The kobe flower is considered one of the most beautiful vines. This thermophilic plant prefers to grow in the southern regions. Here the kobe blooms for several years. In our climate, the plant belongs to annual species. If desired, you can hide the plant for the winter in a warm, protected place. However, many flower growers prefer to grow kobe with each new season from seeds.
What are the features of the presented flower, how it is planted and cared for, should be considered in detail by each grower before breeding lianas in their area.
general characteristics
Kobe (photos of flowers are presented below) is a beautiful exotic plant. This picturesque liana got its name in honor of the Spanish explorer Barnabas Cobo. The Jesuit lived for a long time in Mexico and Peru. Here he first saw this lovely flower. Since the 18th century, many European landscape design specialists have grown kobe in vertical horticulture.
Today there are 9 types of kobei. In our country, mainly only two species are grown - with white or purple flowers. In its decorative qualities, this liana far surpasses other tropical climbing plants.
Kobe is developing very fast. Many antennae appear on the stem. Shoots cover the leaves of a heart shape. They laced the entire vine with openwork carpet. The height of the plant can reach 6 m. The tenacious antennae help the liana climb to a great height. It holds firmly to any surface.
Flowering kobei
Kobeya (photo of flowers presented in the review) is famous for its delicate charming bell flowers. They densely cover a green carpet of leaves. The diameter of the buds can reach 8 cm. In nature, there are lilac, white, light salad, burgundy varieties of kobe.
In our country, only one type of vine is grown. This is a kobeya climbing. Her buds are purple or white. Long stamens and pestle stick out. During the development period, the bud may have a green color. After the flowers change their color to purple or white.
The flowering period lasts from July to October. With the first frost, the vine will fade. Although the plant can withstand the first frosts. It will not fade even at a temperature of -5 ° C, if the cooling is short-lived. When stable cold weather is established, the kobei will fade. Therefore, every year gardeners acquire new seeds for breeding this beautiful plant on their site.
Due to the insufficient duration of the warm period in our climate zone, the seeds of the plant do not have time to ripen. Therefore, seed is purchased in a specialized store before each new season.
Growing Features
Almost every gardener can plant this flower on his plot . Kobei (growing from the seeds of this vine requires certain skills) is a photophilous plant. If with a small penumbra it can at least somehow put up, however, it will not grow in blackout. Therefore, you should choose a sunny place on the site.
The soil should be fertile, well fertilized. Also, the plant loves wet soil. However, excessive watering, like most plants, causes the appearance of rot. In this case, the plant is attacked by pests (ticks or aphids). Therefore, maintaining a certain level of humidity for kobei is extremely important.
Propagation Features
The kobe flower, the cultivation of which is planned to be produced on the site, requires the gardener to choose the right planting material. For this, seedlings or seeds are suitable. If kobe is not grown for the first year, you can save its cuttings for the winter. Most often, summer residents purchase seeds in specialized stores.
When choosing planting material, it is recommended to give preference to trusted suppliers. You can sow seeds from the end of February. To do this, plants create greenhouse conditions. The deadline when seeds begin to be introduced into the soil occurs in mid-March.
Before planting, the material must be properly processed. If you make dry seeds immediately into the soil, they can germinate poorly, and there is practically no power left for such lianas to bloom. Therefore, it is recommended to soak the planting material in a special growth stimulator before introducing them into the soil. For this, for example, HB-1 or other similar solutions are suitable.
Some gardeners grow kobe by cuttings. Transplants suitable for transplantation are taken from the uterine vine. They appear on last year's plants transferred to a warm place. The grafts are transplanted into separate containers. They are covered with wet sand. In such soil kobeya takes root. With the arrival of stable warm weather, lianas are planted in open ground at the site. This method is less common, as many gardeners find it rather difficult to keep last year's kobe before the next warm season. She needs constant proper care.
Landing
A kobe flower, planted in the soil of a mini-greenhouse, requires a careful approach to each seed. In the package they are usually delivered 5 pcs. You can buy 2 bags of seeds to get seedlings for sure.
