Recently, more and more often, both on personal plots and on window sills, one can meet such a little-known until recently flowering plant as kufeya. This is a small shrub that belongs to the Derbennikov family and reaches a height of half a meter.
Its leaves are dark green, small in size and having a semi-oval shape. Bright, elongated, cigarette-like flowers simply strew the bush, giving it unsurpassed magnificence. Flowering in this shrub occurs almost continuously - from spring to autumn. For the original shape of the flowers, the kufei was nicknamed "the cigar plant" by the people.
Decorative floriculture
Passion for flowers leads almost all lovers to search for new plants, which so far grow in few garden plots. Everyone wants to be put on different from others by a certain uniqueness. For this reason, the hitherto unknown flower plant such as kufeya is becoming more and more in demand every year.
Care, species, reproduction,the rules for planting this plant are questions, the answers to which are still not fully known to anyone. Therefore, it is worth discussing this topic in more detail. This will save many flower growers from doubting whether it is worth growing such a magnificent plant as kufeya on the site or at home.
Care and maintenance of kufei at home
To the numerous requests of flower growers to tell about the kufei plant (planting and care, where to grow and whether it will grow at home), we can say that this flower lives beautifully on windowsills. In this case, it requires the following care.
- Optimal for the good development of this plant are those temperatures that in summer range from +20 to +25, and with the onset of cold weather - from +15 to +18 degrees.
- The room where the kufei is planned to land should be light enough so that she can feel comfortable. The most successful place will be windows that are oriented to the east or west. A certain amount of direct sunlight will not harm the plant either.
- In the summer, abundant watering must be carried out. In autumn, it is reduced, and in winter it must be reduced to moderate, although complete drying of the soil should not be allowed.
Under such conditions, the kufei will feel very good and delight with abundant and long flowering.
Basic rules for keeping a kufei at home
At home for a plant such as kufeya, care, cultivation, watering,landing must be carried out in compliance with certain rules. If we consider them in more detail, we can distinguish the following main areas:
- The plant needs moderate humidity, so spraying the flower should be done from time to time.
- Transplantation should be done annually, but only in the spring. The earth mixture for kufei should consist of equal amounts of humus, peat, turf and leaf soil, to which ½ part of the sand is added. Drainage is necessarily laid at the bottom of the dishes where the plant will be transplanted.
- Top dressing is carried out with mineral fertilizer intended for flowering indoor plants in the spring and summer. This procedure should be performed at least once every 2 weeks.
- Pruning in spring is the main step in caring for a plant like kufeya. Pruning consists in transforming the crown of this flowering shrub to the desired shape and size.
The most careful formation of the crown requires such a subspecies of this plant as hyssopolis kufeya. After you have carried it out in the spring, in the summer it will be enough to maintain the created shape by periodically pinching it at the tips of the shoots. The best crown forms for this plant are spherical and pyramidal.
How to grow a plant from seeds?
For many who wish to have a plant such as cuphea on their plot or windowsill, care and cultivation of its seedsremains a mystery. Therefore, they are looking for such information in various sources.
This plant is fairly easy to grow from seed. They are sown in early spring in a tray with a special earthen mixture and lightly sprinkled with soil on top. The tray prepared in this way is placed in a dark plastic bag or covered with thick paper. When the seeds begin to germinate, you need to transfer it to a light windowsill.
The grown seedlings are planted one by one in small containers. It is necessary to ensure that the soil does not dry out. After the seedlings grow up, you will need to select the strongest shoots and transplant them into separate pots, the diameter of which is not less than 11 centimeters.
Propagation of kufei cuttings. What is it?
In addition to general questions about a plant such as kufeya (planting and care, where to grow), flower growers are often interested in its reproduction. And if everything is more or less clear in the use of seeds for this, then it is worth mentioning especially about the cuttings. This method is best suited when growing this flowering plant on the site. It consists in the following.
- The propagating stalk must be cut obliquely with a sharp enough knife and immediately placed in water.
- After a week (when roots appear on it), it should be planted in the ground and watered very abundantly.
- Kufei should be kept in a well-shaded place until it is accepted.
- Rooted cuttings are planted welllighted area, 2-3 pieces together and pinch several times during the growing season.
Types and subspecies of kufei
Several subspecies donated by modern breeding has a gigantic kufeya. Care, cultivation of them is carried out according to the rules common to all plants of this family. Most recognized by amateur flower growers are such representatives of this class as:
- Kufei hyssopolis. This is a semi-shrub plant that reaches a height of 50 centimeters. Its leaves are located oppositely on rather short cuttings. They reach a length of 2.5 cm, and a width of 0.5 cm. The shape of the leaves of this plant is lanceolate, and the color is dark green. Flowers small, up to 1 cm in diameter, solitary. Their color is lilac or pink. The bushiness of this type of plant is quite strong, and the size is very compact. This gives an excellent opportunity to grow this subspecies as a bonsai.
- Kufei fiery red. It grows as a semi-shrub, which reaches a height of half a meter. Its leaves are ovate-lanceolate in shape. They are also located on rather short petioles, opposite, and reach up to 5 cm in length and 2 cm in width. Their color is dark green. Single flowers of red color with a purple limb in diameter reach 3 cm.
Possible plant problems
When it comes to a plant like kufeya, planting and care, where to grow - this is not quite the complete information that flower growers need. It is also worth asking aboutpossible pests of this magnificent flower, so as not to be taken by surprise by its disease.
The most dangerous parasite that can infect a plant is aphid. In order to get rid of this scourge, you should first rinse the plant under running cold water, and then treat it with an insecticide.
In the event that the plant is affected by thrips (leaves are severely deformed, and their tips have become jagged), the treatment should be the same. And in the event that the leaves have acquired brown spots, it is necessary to increase the lighting, which the plant lacks, and remove the drafts that adversely affect it. Leaves that have been damaged must be completely removed.
Advice for amateur flower growers
For flower growers dreaming of a plant like kufeya, tips for caring for it will be as follows:
- The temperature for this plant should not fall below +12°C, as the kufei is very thermophilic.
- Lighting this flower prefers bright, but at the same time diffused. Direct sunlight is allowed only at noon.
- Irrigation should be plentiful in summer and reduced to meager in autumn.
- Mineral fertilizers for top dressing are used the same as for other indoor plants.
That's all the advice regarding a plant like kufeya. Planting and care, where to grow, how a flower reproduces - we talked about all this in our article.
