before mid-March. But before sowing, it is necessary to prepare the seed and soil. The seeds of the vine are quite large, round in shape, and flat. They can be sown dry, but soaked seed will germinate much faster. To soak the seeds you will need:
- Plastic bag.
- Seed material.
- Saucer.
- Napkin or toilet paper.
- Growth stimulator at your discretion.
Toilet paper or a napkin must be folded several times, dipped in a growth stimulator, and then placed on a saucer. After this, the seeds are laid out on a napkin so that they do not touch each other. The saucer with the seed is placed inside a cellophane or plastic bag.
The bag is tied and then put away in a bright and warm room. From time to time the seeds should be rinsed under running water until they hatch and the napkin needs to be changed. It is also necessary to ensure that mold does not form on the seeds. If the seeds take a long time to hatch, you can take a needle and pierce each seed.
Features of caring for young plants
To get healthy and strong young plants, you need to prepare good soil and a separate container for seedlings. When sowing in separate containers, the plants will suffer less during transplantation. It is recommended to buy soil in a specialized store. For planting, a special flower or universal soil is used.
The pots are filled with soil, the soil is lightly watered. The hatched seeds must be carefully placed in the center of each container. A layer of soil no thicker than 1.5 cm is poured on top. The crops must be removed to a room where the air temperature is about 20 degrees. If these conditions are met, the first shoots should appear after 15-20 days.
Seedlings will grow better and stretch less if the air in the room is no more than 16 degrees. Indoor lighting also plays an important role. For plants to grow strong and healthy, they need a lot of light. When the first shoots are visible, it is necessary to install a support in the container. Young vines will cling to this support with their tendrils. Instead of hard pegs, you can use twine, securing it on top. Features of care before transplantation open ground:
- Regular watering.
- Trimming long strands.
- Regular spraying with water at room temperature.
If the air in the room where the seedlings are located is too dry, then young vines may be susceptible to attack by spider mites. Plants grow very quickly, and to prevent the vines from getting tangled with each other, containers with plants must be placed in such a way that there is a large distance between them.
To transplant kobeya, you will need a container bigger size. The need for replanting can be calculated by the size of the root system. Transshipment is necessary for the seedlings to grow well.
Planting in open ground
When the threat of night frosts has already passed, the vine can be planted on permanent place to the garden. Even a slight frost can be destructive for fragile plants. It is best to replant the vine at the beginning of the first month of summer. If several vines are planted at once, then the holes should be dug at a distance of at least 50 cm from each other. It is also necessary to prepare the soil, consisting of:
- Humus.
- Peat.
- Garden land.
- River sand.
It is recommended to add to prepared pits a small amount of double superphosphate. Thanks to this, it will be possible to increase soil fertility. Before transshipment, the vine must be watered. After this, the plant is carefully removed from the pot, after which it is placed in a prepared hole, covered with soil on top, compacted and filled with water. To retain moisture, the soil must be mulched with dried grass.
With the arrival of summer, the vine must be watered regularly and in a timely manner. Kobeya is a subtropical plant, so it needs constant moisture. But watering must be done in moderation to prevent water stagnation at the root system. 2 weeks after planting in open ground, the vine must be fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizer. Further feeding is carried out only with the help of flower fertilizers, which do not contain nitrogen. You can use special infusions made from mullein, ash and herbs.
With the arrival of hot and dry days, it is necessary to regularly irrigate the plant. If you ignore this requirement, then spider mites may appear on it. Kobeya blooms before the first frost. To prevent kobeya from losing its decorative value, dried and faded inflorescences must be cut off.
Plants constantly form new shoots. Throughout the summer, they must be tied to a support so that the shoots do not entangle others. garden plants, growing nearby. It was noticed that on acidic soils Kobe flowers are red, and on soil with low acidity the petals turn blue.
