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Kufeya flower home care pruning and propagation. Description of the unusual garden plant "Kufei Kufei planting and care in the open

Kufeya is an evergreen shrub with unusual tubular flowers resembling lit cigars, for which it is also called the cigarette tree. Belongs to the Loosefly family, is of Mexican origin and the Greek name Kyphos, which translates as "crooked" or "bent".

The main habitat is Central and South America, where there are up to two hundred different subspecies of kufei. There are two main types of plants: annuals and perennials. The height of the stem can reach half a meter. The leaves are dark green and narrow. The flowers come in a variety of colors, but white, red, and purple are more common. Flowering lasts throughout the warm period. Lushly blooming kufeis are a delightful decoration for a home, balcony or garden.

Types of kufei grown at home and gardens, as well as their photos

Among all existing types of kufei, two are especially popular as garden and indoor plants: fiery red and hyssopolist.

- this species is often cultivated as a houseplant, also for decorating open flower beds. The flower of this species is sometimes bred in large containers that are placed in patios.

In appearance, it is a low compact bush with tubular flowers in the shape of a cigar. The corollas are painted bright red, against which there is a contrasting white spot. In the center of the bud is a purple pharynx.

Photo. Fiery Red Kufeya (Cupheaignea)

There are several cultural variations of fiery red kufay, which look like small neat bushes, the height of which does not exceed 30 cm:

Coan-corollas can be brick red and creamy white;
Dynamite - flowers of a rich red tone are formed quite early with the onset of the warm season.

The plant is native to Mexico and Guatemala. Differs in endurance, is not afraid of rainy or windy weather. Bushes do not exceed half a meter in height. The flowers are small, usually a large number of them appear at once, flowering continues throughout the summer. The color of flowers can be white, pink or lilac.

Photo. Kufeya hyssopolistnaya (Cupheahyssopifolia)

In open ground, kufeis are most often grown in warm climates. The plant can also be perfectly adapted as a border plant. For decoration, it is grown in pots, containers, which are placed in patios, balconies and loggias. The plant looks good in hanging planters, in which flowering stems gracefully hang down.

It is preferable to place the kufei in those places where during the midday heat there will be natural shading. It is also necessary to provide light, loose, but nutritious soil.

Place the kitchen where there is enough light.

If it is planned to transplant a plant from a room into open ground, you must first harden the seedlings. Transplanted only after the end of spring frosts, fertile soil is prepared. In the garden, choose a place that will be well lit during the day, in extreme cases, will have weak shading. Outdoor plant care will include regular weeding, pinching and pruning.

The main rule for caring for a kufei at home is protection from cold and drafts.

Caring for a kufei at home is generally not at all complicated. For growing in a room, annual plant species are most often used. Seeds are used for planting. The main rule for caring for indoor kufei is to protect the flower from cold and drafts, to ensure abundant watering.

Do I need a transplant after purchase

Kufeya can be purchased at special horticultural centers, where it is sold in the form of an already grown young plant. After the purchase, it is necessary to make a flower transplant. Often, on sold specimens, the root system is protected by a special bag. It is necessary for the ease of separation of the root system from the ground. However, it should be removed because the fabric will interfere with the water supply to the roots and cause rot. When transplanting, they do not use the method of transshipment of an earthen clod, but they clean the root system as much as possible from the transport substrate.

Pruning kufei

The growth of kufei usually occurs very quickly and the stems can reach their maximum height in a short period of time. In order for the plant to acquire a beautiful and well-groomed appearance, it is necessary to stimulate branching, while forming a neat crown. To do this, it is necessary to regularly pinch the tops of the shoots and do corrective pruning.

On fiery red kufei, it is enough to cut off overly elongated shoots, while the formation of hyssopolistic kufei will take more time, because. its strong branching allows you to create original geometric shapes, for example in the form of a pyramid or a ball.

On perennials, pruning begins in early spring. It must be done before the period of active vegetation and flowering. At the same time, shortening the stem by one third will help stimulate the growth of young shoots.

What kind of watering is needed

At home, kufei is very demanding on watering.

Most of all, kufei in home care requires regular abundant watering.. It is necessary that the soil is thoroughly saturated with water, which must always be inside the pot.

Watering regimen should be at least twice a week. For irrigation use water at room temperature. It is necessary to ensure that each subsequent watering is carried out after the top layer has dried.

Excessive moisture also does not benefit the plant, therefore, to avoid stagnant water, good drainage should be provided in advance. In winter, watering is somewhat reduced.

