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 of 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. Cover the saucer with a plastic bag and place 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 are planted in separate pots if the seedlings were first grown in a common container. 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. Add superphosphate or mineral mixture for flowering plants. In such areas, kobeya quickly grows 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; on alkaline soils they are more pronounced Blue colour petals.
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 with 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 do not 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 the required number of shoots are cut from them, rooted 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 is a worthy decoration of the 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.
Read more about planting and growing kobei you will find out from the video.
Kobeya 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 themselves with planting material in the required quantity, they 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 is that they have different growing seasons.
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 plastic bag in order 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 be needed 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 liana 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 her to permanent place into the garden, you can take it out 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 in 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.
On 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 liana will quickly dial a large number 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 the 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!
With proper care grown from kobeya seeds can reach a length of 11 meters and delight with 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:
Kobeya is an amazingly beautiful decorative vine of the cyanaceae family. It comes from humid mountain forests South America. And it got its name in honor of the Spanish monk Barnabas Cobo, a famous naturalist.
Kobei has very tenacious climbing stems, often reaching six meters in length. Multiple tendrils help the plant cling to any support.
The root system is strong, fibrous, with branches and cord-like processes. The flowers are large, up to 8 cm in diameter. They grow singly, and can be grouped in leaf axils of 3-4 pieces. They have an elongated peduncle and an elegant bell-shaped shape.
The stamens and pistil protrude significantly beyond the petals, which gives the flowers a special sophistication. The soft leaves have a light green hue and a complex pinnate shape that includes three lobes. IN vertical gardening gardeners began to use kobeya from the end of the 18th century.
In its homeland, the flower is represented by 9 species, but in our gardens and at home only one is grown - climbing kobe.
Its other names are creeping ivy, climbing ivy, Mexican ivy and monastery bells. Kobeya produces a large number of shoots, reaching 4 meters in length. The leaves are feather-shaped, very delicate with slight wrinkles, and the ends are crowned with branched tendrils. When blooming, the buds of the plant are greenish in color and smell of musk. Gradually they acquire lilac shade, later - dark purple and exude the smell of honey. Breeders have developed another variety of kobei - Alba, which has white flowers.
In South America, this plant is a perennial, but in our gardens, kobeya is grown as an annual - because of its heat-loving nature, it does not survive the winter. It is usually propagated by seeds. This is a simple but quite interesting procedure. Need to know here specific features preparation seed material. Sometimes kobeya is propagated by cuttings from mother stems.
Sowing kobea seeds
You can prepare seeds for planting at the end of winter. They are quite large with a hard shell, which makes germination difficult. Therefore, before sowing, certain preparation is carried out, which makes it possible to remove the crusts manually. To do this, the seeds are laid out in a wide container at some distance from each other, filled with water and covered in such a way that the moisture evaporates as slowly as possible. After the shell gets wet, it is removed and the seeds are put back.
When the planting material is cleared, take toilet paper, folded in 2-3 layers and moistened with a slightly pink solution of potassium permanganate. The seeds are carefully placed on it and placed in a plastic bag, which should be kept warm and well lit. The germination process takes approximately 2 weeks, during which you need to ensure that the seeds are moist. If mold appears, they are carefully washed and the paper is changed.
After the seeds germinate, they are transferred to loose soil, placing it on a flat barrel and covering it with about one and a half centimeter layer of soil. Due to the fact that kobeya does not withstand the first picking, it would be optimal to use small individual cups, covering them with polyethylene on top. The containers are placed in bright room at a temperature of 20°C. The film should be removed daily to ventilate and moisten the plantings. If you have previously germinated the seeds, seedlings will appear in the second week.
Diving seedlings
When the first two leaves on the plants develop well, they are picked. To do this, use large pots (at least 3 liters), which are filled with drainage and topped with a nutritious soil composition. Thanks to the large volume of containers, by the time they are transplanted into open ground, the seedlings will have formed a strong root system. And this is the key to active growth, strong shoots, size and number of buds. Before picking, the soil is well watered, then the sprouts are carefully removed, preserving the earthen lump as much as possible, and transplanted into new containers. Young growth definitely needs supports to support fast-growing stems.
Transplanting kobei into open ground
Plants should be planted in an open, bright area, but protected from drafts. Kobeya can tolerate partial shade, but shady places are contraindicated for it - growth and flowering will slow down greatly. Young seedlings do not like cold weather, so it is optimal to harden off the plants first, for example, by moving the flower to a glassed-in loggia.
If low temperatures still possible, the kobeya is covered with non-woven material folded in 2-3 layers.