Seeds soaked in a growth promoter can be planted in the ground. They will germinate in about 2-2.5 weeks. The first seedlings should appear in the second week after the transplant of seeds into the ground. The place for the mini-greenhouse should be selected light and warm. Ambient temperature should not be less than 20º. The container with seeds must be covered with a plastic bag.
In order not to subsequently violate the integrity of the roots of the kobe, it is recommended that each seed be protected with a separate pot of foil. This helps to accelerate the growth period. Seeds should be covered with a layer of soil about 1.5 cm. They are brought into the ground with a flat side. This technology, proven by many gardeners, allows you to quickly and efficiently grow a liana even in our climate.
Transfer
Kobe flowers, planting and care for which require certain skills from the gardener, are easier to use using special growth stimulants. Otherwise, it will be difficult for the germ to break through the shell. When the first shoots appear, prepare a container for planting and soil. You can use plastic cups for this purpose.
Sprouts need to be abundantly watered. Then the foil is expanded. Escape with a lump of land must be carefully removed from the greenhouse soil. It is necessary to ensure that the roots are not damaged. This will significantly slow down the growth of creepers. Foil molds allow you to do this as accurately as possible.
The substrate for transplantation should be loose and light. It should contain a sufficient amount of nutrients. After transplanting, you need to give time to the sprouts for adaptation. Then you can begin to gradually harden the sprouts.
Seedling Care
After transplanting young shoots, proper care should be taken. The soil must be watered periodically (as it dries). It is recommended to ventilate the room in which containers with small vines are located. Open the window in the first few days for only 2-4 minutes. Then the interval increases gradually every day.
You can produce fertilizer with humate. During the growth of the flower in glasses, this procedure can be done no more than 2 times. Otherwise, the shoots will be too long. They will be difficult to transplant. Gardeners disagree on the issue of when to pinch a kobe flower. Some experts recommend performing this procedure before planting in open ground. Other gardeners do not pinch shoots at all.
You need to pinch the plant when its shoots do not develop densely. In this case, new stems up to 20 cm long are grafted before transplanting the plants into the open ground.
If the kobe is developing correctly, it will appear brown thin branches on the shoots. These antennae will look for something to cling to. However, it will be easy to remove them from the wall, from clothing or other objects. The antennae are strong enough, it is difficult to damage them.
Dive
What else are these curly flowers interesting for? Kobeya is a plant that should be dived when grown . Sprouts are recommended to be transplanted into a large container 3-4 weeks after germination. This will develop a powerful vine root system. The growth and development rate of the plant will depend on this. By the time of transplantation into the open ground, the kobe will be able to form strong shoots.
A large flower pot is required for transplanting. Its capacity should be about 3 liters. The soil must be nutritious. Before transplanting, the soil is watered and the plant with an earthen lump is moved to a pot. In a spacious container, a kobe will begin to actively develop. Liana needs to be tied with ropes so that she strives to grow up.
Before transplanting to the chosen place on the site, the kobei should be prepared for environmental conditions. For this, the plant is tempered. This process is conveniently carried out on the balcony. The first time a kobe is brought here for 15 minutes. Every day this interval increases. After a while, the pot can not be brought into the room.
Preparing for an open transplant
Flowers (kobeya purple or white, it doesn’t matter) can be planted in a summer cottage. Some gardeners decorate the balconies or loggias with curly stems of this tropical creeper. First you need to choose the right place to land.
The growing area should be well lit. There should not be drafts. Next you need to prepare the soil. It must contain nutrients and be loose. The site should not stagnate.
The soil should be dug up and leveled with a rake. The week before planting the kobe into the ground, you need to make holes. They should be at least 50 cm apart. The bottom of the holes is covered with peat and humus. Watering is carried out immediately before the transplant process.
The kobei that grows on the balcony should be untied and folded in a ring. By the time of transplantation, its height will reach approximately one meter.
