The romantic name "summer cypress" does not hide the coniferous plant, but the prosaic culture - cochia broom. In the countryside, it is still grown for brooms and brooms. Such decorative kohiya (planting and care of which will be described below) would not be considered if it were not for the zeal of the breeders, they would develop varieties of dark green, light green, pinkish and carmine leaf colors.
Kokhiya, planting and caring for which does not require much effort, is an annual shrub that belongs to the Marev family. The plant is fast-growing, highly branched, can reach a height of 120 cm. Narrow small leaves remotely resemble the needles of cypress. Flowers have no decorative value, they are plain and small, they are hidden in the axils of the leaves. The leaves are light green or bright green. In the fall, they transform and acquire orange or reddish hues, depending on the variety.
Kokhiya (summer cypress) reaches in good conditions more than 1 meter in height. She tolerates a haircut remarkably, and with the help of ordinary scissors it is possible to create magnificent figures from it. But her crown is quite elegant and without a haircut.
What these plants do not have is resistance to the sudden return of cold weather. For this reason, they are sown quite late and, if necessary, cover crops with a film. You can grow summer cypress through seedlings. Then they sow it in April, and plant it in the ground at the end of May.
In the compositions of plants, bright emerald cochia is especially effective. It stands out favorably against the background of stones. If you put her in rabatki, then she will look like an elegant border. Unfortunately, kohiya (planting and care do not play a role here) is an annual plant. But with it you can do anything with scissors!
It is almost impossible to grow summer cypress in a container or pot; it is a half-shrub of open ground. Most of all he loves sunny places, but he can stand a little shading. Afraid of very cold winds. The soil prefers light, non-acidic, nutritious humus. Frequent watering is required. The lack of moisture leads to the fact that cochia loses its attractiveness, because the leaves fall and begin to fade.
Once a week, kohiya is fed with liquid fertilizer. In case of damage with a spider mite, it is necessary to immediately treat the bushes with an appropriate agent.
Kokhiya "summer Cyprus" (another name for this plant) looks great not only in flower beds and flower beds. Dried shoots are used by florists to create various dry bouquets. And the dry stalks of kohii effortlessly turn into a regular broom.
Even traditional medicine is interested in the cochia plant. Landing and care in this case have their own therapeutic meaning. It is used for edema, rheumatism, eczema, inflammation of the skin. It has diuretic, diaphoretic, cardiostimulating and tonic properties.
Fresh leaves are used for food - added to soups. They are also feed material for silkworm caterpillars and go to feed livestock.
Not only decorative, but also useful kohiya. Planting and caring for it are not difficult and delight gardeners.