Possible pests and diseases
Most often, plants are affected by root rot if the summer was too damp or the kobeya was over-watered. A symptom of this disease is a large number of dark spots on the leaves. The main preventive measures for this disease will be to loosen the soil. If, nevertheless, the vine becomes sick, then the plant must be removed from the site as soon as possible, digging it up along with the root system.
An experienced gardener who has his own cellar can grow a vine as a perennial crop. To do this, in the second half of October, but when night frosts have not yet been observed, all stems are cut off from the plant. After this, the kobeya, along with the root system, is dug out from open ground and then moved to a separate container. A flower pot goes down into the cellar.
With the arrival of winter, you will have to regularly monitor the soil moisture; if necessary, the soil should be moderately moistened. In March, the container with the plant is brought into the light, and watering gradually increases. When the soil outside has warmed up sufficiently, the vine is planted again in a permanent place, and after planting the plant is well watered. Care is carried out in the same way as when planting young seedlings.
Can decorate any garden climbing vine kobeya. Planting and caring in open ground cannot be called easy, but the time spent on these actions will not be in vain. Throughout the summer the liana appearance will delight not only the owners, but also their guests.
Kobeya is a very beautiful, fast-growing, decorative vine belonging to the cyanaceae family. It was named after Barnabas Cobo, who was a famous Spanish naturalist monk. Its homeland is considered to be moist mountain forests and tropical areas. South America, mainly in Mexico and Peru.
The plant has tenacious climbing stems reaching up to six meters in length. Possessing numerous antennae, the kobei clings to a variety of supports.
The root system is very powerful, branched, fibrous with cord-like roots. The flowers are quite large, up to eight centimeters in diameter. They can be either single or grouped in groups of several in the axils of the leaves. They have long stalks and a beautiful bell-shaped shape.
The stamens and pistil protruding beyond the petals give them a very delicate and sophisticated appearance. The soft, light green leaves have a complex pinnate shape and consist of three lobes. The plant has been known in culture since the end of the eighteenth century, when it began to be used for vertical gardening.
Types, varieties and photographs of kobei
Nine species of plants are known to grow in natural conditions, but only one of them is grown in garden and home conditions - climbing kobeya.
It is also called creeping ivy, climbing ivy, Mexican ivy and monastery bells. It forms many shoots up to four meters in length. The pinnate foliage is slightly wrinkled and lacy, with branched tendrils at its ends. Large buds of climbing kobei, when blooming, have a greenish color and a musky aroma. As they grow, they turn lilac and then dark purple and take on a honey-like scent. In addition to the purple kobei bred garden variety with white flowers, called Alba.
Growing kobei at home
Kobeya is planted at the end of winter
In the wild, kobeya is a perennial, but in gardens, it is usually used as annual plant, since it is very thermophilic and does not survive the winter. More often it is grown from seeds, which is a rather simple and interesting procedure. But at the same time you need to know some features of preparing and sowing seeds. Also, for propagation, the cutting method is sometimes used using mother plants.
Sowing kobea seeds
Sowing of climbing kobe seeds should begin at the end of winter. The planting material is quite large and has a hard shell, all this complicates and delays its germination. Therefore, before planting, you need to carry out some preparation to remove the crusts. mechanically. To do this, you need to take a wide bowl and place the seeds in it at a short distance from each other, fill them with water and cover them so that the moisture does not evaporate quickly. When the shell begins to get wet, you need to remove it in parts and put the seeds back into the container.
After the planting material has been cleaned, you need to take toilet paper, fold it in several layers and moisten it with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then the seeds are carefully laid out on it and packed in plastic bag, which is placed in a warm and well-lit room. Germination lasts about two weeks, during which time they need to be moistened as needed. If mold forms on the seeds, they need to be washed carefully and the paper changed.
After the seeds germinate, they are placed in loose soil on the flat side and covered with soil in a layer no more than one and a half centimeters thick. Since the kobeya has a hard time withstanding the first picking, it is better to use individual small cups that need to be covered with plastic wrap. They need to be placed in a bright room with an air temperature of about twenty degrees. The cover must be removed daily to ventilate and moisten the plantings. If sprouted rather than dry seeds are used, seedlings usually appear within two weeks.
