Content
Kobea is a climbing plant belonging to the Sinyukhidae family. The homeland of the vine is the South American tropics and subtropics. Thanks to its beautiful flowers, it is cultivated in many countries and is actively used in landscape design. Planting and caring for kobeya in open ground in temperate latitudes has its own characteristics.
General description of kobei
Nine species of vines grow under natural conditions. Climbing kobeya is cultivated culturally.
Large, spectacular bells do not leave garden owners indifferent
The plant has a long, tenacious stem that grows up to 6 m in length, and in some types of vines - more than 6 m. It has a large number of tendrils.
Kobei has complex pinnate leaves consisting of three lobes. On a long petiole you can see paired oval-shaped leaves with short petioles and pronounced veins. One of the same is located at the top of a long petiole. At the end of the shoot, the leaves take on the appearance of tendrils, with which the plant clings to the support.
Large kobei flowers have the shape of bells.They appear from the leaf axils on short peduncles, reach a diameter of 8 cm and are distinguished by a variety of shades: they can be white, cream, or purple. Liana flowers grow singly or in groups.
Kobei fruits are a leathery capsule with oval seeds.
The root system of the plant is powerful, highly branched, with many fibrous thin roots.
A characteristic feature of the vine is its very rapid growth. In a short time it covers quite large areas with lush greenery.
In tropical conditions, kobeya is a perennial plant; in Russia it is cultivated as an annual.
Kobeya in landscape design
The liana is ideal for decorating and landscaping the garden. It allows landscape designers to bring creative ideas to life.
The plant is used to create hedges, vertical gardening of gazebos, arches and pergolas, and balconies.
Kobeya can be planted in large, stable containers and placed around the perimeter of the recreation area.
Liana allows you to hide architectural flaws: an ugly brick wall, a dilapidated fence.
Kobeya not only grows upward: it can be planted on the last step of the stairs in a container and directed downward
Using the dense wall that the vine forms, you can divide the area into zones.
The wire frame will turn into a green figure if you plant just one plant.
In flower beds, the vine is planted together with petunia, marigolds, lobelia, and verbena.
You can see what kobeya looks like in landscape design - in the photo below.
A creeping plant with beautiful flowers looks good against the background of brickwork
Features of reproduction
There are several ways to propagate kobei: seeds, cuttings, layering. In our conditions, as a rule, the first one is practiced.
It is not possible to plant vine seeds directly into the ground in areas with a temperate climate. To grow kobei in the Moscow region, the seedling method is used. Seeds are germinated indoors in individual containers with soil; as soon as warm weather sets in, the seedlings are transferred to open ground to a permanent place.
To propagate kobei, strong young shoots are cut from cuttings from plants that have spent the winter in containers. The cuttings should be about 20 cm long and have 3 pairs of leaves. With the onset of warmth, they are rooted outdoors in a shaded place in moist soil. It is believed that kobeya propagated by cuttings grows faster.
Another way is to drop layering. In an adult vine, they find a shoot located as close to the ground as possible, place it in a dug long groove, sprinkle it with soil, and leave the top slightly pinched on the surface. The soil around the kobei is constantly moistened. After some time, young shoots sprout from the layering.
Planting kobei in the ground
You can buy kobei seedlings or grow them yourself. It is believed that the second method is preferable, since when growing seedlings in large quantities for sale, it is not possible to create the most favorable conditions for them.
Deadlines
Kobea is transplanted into the ground at the end of spring and beginning of summer. More exact dates depend on the climate. As a rule, this is the period from mid-May to mid-July. The main thing is that warm weather sets in at this time without the risk of night frosts.
Site selection and soil preparation
First of all, you need to take into account that this plant is ornamental and should be planted where it is clearly visible.
A windless, warm place with good lighting, but not in the sun, is suitable for the vine.
The soil for growing kobeya should be fertile, fairly loose, and easily permeable to water. The soil at the planting site must be dug up and the following components added per 1 square meter. m:
- half a bucket of sand;
- a bucket of humus;
- bucket of peat.
In addition, the soil needs to be fertilized: for each plot of 1 square meter. m it is necessary to add 40 g of urea or carbamide. Planting holes should be spacious and filled with fertile soil.
Landing algorithm
Before planting kobei, you need to grow seedlings from seeds. The process is not very simple, but exciting. It consists of pre-sowing preparation of the material, germination, sowing in the soil mixture and obtaining seedlings. This is followed by transplanting the vine into the ground in the garden.
Sowing seeds
The time for planting kobei seeds for seedlings is at the end of February - beginning of March. Preliminary preparation of seed takes 2-3 days. It takes approximately 2 weeks for vine seeds to germinate.
The seeds of the plant have a hard shell and do not germinate well, so they need pre-sowing preparation
Preparation of kobei seeds consists of the following steps:
- Soak. The seed must be kept in a growth stimulator for an hour. It can be prepared from aloe juice and honey, taken in equal quantities, or from 5 drops of zircon, 4 epin and 100 ml of water.