The flower is quite resistant to short-term drought. Kufeya is not very demanding on air humidity and there is no need to spray it often, but you can put it under a cool shower from time to time.

Landing and ground requirement

For proper care, where to grow kufei is of great importance. To prepare fertile and nutritious soil for the plant, you need to mix one part of the following types of land: leaf, peat, sod, humus, and half of the river sand. A general-purpose slightly acidic soil is also suitable.

For good growth and flowering, kufei requires top dressing. For her, organic types of fertilizers are most preferable. You can use complex mineral compositions.

Important! In the warm period, the plant is fed during daily watering, using 20 g of liquid fertilizer diluted in a bucket of water.

Also, the flower is useful spraying with a water-soluble complex fertilizer used for foliar feeding. During the flowering period, fertilizers for flowering plants are suitable.

Kufei is transplanted annually in the spring.

In the event that kufei is grown from seeds, an annual spring transplant will be required.. In this case, transplanting into flower pots is best done in a specially prepared soil mixture. It can be prepared in the following proportions:

sterilized soil - 50%;
neutral peat - 25%;
sand - 25%;
mineral fertilizers - 40g per bucket of earth.

When choosing a pot, the material from which it will be made does not matter much, but holes in the bottom are required. The size of each new pot is chosen 2-3 cm larger than the previous one. When the container reaches a size of 25 cm, transplantation can be done less frequently, once every two or three years.

cultivation

Cultivation of kufei both on the site and at home can be quite easy, the main thing is to follow all the rules for caring for it.

Kufei propagation methods (seeds, cuttings)

For breeding kufei, you can use seeds and cuttings. By the way, the very name of the flower from Greek is just connected with the curved shape of its seeds. They are curved greenish-brown discs up to 3 mm in diameter. As a rule, they germinate within 5-7 days. If they are placed too close to each other, they can stick together, because during germination they begin to release a sticky substance. You can put the seeds in small containers, cover with a bag, and place in a warm place. When they germinate, it will be possible to plant them in disposable cups, and after a while - in a permanent place.

Kufeya propagates well both by seeds and cuttings.

Seeds are sensitive to light. They do not need to be sprinkled with earth too much, they just need to be pressed into the soil a little, because. in the light they rise much faster. During the period of seed germination, a temperature of 20-22 degrees is required. When planting seedlings, containers must be placed under the sun. Planting young sprouts begin from the end of May.

When propagated by cuttings, they are cut obliquely from the tops of plants using a fairly sharp knife, and planted in the ground at the beginning of the spring period when the air warms up to 18 degrees. You can also root in a glass of water. Roots usually appear within a week.

The shape of the bush will be easier to create if two or three shoots are placed in one place at the same time. During the beginning of growth, new leaves appear on the handle, then the top is pinched.

Temperature and lighting requirement

Kufeya is quite thermophilic, it needs moderate air heating. In summer, the temperature should be 22-25 degrees, and in winter - not lower than 12-18. Too cold air can be detrimental to a flower.

For good vegetative development, the flower requires bright sunlight. It is best to grow kufei at home on the eastern, in extreme cases, on the western windows. Northern window sills are unfavorable for a plant whose flowering due to lack of light will be inferior, and the leaves will become dull.

Important! If the plant receives a sunburn, the leaves will suddenly turn red.

Diseases and pests

Spider mite is quite rare on kufei.

Among the most common signs of kufei diseases, several should be distinguished:

the appearance of dark spots on the leaves;
rotting stems;
root collar rot.

All these diseases are provoked by the appearance of fungi and gray rot.. To combat them, it is recommended to use fungicides. Yellowing leaves indicate a lack of iron, which in this case will need to be added to the feeding ration.

In rare cases, a spider mite or scale insect may appear.

A sign of a mite infestation is the appearance of a thin white cobweb on the leaves. In this case, at the first symptoms, the plant should be gently washed with a soft sponge dipped in soapy water. In the later stages, spraying with chemicals will be needed.

The appearance of scale insects on the leaves will be indicated by brown bulges - these are insect shells. In this case, you need to mechanically clean the pest with a brush with soapy water. You can also do the treatment with insecticides.

At the end of the autumn period, new flowers cease to appear on the kufei and the vegetative growth of the plant stops. This is a sign of the termination of the life cycle and if there is no desire to grow a flower in the future, you can throw it away. The faded plant can also be saved and after the winter period it will be possible to root the young shoots in a new substrate. In this case, flowering will begin even earlier than those grown from seeds.