Diving seedlings
Before diving, seedlings must be watered abundantly
When the first two well-developed leaves appear on the seedlings, picking is carried out. To do this, take pots with a volume of at least three liters and fill them with a layer of drainage and nutritious soil. When using such large containers, plants will form a powerful root system, which will enable the development of strong shoots, their further rapid growth and the formation of large and numerous buds. Before you start diving, you need to water the plantings well, and then carefully remove the seedlings from the old pots, and, trying not to damage the earthen ball, transplant them into new ones. Plants need to be provided with some kind of support as they grow very quickly.
Planting kobei flowers in a permanent place, in open ground
For planting kobei open, well-lit areas should be chosen for the soil, but they should be protected from the winds. It can grow in partial shade, but strong shade is contraindicated for it, as the plant will develop very poorly and bloom poorly. Young seedlings are afraid of the cold, so before planting in a permanent place of growth, it is necessary to harden them, for example, by placing the kobeya on glassed balcony. Seedlings are planted at the end of May or at the beginning of June, when the threat of frost has passed. If they are still expected, you need to cover the plants using non-woven material, folded in several layers.
Before planting, you need to prepare holes at a distance of half a meter to a meter from each other. They are filled with turf soil, peat and humus, taken in equal quantities. The soil must be loose. After this, you need to water the seedlings, remove them from the pots, and then transplant them into prepared holes, cover them with soil and lightly moisten them. You can mulch the soil around the plantings using peat or sawdust. Near the plants you need to install supports along which they will then weave, thanks to their antennae. You can also plant seedlings near the wall of the house, gazebo, fence or trees, along which they can easily climb.
Important: If you want to form a more lush and compact plant, you can periodically pinch the tops of the shoots. This is also done so that the stems become more powerful, do not intertwine with each other, and the plant does not lose its decorative appearance.
Watering and fertilizing the plant
Feeding the kobei is carried out once every two weeks.
Due to its tropical origin, the plant is very moisture-loving. Therefore, it requires regular, abundant watering, especially during the hottest part of the day. But you should not allow excess moisture, upper layer The soil must dry out, otherwise the root system may rot, which will lead to the death of the kobei.
From the appearance of the first leaves to the formation of buds, the plant needs fertilizers with a large amount of nitrogen. This is required for the rapid growth of green mass. Then you need to switch to phosphorus-potassium fertilizers so that the flowering is bright and abundant. Since kobeya is a very large plant, fertilizing should be done every two weeks. Can be alternated mineral fertilizers with organic ones.
Kobeya in winter
If you don’t have the desire or time to grow new kobe seedlings every year, you can try growing it as perennial. To do this, at the end of flowering, which usually happens in October, it needs to be completely cut off, dug up, being careful not to damage the roots, and transplanted into a container of a suitable size. Then the kobeya is taken into a dark room with an air temperature of eight to ten degrees, for example, into a cellar and kept there until the beginning of spring. At this time, you need to moisten the soil once a month to prevent drying out and death of the root system. In March, the plant needs to be removed from its shelter, placed in a bright and warm room, watering should be increased, and fertilizing should begin as soon as the leaves appear. nitrogen fertilizers.
After new shoots appear on the kobei, they can be used for propagation by cuttings. Since they are very fragile, you need to cut them very carefully. The shoots should be placed in small pots with damp sand, covered glass jars and place it in a bright room. By the beginning of summer, the cuttings will take root and begin to grow, after which they can be transplanted into open ground.
Important: Flowering of kobei obtained by cuttings occurs earlier, but the flowers of specimens grown from seeds are brighter and more spectacular.
Pests, diseases of kobei and methods of dealing with them
To combat aphids, use solutions of laundry or green soap
Kobeya is often damaged by aphids and spider mites Therefore, it is necessary to carry out regular preventive examinations of the plant, and in case of infection, timely treatment. For treatment, solutions of laundry or green soap, infusion of onion or garlic, and in especially severe cases, insecticides are used.