Plants are planted at a distance of 0.5-1 m from each other. Equal volumes of turf soil, peat and humus are poured into the pits. The soil must certainly be loose. The seedlings are watered for easy removal, and after transplanting they are covered with soil and slightly moistened. Subsequently, the soil around the kobe can be covered with sawdust or peat mulch. It is imperative to install supports for weaving, along which the stems will climb with the help of tendrils, or to plant plants near trees, walls, a gazebo, or a fence.
Note! If you want to admire a more magnificent and compact bush, periodically pinch the tops of the stems. This way the shoots will gain greater strength, will not be too intertwined with each other and will not lose their decorative effect.
Watering kobei
The tropical beauty is very moisture-loving and needs systematic, abundant watering, especially during hot periods. But an excess of water should not be allowed - the roots will rot, so water after the top soil layer has dried out.
From the moment the first leaves develop until the buds are forced out, the plant needs nitrogen-containing fertilizers, which contribute to the growth of green mass. Then they are replaced with phosphorus-potassium ones to stimulate and maintain flowering. Due to the fact that kobeya is a large vine, it is fed once every two weeks. Mineral fertilizers and organic matter can be alternated if desired.
Kobeya in winter
If you don't want to bother with seeds every year, you can try saving the plant as a perennial. Why, after the end of flowering (usually October), the kobeya is dug up, trying not to injure the roots, and transplanted into a container of suitable volume. Then the plant is placed in a dark and cool (8-10°C) room, possibly in a cellar, and left there until spring. At the same time, the soil is moistened once a month so that it does not dry out and die. root system. In March, the kobeya is taken out of its winter shelter and transferred to a bright and warm room, increase the number of waterings, and when the first leaves appear, they begin to feed with nitrogen compounds.
After growth has been activated, young cuttings of the plant can be taken for propagation. But you should take into account their fragility and cut them off extremely carefully. The shoots are immersed in pots with wet sand and placed in a bright place, covered with glass jars. Until the beginning of June, the branches will take root, after which they are transplanted to a permanent place.
Important! Kobeya grown by cuttings blooms earlier, but the flowers of plants obtained from seeds are more saturated and spectacular.
Disease and pest control
Aphids and spider mites often like to take root on kobei. That is why the plant needs to be regularly examined prophylactically, and if an infection is noticed, treatment should be started in a timely manner. Treat the plant with solutions of laundry or green soap, infusions of onion peels and garlic. If these methods do not help, use insecticides.
Black spots found on leaves and flowers indicate rot of the root system. In this case, you should remove all damaged areas, dry and loosen the soil. Then the soil is spilled with a fungicide solution. To prevent the problem from recurring, you need to adjust the quantity and volume of watering in the future.
Causes of poor growth of kobei
If a flower does not please you with tall, lush stems, it means it is not satisfied with its planting location or care. In order for kobeya to initially be characterized by active growth and early flowering, if possible, the seedlings should be covered for the first time. In this case, young seedlings adapt faster, develop a more powerful root system and form buds earlier.
How and when to collect kobe seeds
In our country, kobeya begins to bloom in July and delights with its purple lights until October. That is why in most regions the seed material simply does not have time to ripen. And since the seeds even the best manufacturers have a germination percentage of only about thirty, then it makes no sense to collect them yourself in an unripe form, since seedlings are unlikely to appear. Because the best option will buy planting material in a specialty store.
If you properly care for your kobeya, it will very quickly delight you with a lush green carpet with large bright bells. This chic shelter will perfectly shade a gazebo, become a hedge, and climb any uneven surface and will decorate your garden in an original way. Flower growers often plant kobeya on balconies if they face south. And with the help of this wonderful vine they create original compositions and amazing living curtains, attaching the stems to various supports.
Kobea is very beautiful, fast growing, decorative vine, related to the cyanaceae. It was named after Barnabas Cobo, who was a famous Spanish naturalist monk. Its homeland is considered to be moist mountain forests and tropical regions of 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. soft leaves light green in color, 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 kobeya, a garden variety with white flowers called Alba has been bred.
Growing kobei at home
Kobeya is planted at the end of winter
IN wildlife 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 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 a 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, at the time of transplantation into open ground, 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
To plant kobei in the ground, you need to choose open, well-lit areas, but they must be protected from the winds. It can grow in partial shade, and strong shadow it is contraindicated, 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 a glazed 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 go 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 increased, and with the appearance of leaves, fertilizing with nitrogen fertilizers should begin.
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 with glass jars and placed 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 kobeya grows poorly, then it is chosen for planting wrong place or the rules for caring for it are 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 from the best producers has a germination rate of no more than thirty percent, there is no point in independently collecting immature 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 secrets for you proper care behind him. 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 weather is already warm outside. It is better to choose an open, unshaded area with good, fertile soil for it. 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 in our climatic zone they don't ripen. 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. Each seed is recommended to be sown in separate glass. They are sprinkled with a thin layer of soil on top. 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 get creative this issue 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 with south side at home, 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
