This annual plant has been popular not only all over the world, but also among Russian gardeners for many decades. They call him kosmeya. The flowers of this unpretentious plant adorn a huge number of household plots. It got its name from the Greek word cosmos, which can also be translated as “decoration”. Cosmea - flowers of the aster family. They can be grown in annual and perennial crops. This flower looks great in flowerbeds, lawns and green lawns.
The birthplace of cosmea, whose flowers amaze with the variety of shapes and colors, is South America. In total there are 20 species of this plant. Despite the origin in warm climatic conditions, this flower grows remarkably in almost all regions of Russia, from the north to the middle lane and southern regions. This flower is practically not used for cutting, as it fades quickly.
The most common are two types of cosmea: double-pinnate and sulfur-yellow. The first reaches 1.2 m in height. It forms powerful bushes with tall, strongly branched stems. Double-pinnate cosmea, whose flowers reach 10 cm in diameter, most oftendyed pink, white or red.
Reed flowers have a variety of colors, and tubular flowers are bright yellow. Another type of cosmea is undersized (up to 75 cm) and thermophilic and has wider leaves. And its reed flowers can be orange or red in color. The diameter of the flowers reaches 3-6 cm. In appearance, most varieties of cosmea resemble chamomile. Breeders also brought out other flowers - terry kosmeya, which looks great on any flower bed.
This plant blooms in June-July and blooms before the first frost. Cosmea - flowers that withstand short-term droughts. It is distinguished by its cold resistance. This flower is planted in well-lit areas, protected from strong winds. When planted in partial shade, the cosmea does not bloom well, but there will be much more leaves on it than in the sun. This plant is unpretentious, not demanding on soils. Grows best in loose, well-drained soils that are not highly nutritious. The plant loves moisture, so it needs regular watering.
Cosmea - flowers that reproduce by seeds. They can be purchased at the store or asked from neighbors who grow this plant. Seed germination lasts 3-4 years. The cosmea flower, photos of which are presented on this page, can be grown in two ways: seedling and seedless. In the first case, the seeds are sown in March on the surface of the substrate and slightly pressed down. Crops are moistened and covered with a film. Cangrow this plant and sow seeds in open ground. At a temperature of 16-18 ° C, seedlings will appear in 1-2 weeks. Seedlings of 8-10 cm are planted in flower beds according to the scheme 30x40 cm. When sown in May in open ground, plants should be thinned out at intervals of 20-25 cm (depending on the cosmea variety).
Care for this flower is weeding, watering, loosening the soil. Top dressing is done only when the cosmea grows on poor soil, before budding and at the very beginning of flowering. Tall varieties require a tie to a support, as their fragile stems can be broken by the wind. In autumn, the stems of the plant are cut off near the ground. Trimming dead flowers encourages more blooms.