If black spots appear on leaves and flowers, this means that the plant’s root system has begun to rot. In this case, you need to remove the damaged parts, dry the soil and loosen it. After this, you can spill the soil with a fungicide solution. In the future, you need to adjust the watering regime.
Why does the kobeya plant grow poorly?
If the kobeya grows poorly, it means that the wrong place was chosen for planting it or the rules for caring for it were not followed. In order for the kobei to initially have good growth and early flowering, young seedlings should be planted under cover if possible. In this case, they will adapt faster, become stronger, their root system and green mass will quickly grow, and the first buds will begin to form. After removing the cover, well-acclimatized plants will quickly grow and bloom.
How and when to collect kobea flower seeds
Since the flowering of kobei begins in July and lasts until October, in most regions of our country the seeds do not have time to ripen. And since even planting material the best manufacturers has a germination rate of no more than thirty percent, then there is no point in independently collecting unripe seeds, which naturally will not sprout. Therefore, planting material is usually purchased in specialized stores.
With proper maintenance, kobeya in the garden very quickly forms a luxurious green carpet, decorated with large bright bells, which can shade a gazebo, become a hedge, independently climb any rough surface and become original decoration garden Some gardeners grow the plant on south-facing balconies, creating original flowering curtains and various compositions by attaching vines to various supports.
Watch the video material too.
Have you ever heard of the wonderful climbing plant- which one? This is a delightful perennial subshrub; it is also practiced as an annual crop. Today we will talk about the features of planting this amazing plant in the open ground, and we will also reveal to you the secrets of proper care for it. This will allow you to grow kobei on your own site. You can be convinced of the charm and beauty of the kobei by looking at the presented photo.
Varieties and varieties of plants
Kobeya is famous for its rapid growth, development and powerful root system. It is characterized by complex pinnate leaves, branched at the ends into tendrils, and stems, the length of which sometimes reaches more than 6 m. In addition, kobeya has large beautiful flowers bell-shaped with protruding stamens. Their delicate white or purple color leaves no one indifferent.
There are 9 species of kobei in total. The most popular is climbing kobeya, which is also popularly called monastery bells. Its long shoots cling with their tendrils to all existing barriers. The leaves of the plant are openwork, they can create an attractive green carpet. Its flowers reach 8 cm in diameter and have a divine aroma. The crop manages to secure a certain area in just a couple of years, and annual crops can be planted annually in any place convenient for you.
Planting kobei
Kobei, planting and caring for which will not seem difficult even for novice gardeners, will decorate any courtyard with their presence, making it colorful, lively and attractive. Seedlings usually begin to be planted in open ground in May-June, when the street has already settled down. warm weather. It is better to choose for her an open, unshaded area with good, fertile soil. Cold gusty winds have a bad effect on the plant.
For planting, holes are dug at a distance of 50-100 cm from each other and filled with a mixture of humus, peat and turf soil. Kobes are placed in them, dropped in drops and watered a little.
Advice. Install supports in advance so that the plant can gradually climb along them and not spread to other plantings.
Plant care
Nothing will decorate fences and decorative buildings like a magnificent kobeya. Caring for it is based on regular moderate watering, timely loosening of the soil and, of course, removing harmful weeds.
Attention! Never overdo it with watering the plant. Excess moisture can cause root rot, and the kobeya will quickly die.
During the first time after planting, kobei should be protected with two layers of non-woven insulation. If the tops of the plant freeze, it is better to cut them off, this will contribute to further branching of the kobeya. Kobeya begins to bloom from July until late autumn.
Collecting its seeds for further sowing is very problematic, since they do not ripen in our climate zone. Germination is only 30%, so it is better to purchase them in a specialized store. To save the plant until next year, in October its shoots should be cut off, the bush should be dug up and transplanted into a spacious box. Store the container in a cool and dark room, occasionally watering the plant. After the end of frost, kobeya is planted in open ground.