The kufei plant belongs to the Derbennikov family. There are about 250 types of culture, and they live in warm, tropical and subtropical areas. Some go to the preparation of oil, others are honey-bearing, and still others are simply decorative. They decorate loggias and balconies, and seedlings in the open ground serve to decorate platforms and fences, paths and alpine slides. In nature, there are both annual and perennial shrubs.

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plant species

In European countries, planting is mainly represented by the following species:

1 hyssopolis kufeya. Evergreen shrub prevails in hot and humid countries. This species is most commonly found in Mexico. The height of the plant is not more than 0.6 m. In width, the shrub sometimes grows up to 0.9 m. The oblong leaves are more like a fern, and the branches are flat and porous. During the flowering period, small inflorescences appear: lilac, white and pink, which delight the eye throughout the summer. The plant prefers shade, but its flowering requires limited sunlight, since their excess can have a negative effect on seedlings. The leaves will get burnt, begin to fall off. The shrub itself will begin to wither. At home, a small tree can be grown from kufei, as the branches of the plant quickly harden and acquire the properties of wood. Due to the rapid growth of the shrub, bonsai can be obtained already in the first season. The culture is easily propagated by cuttings.
2 Fiery red kufei plant. The most popular type of planting for flowering in the home environment. It is characterized by flowers in the form of tubes of fiery red color with a corolla of white-blue tone. It's more of a semi-shrub. In open ground, it sometimes grows in length and width by 0.9 m. At home, the pot does not allow the plant to reach such sizes. Therefore, 0.5 m is the maximum planting height. The color of the leaves is fiery red, they are about 3 cm long. They themselves are oval, flowers appear from them. It has thin and fragile shoots. This species grows quickly and does not require special care. Propagated by seeds and cuttings.
3 Micropetal kufeya. The name comes from the oblong but very small leaves. This shrub can stretch up to 0.5 m. The color of the flower changes, due to periods of growth. When it appears, it is yellow-cream, with aging it becomes red-orange.
4 Lanceolate kufei. An annual plant, reaching a height of 0.9 m. The stems are purple in color, strongly lowered and sticky to the touch. The leaves are oblong, with a pointed tip, similar to a lancet. Hence the name of this species. The flowers are tube-shaped, dark purple. The stem is tall, purple. Interestingly, the two flowers at the top of the shrub are larger than the rest.
5 Kufei Lavei. It is a shrub that can grow up to 0.6 m in height. Characterized by elongated leaves covered with small hairs. The flower has only two petals at the top, elongated, usually bright scarlet in color.
6 Pale kufei shrub. This is an annual, small, graceful shrub with a dark lush crown of leaves. The flowers are small, wine-red. The plant looks great in flower beds, flowerpots and containers until frost. Planting is carried out by cuttings.
7 Prostrate kufeya. This is a low shrub, not higher than 40 cm. The branches spread along the ground. Lush dark green foliage. Flowering begins in mid-summer. The flowers are small and colorful. On the bush you can see lilac, white and purple inflorescences. Reproduction is carried out by seed, and the germination rate of this species is high.

reproduction

Kufeya is transplanted annually into fertile, fatty soil. Containers must have good drainage, allowing air permeability of the soil and an ideal outflow of water.

Kufeya can be propagated by seeds and cuttings.

1 Seed propagation. At home, in early spring, seeds are sown in a pre-prepared pallet with a substrate. This is where the initial breeding season will take place. Seeds are immersed shallowly. If the room is brightly lit, the pallet is covered with dark paper or film. As soon as sprouts appear, the tray is placed on the windowsill, where there is enough sunlight. When the first leaves appear, the sprouts can be seated in separate containers. The soil should be regularly moistened. After waiting for the time when the seedlings grow a little, you can distinguish strong and weak shoots. In separate pots, with bottom diameters of more than 11 cm, strong shoots are transplanted. And weak sprouts can be removed.
2 cuttings. The method is used to grow plants in open ground. The cut cutting is placed in water. Moreover, the cut itself should be oblique. A week later, the cutting will take root. After the cuttings with roots are well strengthened, they can be transferred and planted in open ground. In each well, 2-3 cuttings with a root system are placed.

Care of the kufei

Kufeya prefers moderate temperatures in summer. Therefore, seedlings must be taken out of the room. In winter, the plant needs coolness and will feel great at temperatures from 15 to 18 degrees and even lower. The house should have enough light, the culture needs direct sunlight. This means that windows facing east would be an ideal place. In the absence of such an opportunity, western windows will also do. But the north side is not at all a place for kufei.

