With their brightly colored daisy - corresponding blossom and gentle care nature , cosmea are a must for any flower garden . These hardy annual thrive when direct sow right on into garden bed and will remain flower all time of year long up until hoarfrost . Their versatility also makes cosmos ideal as precious container plant life or as gorgeous gash flowers for posy . Read on to learn the Hoosier State and out of successfully grow cosmos in your garden beds for maximum delectation .
Benefits of Cosmos Grown in Beds
There are several advantage to incorporate world into flower beds in your yard or garden :
Provide uninterrupted colouring material from early summer into pin with their long blooming time efflorescence just keep coming once they pop !
draw pollinators like bees butterflies and hummingbird to your garden . Cosmos are a great nectar source .
They come in many heights and color to fit any garden design need . Pick dwarf , mid - size , or tall varieties .
Extremely low maintenance and tough . Cosmos tolerate heat , drouth , misfortunate territory , and still boom .
Can be used as pretty cut flowers for cause your own unfermented posy to show off inside .
Self - sow promptly and may come back class after yr with no crusade on your part .
Add vertical stake along fences , trellises , and backdrops when allowed to grow tall .
Planning Your Cosmos Bed
Proper planning and formulation is cardinal to winner when grow cosmos . Here are some tips :
Sunlight – Select a spot that receives full sun for at least 6 minute per day . Cosmos love the sun .
Soil – They thrive in average soil and even poor soils , but drain is authoritative . meliorate dense territory with compost .
Spacing – Allow 10 - 12 inches between gnome varieties . Give taller cosmos 18 - 24 inches of room to disseminate out .
financial backing – Add stakes , trellises or cages for the taller cosmos variety to mount up and prevent flop over .
When to Plant Cosmos
cosmea can be planted in spring or crepuscule :
Spring – Direct sow seeds into seam once all prospect of frost has excrete . This is the most usual planting time .
Fall – To get a head start on next year ’s prime , sow seeds in declension after the first few light Frost . This wintertime - sows them .
Either way , just check that to waitress until dirt temperature warm to at least 60 - 65 ° atomic number 9 before planting cosmos seed . Cooler soil will hinder sprouting .
How to Plant Cosmos in Garden Beds
Prepare bed by graze suave , removing weeds / debris , and work in compost .
Sow seeds by scattering and press lightly into soil . Cover smaller seeded player with 1/4 column inch of all right soil or compost .
Water lightly to dampen soil after found . Mist at times until sprouts appear .
sparse untried seedlings to right spacing distances once the first true farewell appear .
water system when top in of soil becomes juiceless . Avoid overhead lacrimation .
Apply 1 - 2 in of mulch around plants to retain moisture and reduce weeds .
And that ’s it ! macrocosm are such an unfussy cinch to grow from seed . Now it ’s just a waiting game for the vivacious flowers to start blooming in about 8 - 10 weeks .
Growing and Caring for Cosmos All Season
Here are some tip for tend to your cosmos seam over the course of the growing time of year :
filch or cut back plant by 1/3 their height when untried to encourage bushier growth .
Stake / cage tall plants while still unseasoned to prevent toppling from pelting or hint later on .
Deadhead spend blooms on a regular basis by vellicate off to keep up inflorescence .
Provide 1 column inch of water per week if rain is deficient . piddle at soil level .
Weed carefully around plants when young and supply 2 - 3 column inch of fresh mulch midseason .
Fertilize very softly , if at all . Too much nitrogen leads to foliation over flowers .
In very hot climates , cosmos may appreciate a loony toons of afternoon shade .
Harvesting Cosmos
Harvest blooms for arrangements by cutting stems when flowers are partially unfastened .
apply clean , sharp pruners / shears to cut each shank at an slant .
cutting stems longer than demand , then pare to size of it for arrange .
murder any leaves that would sit below the water blood line in the vase .
Refresh water every 2 - 3 daylight and recut stem ends to prolong vase life-time .
peak : Pick cosmos efflorescence ofttimes to advance more blush !
Design Tips for Planting Cosmos
With their diverseness of colors and plant heights , cosmos offer tons of possibilities when it come to garden design . Here are some ideas :
habituate the nanus varieties like Sonata Mix in containers on patios and in herb garden
countenance taller cosmos grow against fences and trellises or at the back of bed and borders
Underplant cosmos with shade buff like impatiens or flame nettle that partake in the same watering needs
Combine individual gloss cosmos en masse for gamy optical impact
countenance cosmos reseed and enjoy watching where they pop up each year
Pair cosmos with other pollinator - friendly industrial plant like zinnias , marigolds , sage
Mix and match cosmos hues for a vivacious rainbow flower garden
Overwintering Cosmos
While technically tender annuals , world readily self - sow under the right stipulation and may return on their own class after twelvemonth :
Allow spent heyday to go to semen at the end of the season . Seeds will drop to the grunge .
Leave dry flower stalks standing over wintertime to aid mark where seeds fell .
Once temperatures cool down below freezing , cut back and pull dead stalks .
Cosmos seeds postulate a cold period to break dormancy and shoot in spring .
novel sprouts should come forth on their own the following growing time of year !
Growing cosmos from semen sown instantly into your garden beds could n’t get much easier . With proper internet site selection , timing , and worry , you ’ll be reward with vivacious , delicate - depend flowers from midsummer into fall . Cosmos wreak life and ravisher to any garden space with minimum fuss required .
Cosmos timelapse! Seed to full bloom – 4 months in 2 mins. See description for dates/details
FAQ
Are cosmos expert for vegetable garden ?
Where should cosmos be planted in the garden ?
Can you set cosmos next to tomato plant ?
Can you plant cosmos in the garden ?
How do you apply Cosmos in a garden ?
Versatile : Cosmos can be used in a mixture of direction , from sum up color to a mixed edge or flower bed to filling in gap in a garden to allow for a backdrop for other plants . Long - live on blooms : The efflorescence typically bloom from summer to fall , providing a long - lasting source of colour and pastime in the garden .
Are Cosmos annuals ?
- Cosmos * * are indeed * * yearly * * , which means they complete their animation cps within a single year .
Can you grow Cosmos in a shorten flower bed ?
Pair creation with three or four other leisurely - to - grow annuals in a cut blossom bottom and revel hebdomad of freshly cut heyday right from your own garden . anchorperson the cutting garden with multiple variety show of cosmos . You may also want to include other annuals like zinnias , sunflowers , larkspur , bell of Ireland , and bachelor ’s buttons .
Are Cosmos good for a vegetable garden ?
In the veg garden , cosmos make worthful insectary plants to pull in beneficial insect such as bee , predatory wasps , and hoverflies – and they can be grow as fellow works among vegetable crops such as artichoke , wampum , or kale .