Fertilizer and feeding of kobei
Young plants should be fed with nitrogen-containing fertilizers every week. You can start fertilizing from the first days of the crop’s life. With the appearance of buds, the plant will require phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Kobeya can also be fertilized with humate, and mineral supplements alternate with organic ones, for example, with mullein solution.
Reproduction of Kobei
Kobe seeds are sown from February to March, after soaking them in a special growth stimulator. It is recommended to sow each seed in a separate cup. They are sprinkled on top thin layer soil. The first shoots appear after 2-3 weeks. You can see this process in the next photo.
Advice. To get the first shoots as early as possible, simply germinate the seeds before sprouting.
Around April, the first leaves will begin to appear. Then the seedlings should be watered well, carefully removed and planted in separate containers. This will ensure normal rhizome development for the plant.
Before planting in open ground, seedlings need some hardening. For example, they can be taken outside periodically, gradually increasing the time. In addition, propagation can be carried out by cuttings, first planting them in wet sand. Strengthened seedlings are transplanted into open ground with the arrival of warmer weather.
Dangerous pests and diseases
The danger for kobei is mites and aphids. To combat them, use a solution of potassium green soap or flea shampoo with Fitoverm. Bad drainage system may cause horse rot.
Kobea: combination with other plants
Kobeya, both perennial and annual, will become a bright and unique decoration of any site, especially in proper combination with other plants. Petunia, verbena, and lobelia are perfect for her. If you approach this issue creatively and use all your imagination, you can get a fantastic result.
Kobeya in landscape design
The beauty of kobei has not left modern people unnoticed. landscape design. If you place it on the south side of the house, near the gazebo, then, with the help of special trellises, you can recreate a real green scene. Planted near a hedge, kobeya will quickly entwine it and create a beautiful, unique wall or arch. It will look good planted in pots. With such a vine you can quite effectively divide the yard into conventional zones, decorate flower beds and enliven the exterior. You can see the excellent use of kobei in the illustrative photos.
Growing kobei: video
Types of kobei: photo
(Cobaea) in nature it is a perennial climbing subshrub with long flexible shoots. One species is grown in culture - climbing kobeya (Cobaea scandens) which is valued for its beautiful large flowers original form. Since the plant comes from the tropics and does not tolerate cold, in central Russia kobeya is grown as an annual garden vine. Kobei shoots are distinguished by fast and active growth, so that the plant has time to reveal all its decorative properties in one season.
Long (up to 6 m) kobei shoots due to good foliage and beautiful shape the foliage is decorative in itself and is suitable for vertical gardening and decoration of facades, fences and other vertical surfaces. The plant is attached to the support by tendrils located at the ends of the leaves. Kobea flowers large, up to 8 cm in diameter, and shaped like a gramophone pipe. The most common colors are shades of purple and white; the color of flowers that have barely begun to open is greenish and changes as they bloom. Flowering of kobei in the middle zone begins in July and ends with the first frost. In the climate middle zone the seeds do not ripen every year.
How to plant kobeya
Sowing kobea seeds for seedlings. In our climatic conditions, kobeya is most often propagated by seeds, and grown seedlings are planted in the ground. It is recommended to sow kobe seeds for seedlings in late February - mid-March. Sowing in March is preferable: increasing daylight hours will allow you to do without additional illumination of seedlings. Some gardeners note that kobea seeds are difficult to germinate, so before sowing, it is recommended to soak the seeds for several hours in a solution of a growth stimulant (for example, Epin). You can sow already germinated seeds. For germination, the seeds are laid out on a damp paper napkin so that they do not touch each other, then the napkin is placed in a saucer, wrapped in a transparent bag and kept in a bright place at a temperature not lower than +20 ° C. It takes 14 to 20 days before the seedlings appear. If mold appears in the bag at this time, the seeds are washed with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate.