The plant requires abundant watering, which is practiced twice a week. For these purposes, warm water is best suited. It is not recommended to water with rainwater, as it may contain dangerous impurities. But the plant does not need excess moisture and stagnant water. Therefore, drainage is necessary. In winter, you can water less frequently. Despite the fact that kufeya loves water, she is not afraid of temporary drought. The plantation is not demanding on air humidity and does not need regular spraying. Sometimes a light shower will replenish the flowers with the missing moisture.

All types of kufei love top dressing with organic fertilizers, but they also react well to complex mineral groups. During the warm period, from April to August, the plants are fertilized with each watering.

pruning

Kufeya grows very quickly. For a short period of time, it stretches to its maximum height. If you want to ennoble the flower, give it an elegant and well-groomed appearance, you need to properly prune and pinch the shoots. In the fiery red variety, the elongated shoots are simply cut off.

To cut the hyssopolis look, you need to work a little if you want to give the bush the shape of a ball or pyramid. Pruning is carried out in early spring, and finished before the growing season and flowering. For more successful growth, the stems need to be shortened by a third. Similar actions are carried out for pruning perennials.

Transplant after buying a flower

After purchasing a kufei in a flower shop, it must be transplanted. This is required by the fact that the root system of the bush is placed in a special woven bag, which must be removed. It will interfere with the roots, get food and water. The roots will rot and the culture will die.

Therefore, the root system is thoroughly cleaned from the store substrate and planted in the newly prepared soil. For its preparation, sterilized soil is combined, of which half of the total volume of new soil is taken, the fourth part is neutral peat, and the rest is sand. 40 g of mineral fertilizers diluted in a bucket of water are added.

Diseases and pests

Any flower, and kufei is no exception, can be attacked by pests. One of these insects is the aphid. To get rid of it, the plant is washed in the shower with cold water, and then treated with insecticidal preparations.

Small insects thrips deform and disfigure the leaves. Deal with them in the same way as with aphids.

If the air is dry, the culture can be beaten by a spider mite. To get rid of the pest, prepare a soap solution at the rate of: 20 g of green soap per liter of water. Chemicals are also used.

If the plant predominantly lives in a damp, dark place, its leaves can be sprinkled with powdery mildew, which is fought with chemicals.

The root system can be affected by a fungal disease or gray rot. Such a disease appears with improper care, excessive watering or stagnation of moisture in the soil. Spots appear on the leaves, gray or dark gray. Shoots and rhizome begin to rot. In this case, fungicides will help.

If the soil is deficient in iron, yellow leaves appear on the seedlings. It is necessary to include a microelement in top dressing.

If temperature changes, frost and heat occur during the growth of a plant, it can get sick and lose leaves. Negative factors should be eliminated and flower care should be improved. Maybe even transplant it.

In autumn, the flowers on the plant cease to appear, its growth stops, the life cycle ends. In order to give the plant a new life next year, young shoots must be placed in new soil and rooted there. In this case, the plant will give new flowers much earlier than if they were grown from seeds.

kufei belong to the family loosestrife. These are Mexican plants with a Greek name. The name, however, is quite prosaic. Kyphos translates as "bent, crooked". The fruits of the kufei are really slightly curved.

In Central and South America, there are up to 200 types of kufay. There are annuals among them, reaching almost a meter in height, there are undersized shrubs and shrubs. The latter are popular in Europe as container plants.

Especially appreciated kufeya fiery red (C. ignea, or C. platycentra), hyssopolis kufeya (C. hyssopifolia) And kufeya micropetal (C. micropetala). In our country, these species are more known to lovers of indoor plants.

Kufeya micropetal shrub 30-40 cm high, with small narrow leaves, very similar to hyssopolis kufeya . Small flowers appear one after another, but not in the axils of the leaves, but higher, above them. The flowers, that is, the calyx, are yellow, scarlet at the base, with a greenish throat, the stamens are red. There are six petals, but they are so tiny that they are not visible because of the teeth of the calyx, hence the name of the species. A lot of seeds are formed, but this plant is propagated mainly by cuttings.

Kufeis bloom from March, as soon as the sun begins to shine brighter, and until October, when its light fades. Kufei bushes grow quite quickly, they need to be pinched, trimmed and transplanted regularly, otherwise the decorative effect of plants is significantly reduced. Abroad, this feature is successfully used by planting kufeis for the summer in large outdoor vases and concrete containers, along with various flyers.

annual species cuphea at home they are grown to produce seeds - a source of fatty acids, including laurel, which is indispensable in the production of shampoos. And as decorative, these plants are little known, and only in recent decades have breeders seriously taken up them.