Transplant to the ground
The kobe flower should be transported to the transplant site in a folded state. So damaging the vine will be harder. A plant in a pot must be well watered. Then it is taken out of the tank along with a lump of earth. Plants are planted at a distance of at least 50 cm from each other (up to 1 m).
A transplant hole is watered, and then a kobe is placed in it. They drip it with earth. Need to tamp the soil. Then the vine is watered again. A plant twisted by a ring must be carefully deployed. If it was tied with a cord, it should be cut with a knife.
A kobei is planted near the support. If it is not, you should put an artificial hedge. Otherwise, the liana will spread along the ground, entangle neighboring plants. The antennae must be lifted to the place reserved for it. A liana on an arch or hedge will look beautiful. It can also be a grid with large cells. The tenacious tendrils of kobei will immediately begin to be firmly fixed to the support intended for them.
The soil around the stem of the creeper mulch. To do this, sprinkle it with peat or sawdust. Proper care contributes to the speedy development of the plant, the appearance of a lush green carpet of leaves. The first buds in this case will appear very soon. Kobeya will decorate any landscape design.
Creeper care
Kobe flower requires proper care after transplantation. It is required to produce regular watering, top-dress and create supports, until the liana clings independently to the hedge or arch.
It is also required to regularly monitor the condition of the shoots, leaves and flowers of the kobe. It is susceptible to pest attacks. The most common disease of creepers is a spider mite. To prevent the appearance of this pest on the plant, the stems are treated with fungicides and insecticides. When the first signs of parasite attack appear, treatment should be performed. To do this, use a solution of green or laundry soap, infusion of garlic or onion peel. If this does not help, you should purchase special solutions.
Also, the plant can affect root rot. The cause of this adverse phenomenon may be improper care of the plant. Black spots appear on the leaves. If the soil does not have a good drainage system or the grower periodically floods the soil, the roots may begin to rot. In this case, the plant quickly loses strength, fades. To avoid this, it is necessary to water the plant as the soil dries. Pouring kobe is strongly not recommended. All affected leaves are removed. The soil near the vine should be loosened and dried. Then they pour the kobe with a special solution of fungicides.
In the dry season, the vine needs to be watered abundantly. If there is rainy weather outside the window, it is necessary to stop periodic watering before the soil dries. It is recommended to top up the soil once every 2 weeks. The first time this procedure is performed a week after transplantation. Until the kobe has released the buds, it is watered with nitrogen fertilizers. They contribute to the development of green mass of leaves.
When the first buds appear, top dressing is changed to phosphorus-potassium varieties. This will stimulate abundant flowering of large luxurious flowers. Organic and mineral fertilizers can be alternated during this period. The plant will look strong and healthy.
Gardeners recommendations
Kobeya climbing flower is considered a perennial plant. If the gardener does not want to plant it again with seeds next spring, he can keep it in greenhouse conditions. After the flowering of vines in October, the plant needs to be dug up. This is done very carefully so as not to damage the roots. Then it is transplanted into bulk containers.
Liana is set in a dark and cool place. The temperature in the room should not exceed 10º. It could be a dry cellar. Here the kobe will winter. Watering is done once a month. In this state, the vine does not require top dressing. In March, it can be taken out of the cellar and transferred to a warm room. Also, the plant will need a lot of light during this period.
Watering increase. After a while, the first leaves will appear on the shoots. During this period, attention is paid to nitrogen fertilizers. When the kobe begins to grow, you can take cuttings for transplantation. They are carefully cut from the vine. They take root by early June. Such a kobe will bloom faster. However, there will be more buds on a plant grown from seeds.
If the plant does not develop well, then it does not suit the growing conditions. Perhaps there is not enough light, moisture in the area, or, conversely, the gardener is watering the vine too often. The cause of this condition of the kobei should be identified. Many adverse factors can be eliminated.
Having considered what features a kobe flower has, each gardener will be able to independently grow a lush, beautiful vine with stunning, luxurious buds. She will decorate any site, pleased with the flowering of its owners almost to the frost.