Caring for seedlings. The sprouted seeds are placed in light, loose soil, laid out horizontally, flat side down, and planted to a depth of 1.5 cm. It is advisable to sow each seed in a separate pot with a diameter of about 10 cm, since kobe seedlings are quite large and do not develop well in close quarters .
After the appearance of 1-2 true leaves, the seedlings must be transferred with a clod of earth into larger containers. After some time, young plants may require another transfer into a large container: kobeya - large plant, and before planting in the ground, it must have a fairly powerful root system formed. As the seedlings grow, they will need support.
Place for planting kobei in the garden
Kobeya is light- and heat-loving; it requires a sunny place, sheltered from the prevailing winds. Can also grow in light shade. The soil is fertile, loose, with neutral acidity and sufficient lime.
Planting kobei in the ground
Shortly before planting, the seedlings are hardened off by taking them to open air, if the temperature does not fall below +10 °C. Kobeya is planted in the ground only after the threat of frost has passed, that is, in late May - early June. Planting pits placed at a distance of 50-70 cm from each other, the size of the hole is determined by the size of the plant’s root system. After planting, water thoroughly. The ground around the plant is mulched to retain moisture. After planting in the ground, the top of the kobe shoot can be pinched: this promotes branching.
Kobei care
Watering. The plant is moisture-loving and needs regular watering. The soil needs to be kept moist, but the water should never stagnate: this leads to rotting of the roots. In hot, dry weather, watering is increased. The soil around the plant needs to be loosened periodically to increase oxygen access to the roots.
Top dressing. Before the formation of buds, kobea requires a large amount of nitrogen, which contributes to the growth of green mass; during this period it is fed with nitrogen fertilizers once every 7-10 days. After the buds appear, the nitrogen supply is reduced so as not to stimulate foliage growth to the detriment of flowering, and fertilizers with a predominance of phosphorus and potassium begin to be applied. You can alternate feeding with organic and complex mineral fertilizers.
Preparing for winter necessary only if kobeya is grown as a perennial. Before the onset of frost (around mid-October), the above-ground part of the plant is cut off, the roots are dug out along with a lump of earth, placed in a container and stored until spring in a semi-dark place at a constant temperature of +10..+12 ° C, providing rare watering so that the soil does not dry out. . In March, the kobeya is exposed to light and watering is increased, and after the end of frost, it is returned to the garden.
Reproduction of Kobei
Plants are propagated by seeds or cuttings. In the climate of the middle zone, seeds do not always ripen, and rooting cuttings is a rather complex and lengthy process. Therefore, gardeners most often grow kobeya from purchased seeds.
Diseases and pests of kobei
Most often it is affected by aphids and spider mites.
Loves warmth and light, the landing site should be sunny and windless
Needs abundant watering without stagnation of water
Kobea is a perennial climbing tropical vine that grows quickly and is perfect for vertical gardening. It is grown only by seedlings due to the long growing season.
Features of seeds
It is almost impossible to obtain seeds at home: kobeya blooms until frost. Although this happens occasionally.
If the vine does have seeds, you need to collect them before the matinees and place them at home in a dry, ventilated place, then, as a rule, they manage to ripen.
But usually you have to buy seeds at the store. Often they do not germinate or less than half of them manage to germinate.
In order to provide yourself with planting material in the right quantity, buy several packages from different manufacturers. But still, germination is practically only 30 percent.
It should also be taken into account that the seeds have a short shelf life and it is advisable to plant with fresh seeds from last year.
In nature, there are only two types of color of kobei flowers: purple and wine-white.
Companies that produce seeds advise planting them at different times:
- wine-white in February,
- purple in March.
Motivating this by what they have different period growing season.
Making homemade cups for seedlings
To grow seedlings, you can make your own convenient cups.
Take food foil and make small bags out of it as follows:
- wrap around the glass, leaving a long end,
- take out the glass
- collect all the foil from below into a knot and form a little bag,
- bend the bottom, leaving the desired size,
- The bags are carefully filled with substrate,
- place tightly next to each other in a large container, for example, a cake lid.
