Sowing Cosmos

[jojo2910]

Hi,

I am re-reading and re-reading Carol Klein's life in a cottage garden cos I love it. She has an entry in Feb whereby she sows her Cosmos seeds. This is my first year with flowers and I wondered if it is too early for me to try? Carol doesn't say how she sows them.

I was going to put them in a heated propogated in my unheated conservatory and then when they are showing put them out in the conservatory without heat. Is this a good plan? I could wait.

I could try and all I would lose is a few seeds I suppose. I may have answered my own question.

[Kristen]

Comos is a half-hardy annual (although I think II saw some perennial varieties in the garden centre the other day, but I've never grown them), I wouldn't be in too much of a rush (in the absence of a heated greenhouse and lots of mollycoddling)

Your heated propagator will help - germination at 20C, or maybe even 25C, will be best. But once pricked out after germination they will be happy at a cooler temperature - I aim for a minimum of 10C for tender plants as I like to keep them growing actively and prevent them "stalling".

[Gearoid]

You can leave sowing until late April/early May. They won't usually flower until July so there's not much point getting a head start and they grow very quickly anyway.

[zazen999]

I've sown my cornflowers and sweet peas, in an unheated greenhouse and both are up - and at the weekend I noticed that the poppies have started germinating.

Don't use a heated prop - they don't need it.

You could sow half now and half in about a month and you will hopefully hedge your bets. Sow into modules if you have them and you can transplant to where you want them once they are up. Or you could wait. Or sow in situ and just don't hoe them - they will germinate when ready. The choice is yours.

[Two_Sheds]

I don't sow anything direct unless I have squillions of seeds, because my slugs graze everything off at ground level

I have nigella in trays in the cold gh that came up in the autumn - these ones are for school so I potted them up. I have limnanthes and nemophila in abundance now and the cornflowers won't be far behind (all self sown)

Sunflowers, now they puzzle me. They are supposedly hardy, yet they don't appear until much later on and like my nasturtiums, they never survive a frost

As to cosmos, it grows in Mexico and apparently most seed is sourced from Africa, so I would guess that Feb is indeed too early to sow. Here's my word of the day (although I will have forgotten it again by tomorrow) - Photoperiodism

[winstonwobble]

bought some cosmos seeds today the packet says sow indoors feb/march but i think last year i did them in the greenhouse and they did ok didnt realise they were anualls though i pulled them all up never mind i bought a different sort for this year you live and learn lol

[Two_Sheds]

didnt realise they were anualls though i pulled them all up

how do you mean? You pulled them up before they set seed?

[jojo2910]

I have planted out my cosmos today. They include a variety called 'Antiquity'. The plants are about a foot high and already have flowers on them. Is this normal?

Ta very muchly in advance.

[Arthur Pounder]

I have planted out my cosmos today. They include a variety called 'Antiquity'. The plants are about a foot high and already have flowers on them. Is this normal?

Ta very muchly in advance.

All of my Cosmos have buds on now (apart from the self-seeded Cosmos forest in the front garden, which are so densely packed they are still only about 4" high) and there's nothing over 12" high.

I don't think I need to grow any more from seed, they have taken over.

[Ouya Mellsa]

All my cosmos are now in flower. Beautiful, but quite a lot of faffing about with tying to sticks