Almost all species have flowers with six unequal petals - the top two are much larger than the other four. And those who like the riot of colors and large flowers are unlikely to see anything remarkable in them. Modest kufei - for lovers of the exotic and meditation. Or for owners of cats and dogs: an unceremonious pet cannot get through a bed with tall kufeis - they are unlikely to like numerous sticky shoots.

In Arizona, in the eighties of the last century, a lot of work began on obtaining valuable decorative interspecific hybrids - scientists crossed different types of kufei. But the novelties have not yet reached Europe.

Photophilous, prefers bright lighting, but tolerates partial shade.

It is thermophilic, the optimum temperature in summer is 20-25 ° C, in winter 12-18 ° C (for indoor culture).

Watering is plentiful in summer, moderate in winter, drying out of the soil is undesirable.

Annual pruning in spring.

It is practically not susceptible to diseases and pests, the appearance of a spider mite is possible in dry air.

Kufeya hyssopolis - shrub 35-50 cm tall, with narrow small leaves. Young shoots are "strewn" with pink, lilac or white star-flowers. The flowers are small, about 1 cm wide, with a yellowish tubular calyx and six identical petals - this is also atypical for kufei. The flowers are sterile, so there are no seeds.

This kufeya will delight lovers of dwarf trees. Its shoots at the bottom become woody, and it quickly turns into a small tree.

Pinch and prune the tops of the shoots in time to form a neat, compact, profusely flowering plant. And once every three years, it is desirable to divide the overgrown bush.

The plant reacts to unfavorable conditions (draught, frost, prolonged drying of the soil, cramped pot) by dropping leaves. In this case, you need to cut dry shoots about half the height of the plant, remove the kufei from the draft and transplant. Perhaps in 2-3 weeks new leaves will appear.

Kufei hyssopolous is propagated by cuttings. Roots form easily even in water. It is only important that the stalk is green and ripe. Its length is from 5 to 12 cm. You should carefully pinch off all the leaves from the bottom of the cutting so that they do not rot, put it in a vessel with water or root it in sand. When transplanting, you can also separate the root shoots.

Photophilous, prefers bright lighting, but tolerates partial shade.

It is thermophilic, the optimum temperature in summer is 20-25 ° C, in winter 12-18 ° C (for indoor culture).

Watering is plentiful in summer, moderate in winter, drying out of the soil is undesirable.

The genus of evergreen perennial and annual shrubs and herbaceous plants belongs to the Loosefly family (Lythraceae). The name comes from the Greek word kyphos - a bend, for an outgrowth at the base of the calyx of a flower, giving it a curved shape. The genus includes more than 250 species, but in indoor floriculture, mainly three perennial species are grown - fiery red Kufei, hyssopolist and micropetal. The remaining species are cultivated in open ground.

Kufeya is a low shrub with well-branched, erect, densely leafy shoots. The leaves are bright green, small, lanceolate, sitting on short petioles. Flowering in spring and summer is very lush and long.

The shape of the tubular flowers is interesting - long and narrow, they resemble cigarettes with a smoldering end. This evolutionary adaptation is necessary for "cooperation" with hummingbirds, which pollinate flowers and can reach the nectar with their thin, curved beak. In indoor cultivation, wilted flowers should be removed in a timely manner.

Some species are of industrial importance, they are grown to obtain oil from seeds.

It is believed that the presence of Kufei in the room sets in a benevolent mood and contributes to a better understanding between people. Therefore, it is recommended to place pots in living rooms and offices.

cultivation

Young plants need an annual transplant, adults transfer to a new pot less often - once every two to three years. At the same time, the containers are selected quite spacious. The drainage layer should be at least 3-4 cm.

Diseases and pests

Powdery mildew, spider mites, gray rot.

reproduction

Seeds, cuttings.

First steps after purchase

The plant is rarely attacked by pests, but with improper care it can be affected by mold. Therefore, it makes sense to carefully examine the stems, especially at the roots, in order to select a healthy and strong specimen.

After planting, Kufei is kept in a shady place for two or three days and is not watered. During this time, she manages to adapt to new conditions.

Success Secrets

The plant is very photophilous, even a certain amount of direct sunlight is allowed. In summer, a tub with Kufei can be placed on a balcony or an open veranda, in a place protected from drafts. In winter, the temperature should not fall below + 10 ° C.

Watering is needed plentiful, once every three to four days. In summer, the soil should always be moist; in winter, the plant is watered as the top layer dries. However, stagnant water is unacceptable. Fertilizers during flowering are added to the water for irrigation, once every two weeks. Regular spraying is also useful, especially if it is not possible to place Kufei away from heating appliances.