When replanting, it is enough to unroll the bag and remove the plant without disturbing the root system.
Planting seeds
Preparation
To plant, kobe seeds need to be prepared in a certain way:
- at first scarify, break the integrity of the shell, gently rubbing with something hard, for example, sandpaper;
- carefully wrap in a soft wet cloth so that they do not touch each other, and put in a plastic bag to create a greenhouse effect; It’s good if you have something like a Petri dish with a lid on hand: an ideal dish for planting;
- check status planting material will have to every day;
- if appeared slime, then her remove with a cloth, soaked in a pink weak solution of potassium permanganate, it needs to be practically torn off, but not immediately, but in several stages;
- mold is a sign that the temperature for germination is too low, and therefore it is necessary put the package in a warm place: on a battery, stove or under a lamp;
- you can’t miss the moment when sprouts appear- they are immediately planted in a jar with soil; if this is done late, the seed pod will remain on the sprout and will have to be removed nail scissors, the plant can be easily damaged during this “operation”. On average, seeds germinate for about two weeks, but it happens that germination occurs unevenly from two to three weeks.
You can soak the seeds for two days in Epin and sow them unsprouted, having also previously scarified them; in this case, you will probably have to help the sprouts that have not been able to shed their shells using nail scissors.
Attention: kobeya sprouts for a very long time - up to 20 days or more.
The landing process itself
Kobeya is planted from mid to late February:
- the hatched seeds are placed flat side down on the prepared substrate;
- cover with 1.5 cm of soil;
- press the soil with your finger;
- the seeds of this plant are large, and therefore they are immediately placed in special cups, perhaps peat ones;
- watered;
- covered with film or glass and placed where it is warm, for example, on a window in direct sunlight;
- Ventilate and remove condensation every day.
Many gardeners grow seedlings in peat tablets, then place the grown plant directly with the tablet into a container filled one-third with substrate and cover it to the base of the shoot.
Attention: at the first stage, the kobeya grows very slowly!
Seedling care
- At this stage, watering is moderate;
- can be watered with a growth stimulator;
- as soon as the first seedlings appear, they are shaded from the sun;
- When the plant produces one or two first true leaves, it must be replanted.
The vine is removed from the container, trying to prevent the earthen lump from crumbling, and placed in a larger container, 2-3 times larger than the previous one.
Then the plant will not have to be replanted again: the kobeya should develop and grow stronger in a spacious pot.
In a cramped container the vine turns yellow. When transshipping, you need to put a support: after all, this is a liana plant.
There is no need to fertilize at this stage, otherwise the plant will quickly grow and become tangled, making it difficult to transplant it into open ground.
The seedlings stretch upward quite quickly, and in order not to have to fight with a meter-long vine when transplanting, you need to pinch it at a height of just over 20 cm. This is also useful because in this way it is easy to achieve active tillering, and the vine will grow more luxuriant.
Planting in open ground
Photo: Planting kobeya in open ground
You can plant kobeya in the garden only when the night temperature is at least 4 degrees, usually no earlier than the end of May or beginning of June.
At the same time, they plan for the possibility of shelter in case of return frosts.
The fact is that young plants do not tolerate cold well, while adults can grow calmly at -4 degrees. Therefore, in the fall, kobeya can easily tolerate minor frosts without consequences.
It would be a good idea to harden off the seedlings before planting., although for kobei this is difficult due to the overgrown stems. But still, the last two weeks before sending it to its permanent place in the garden, you can take it to closed veranda or loggia.
Place in a greenhouse or greenhouse directly in the containers in which it is planted. If the temperature drops below zero at night, the plants are covered on top with covering material or film.
Algorithm for planting in open ground
Let us analyze in detail the algorithm for planting kobei in open ground:
- dig a hole at least 40 cm deep and fill it with humus, peat and turf soil in equal proportions;
- remove the plant from the container and put in a hole;
- carefully pour warm water;
- cover the plant, having previously installed a small support, to which the cords for the vine will subsequently be attached;
- Maintain a distance between plants of at least 80-100 cm.