- Germination. After soaking, the kobe seeds need to be dried in the fresh air, laid out on moistened gauze folded in several layers so that they do not touch each other, covered with film, and sent to a warm, shaded place. Check periodically. If plaque or mold is found on the seeds, they should be wiped with a napkin soaked in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. They should germinate in about 14 days.
To sow kobeya you need containers:
- Individual cups, pots, peat tablets.
- Containers or boxes are approximately 15 cm deep. They should have plenty of drainage holes in the bottom.
- Cylinders made from several layers of foil, which need to be placed in a tray with holes in the bottom and filled with earth.
To prepare the substrate for the vine you will need the following components:
- 2 parts garden soil;
- 4 parts leaf soil;
- 2 parts humus;
- 1 part coarse sand.
The soil for kobeya should be loose and light.
Next comes the planting of seed:
- Fill the selected containers with prepared soil.
- Place the sprouted kobe seeds on the surface of the soil mixture with the convex side up. If they are planted in common containers, the distance between them is 20 cm.
- Sift the substrate and cover the seeds in a 1.5 cm thick layer.
- Moisten the soil using a spray bottle.
- Place in a warm, well-lit place. Avoid direct sunlight. Moisten the soil periodically.
After about 2-3 weeks, the kobea seeds will germinate. After the first leaf appears, they, together with a lump of earth, are planted in individual pots, the volume of which should be approximately 3 liters. In the room with seedlings, it is necessary to maintain high air humidity by spraying. A month after picking, pinch off the tops of the plants.3 weeks before planting, they begin to harden the seedlings, gradually accustoming them to the open air.
Transplanting
Planting kobei in open ground is carried out according to the following rules:
- Dig holes at a distance of approximately 0.8 m. The depth should be such that the roots of the plant do not bend.
- Kobei seedlings in pots should be watered properly.
- Remove the vine seedlings from the containers along with a lump of earth. Plastic containers must be cut and carefully removed.
- Place each kobei bush vertically in a hole and cover the roots with soil.
- Water the plant using a watering can with a fine mesh.
For a vine seedling, you need to install a support immediately after planting.
How to grow kobeya
It is necessary to properly care for the kobeya: follow the watering and fertilizing schedule. It is important to loosen and weed, inspect for diseases and pests.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
The liana does not need too much watering. Water should be poured not under the roots, but between the bushes. In hot summers, kobeya needs to be watered more often, but care must be taken to ensure that the ground does not become waterlogged.
Fertilizer begins to be applied in the second week after transplanting the plant into open ground. Kobe is fed twice a month. For active growth of green mass, at first, mainly nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied. As soon as the buds appear and the vine begins to bloom, you need to switch to formulations with a high content of potassium and phosphorus.
Weeding and loosening
Kobeya liana needs systematic loosening of the soil. As weeds appear in the ground around the plant, weeding needs to be done.
Wintering
The heat-loving kobei is not able to overwinter in open ground in areas with a temperate climate.
If it is necessary to preserve the plant, it will have to be dug out of the ground and replanted in a container so that it can overwinter indoors.
You need to proceed as follows:
- Before frost arrives, cut off the above-ground part of the vine at a level of approximately 30-40 cm from the soil surface.
- Dig up the root with a lump of earth.
- Prepare a container with fertile soil mixture and plant the kobeya.
- Place the plant for the winter in a cool, dark room with a temperature of 5-8 degrees.
- Check the kobea rhizome periodically. To prevent drying out, the soil must be moistened regularly.
In March, move the container with the vine to a warm room. It is necessary to provide the plant with water for shoots to grow.
The plant will delight you with its blooming appearance, subject to proper care.
Pests and diseases
Among the diseases, kobeya is affected by root rot. It poses a great danger to the plant. Signs of the disease are dark spots on leaves and flowers, followed by wilting of the vine. Typically, root rot appears when the soil is wet.
In hot climates, phenomena such as slow growth of kobeya and drying out of the tips of the leaves can be observed. Therefore, the plant must be sprayed in the evening.
Among the pests, kobeya is affected by aphids and spider mites.
Aphids can be controlled using folk remedies or chemicals. The second method is more effective.
The spider mite poses a particular danger to kobei, which is often noticed too late, when the leaves have already begun to turn yellow and crumble, or cobwebs have appeared on the flowers and leaves. The disease quickly spreads to neighboring plants, and in advanced cases the vine dies.Therefore, it is necessary to regularly carefully examine the kobeya, preferably with a magnifying glass, and not only the surface of the leaves, but also the back side. There you can see small insects, many eggs and light cobwebs. This pest is quite difficult to control. In a short life of 2 weeks, its female produces several hundred eggs, which remain in the ground for up to 5 years. Affected kobei leaves must be torn off and burned, and the plant must be treated with chemicals, which are recommended to be changed all the time due to the adaptability of insects.
Conclusion
Planting and caring for kobeya in open ground is not an easy task. Not every gardener succeeds in propagating a plant the first time. If you follow all the rules, the result will be positive and the magnificent vine will decorate your summer cottage.
