Learn how to grow dahlias? Choose the right variety, plant in full sun, water regularly, fertilize monthly, and provide support.
How to Grow Cosmos?
Cosmos are sun-loving plants with an extended flowering season. Cosmos fill borders with an abundance of colorful blooms from white through pink, red, and orange – not forgetting masses of feathery foliage! Shorter varieties also look good in containers and all cosmos make fabulous cut flowers! Not to mention pollinators enjoy them too! The simple open flowers will surely brighten any garden from spring until fall while providing pollinators a feast!
Where to Grow Cosmos?
Cosmos thrive when planted in moist yet well-drained soil in full sun. Deadheading to prolong flowering is encouraged and when lifted after frost has set in in autumn. Save seed from spent blooms for sowing during next year.
Cosmos flowers, native to Southern and Central America, require warm, sunny conditions when being planted in soil that can drain freely.
How to Plant Cosmos by Seedlings?
Sow cosmos seeds in early spring directly into the soil where you want them to grow or in small pots filled with free-draining seed compost, either directly into pots or modules filled with this mixture. When large enough for you to handle, transplant out in late April/May once any risk of frost has passed.
Care For Cosmos
Taller varieties may require staking; otherwise, all varieties should bloom for a prolonged period if deadheaded regularly and fertilized with liquid fertilizers. When deadheading, cut back to the first leaf beneath the flowerhead.
Perennial chocolate cosmos varieties require winter protection. Place them in pots until flowering has ended, then store them in a frost-free area until spring arrives.
How to Propagate Cosmos?
Starting by Collecting Seed from Cosmos Seedheads. When propagating cosmos, collect fresh seed from its seedheads for the next season or divide tubers when lifting plants for storage over winter. You can collect seeds from flowering cosmos plants or divide tubers of chocolate cosmos when lifting the plants for storage over winter months.
Problems with Cosmos:
Growing Cosmos Seedlings Its Cosmos seedlings tend to be relatively simple to cultivate, although you should remain wary of slugs and snails when transplanting young seedlings.
Varieties of Cosmos to Grow:
- Cosmos ‘Sonata White’ is a perfect companion plant to darker-flowered dahlias and chrysanthemums; with pale fluted petals like those found on seashells. Also, grow Cosmos ‘Sea Shells’ as its pale fluted petals act as an excellent contrast against their dark-flowered companions such as dahlias.
- Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Sonata White’ is an ideal compact cosmos variety suitable for growing in containers, producing masses of pure white single saucer-shaped flowers throughout summer.
- Additionally, there’s Cosmos bipinnatus ‘Fizzy Pink’ with strong colors from white to carmine that’s great for cutting or pot growing – this variety has vibrant blooms perfect for cutting.
- Cosmos ‘Gazebo Red‘ is a medium-sized bushy early bloomer variety of cosmos with large velvety red blooms that bloom early in spring.
- Cosmos atrosanguineus (Chocolate Cosmos) is a perennial plant native to Mexico with dark cocoa-colored flowers scented with vanilla and chocolate aromas. Growing from tubers instead of seed heads like other cosmos species, the chocolate cosmos should be treated like dahlias by moving indoors for overwintering or mulching heavily in autumn for best results.
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FAQs:
Q1. Why don’t my cosmos bloom with flowers?
They appear very tall and sturdy. If your cosmos plants are tall, strong, and bushy but without blooms, it could be because of overfeeding with nitrogen-based fertilizer or growing in soil that’s too fertile. This could result in foliage growing at the expense of flowers. Cosmos blossom best when planted in full sun in average garden soil that drains well. They won’t flower well when shaded; pinching out cosmos plants should increase blooming rates.
Q2. How can I eliminate my universe?
Pinch out cosmos seedlings when they have produced three sets of true leaves (fern-like) as this will encourage branching out and bushiness while increasing flower production.
Q3. Help! My Cosmos Are Droopy. How Can I Prick Them Out?
Not sowing cosmos too early or without enough light is key to avoiding leggy growth; but don’t fret if they already appear leggy. Just prick out and move them to larger containers, planting deeper than before, and pinch out their tops now for bushier growth!