Often the seedlings do not all sprout together, and not all grow at the same speed. Weak plants still need to be planted in the garden, but such plants will have to be given more attention: they need to be fed with organic fertilizers.
Even when the temperature drops by several degrees, they need to be covered at night; for this you can use cut plastic bottles.
Lianas are grown on sunny places protected from the wind. Plants transplanted into open ground undergo an adaptation period of about two weeks, and only after that they begin to grow.
Kobeya does not like being next to tall plants or buildings. If shadow falls on it, it will bloom later.
Attention: canes caught by return frosts can be trimmed, this will make the plant even thicker.
Method 2
There is also a way to plant seedlings early enough.
Seedlings are planted early, in early May. Sometimes this has to be done because the vines have become very overgrown and covered with abundant foliage, when the plant can no longer be kept at home in containers.
After planting, the branches are carefully laid on the ground and covered with film, holding it in the corners from the wind.
The film is opened for a while every day to allow air access and ventilation.
IN warm days the shelter is removed, the vine is lifted and secured temporarily. You can use a special grill. They are now sold in specialized stores in a large assortment.
Secure the lashes to a small decorative lattice and place it together with the plant under the film. Then on warm days it is enough to lift the grille and place it against the wall.
Attention: when planted early in the ground under shelter, the kobeya blooms two weeks earlier.
Further care
Photo: Caring for flowers in your own area
After planting the vine in the garden, its care is as follows:
- Watering is very moderate at normal temperature.
- Feed her twice a month, alternate mineral and organic fertilizers, then the vine will quickly gain a large amount of vegetative mass.
- They especially help with this nitrogen fertilizers.
- Fertilizer application should be completed by the end of June., otherwise leaf growth will be to the detriment of flowering.
- The most difficult thing in caring for is to distribute the lashes in the right direction, help them cling to supports and cut out yellowed leaves so that the kobeya does not lose its decorative appearance, at the same time monitoring the plant.
- The soil around the lashes should always be moist and loose. To do this, mulching is carried out using sawdust, peat, and humus.
- During summer heat kobeya requires abundant watering and stops growing,
- Weeding must be done carefully, Liana doesn't like to be disturbed
Sowing seeds before winter
Often the appearance of kobei buds is delayed, and it blooms in full glory only by mid-August. But you can get earlier flowering.
To do this, kobe seeds are sown in July directly in open ground, following all the rules. spring planting. At the end of August, the plants are transplanted into containers and sent to a cool room. It could be glass veranda or an insulated loggia where the temperature does not drop below zero.
The optimal temperature for keeping will be 8-10 degrees c, if it decreases, the plants need to be covered additionally.
Water very sparingly, only when the coma is completely dry. If the lashes grow strongly, they can be cut off radically.
By the way, vines can even bloom, especially if they have not been pruned. Such bushes, as a rule, are already quite powerful, and are planted in the garden at the end of May.
Attention: kobeya cannot be grown in containers and flowerpots. She will not develop and will look frail!
At proper care grown from kobeya seeds can reach a length of 11 meters and delight lush flowering until autumn.
Plant diseases
Kobeya can be affected by many diseases, including at the seedling stage.
The most common disease is aphid damage. If this happens on the windowsill, then you can eliminate aphid colonies by washing the plant with soap suds (it is better to use laundry or tar soap for this purpose).
If mature plant is partially affected, then you can also try to wash the affected area with foam, and spray the rest of the plant with the remaining solution for preventive purposes. If this does not help, then you will have to resort to special drugs.
In addition, the plant attacks and spider mite.
Often the buds of Kobei do not open for a long time, so you need to carefully monitor the plant, and if you notice that the bud does not open, but is swollen, you need to carefully cut it a little with scissors.
As a conclusion
Just like that, in just a couple of minutes, you learned how to properly grow kobeya from seeds.
Now watch the useful video we found for you!
And another video:
