A great plant for borders or as dot plants. These plants will grow to approx 3 feet in height and will change in colour from green to red as the season ends.
Growing Instructions for Burning Bush Kochia:
The seeds of the kochia require no special treatment prior to planting. They are tough seeds with a rough triangular appearance. Left to its own devices, the plant naturally spreads its seeds each year when the plant dries, breaks away from its root system and the wind carries it. As the plant is carried across the ground via the wind, the flat, grayish-black seeds are strewn across the soil’s surface and readily take hold in the dirt to germinate the following spring.
In the spring, the field where the kochia seeds will be planted should be prepared. Kochia seeds can be broadcast across the field at a ratio of one to four pounds per acre. The seeds can also be planted via the drilling method. Create 36 inch rows across the acre. Plant 1 pound of seed in the row using a standard drill at a depth of 1/4 of an inch below the soil’s surface. Avoid planting the kochia seeds too deep. When planted below 3/4 of an inch of soil the seeds will often not emerge at all or the growth rate is poor.
Once the seeds have emerged from the soil, its advisable that the plants be thinned to promote vigorous plant growth. Ideally the seedlings should be thinned to two to ten plants for every square foot of ground.
Highlights:
Botanical Name: Bassia scoparia f. trichophylla
Common Name: Burning Bush Kochia
Plant Type: Grass plant
Life Cycle: Annual
Sun Exposure: Full Sun
Soil Type: Chalky, Loamy, Sandy
Soil PH: Neutral
Rate of growth: Beginner
