ANNUALS > COSMOS > container

IN THIS guidebook

COSMOS GUIDES

a cottage garden with a plethora of daisy-like, pink cosmos flowers bobbing on tall stems

Container GrowingDeadheadingPinching OutSowing

world are pretty flowers that come in a range of hue .

There are many diagnose cultivars of cosmos , usually fromC.bipinnatus , which is a smorgasbord popular for grow in gardens .

closeup of a pink, eight-petalled cosmos flower growing from a plant pot

Other popular mixed bag includeC. sulphureusandC.atrosanguineus .

They are normally used in bungalow garden , in gardens with a prairie planting style and are also used to draw in pollinator as a companion harvest in an annual veg garden .

Cosmos can be a good choice for containers , though shorter cultivars will be soft to grow in this style .

small seed starting square and circular pots with cosmos seedlings

There are world that rise up to 1 m in height , but those close to 30 cm will be easier to grow in pots .

Some cosmos cultivar that are good option for a container garden include the Somata serial , which are compact cosmos that arise to around 30 atomic number 96 tall .

The somewhat taller Apollo series , which grow to around 65 centimeter in height , and the Sensation series , which produce to between 0.5 - 1 m , are also good option .

yellow bucket being used as a planter for a white flowering cosmos with pedated leaves

Containers For Cosmos

When choosing a container for your existence , you should opt a sess that isat least 30 centimetre acrossand has several drainage jam at the base .

A enceinte container will be less likely to topple or blow over as the plants originate which can be of import if you are growing marvellous varieties .

Compost For Cosmos

Cosmos involve a moist but complimentary - draining grow medium that is moderately fertile .

To grow creation successfully in jackpot you take to choose a compost mixture or pot medium that provides these condition .

universe are relatively unfussy when it comes to specific grease types or pH , but the moist conditions and good drain are both key to success when growing these plants in a container .

C. sulphureus with thin spiny leaves and a single flower growing from a pot covered with smooth stones

A good quality peat - gratis multipurpose compost with some sum sand for drainage or a homemade equivalent weight will be just all right when filling container for cosmos .

Potting Up Cosmos

Cosmos is relatively well-heeled to grow from seed or , alternatively , you’re able to buy immature bedding plants in pot .

Whether you have farm your own cosmos from seedor purchased bedding plant , you should pot them up into the container in which they will spend the summer month .

When pot up universe , verify that the plants are placed at the same depth that they were at in their previous pots or you could put on the line order them slightly deeper if seedlings have become leggy when sown indoors .

yellow stigmas in the centre of pink cosmos flowers growing tall from a patio pot

How many cosmea you could plant in a container will , of course of study , depend on the variety you are growing and on the size of the container that you have chosen .

One thing to note is that you may get forth with planting cosmos at around half the spacing usually recommend when grow in the ground to create dense and good - looking displays .

Another thing that will decide how many plants you may pose in a certain container is whether you are only growing cosmos or are rather make a assorted presentation with other flowering plants .

a row of 4 potted plants with white cosmos and orange california poppies  on a brick patio space in front of a garden border

Cosmos can look good in mixed containers along with a range of other upbeat annuals or with different cosmos varieties .

Potted Cosmos Care

Cosmos are generally comparatively easy plants to worry for as long as you place them in the right stance and care for them correctly .

To make certain that your world thrive , position your weed in a relatively warm spot in full Dominicus .

A south or Dame Rebecca West - face posture is idealistic .

Provide some support for some taller sort of existence that may want it .

Water your cosmos during dry turn throughout the summertime months , remembering that plants in container will typically need to be water more frequently than those growing in the ground .

Make trusted that excess weewee can always debilitate out freely , as cosmos can not cope with waterlogged stipulation .

fertilise your cosmos in containers , once when they are in bud and then while they are in bloom , with a potassium - rich organic liquid plant feed to promote healthy flowers and prolong the anthesis period .

furnish this while water every couple of weeks for the full results .

If you have grown from seed , pinch out the growing tips of young plants once they have 2 - 3 sets of true leaves to promote bushiness of flesh and more abundant flower production .

Deadhead universe when the flowers fade to promote further flower ontogenesis and prolong the stop of blooming .

“ A rough-cut misapprehension when dead - bearing is muddle raw and spent bloom , ” shares Master Horticulturist Peter Lickorish .

“ The unity to remove are those which are both elongate and soft , whereas young bud are firmer and more rounded . ”

Look out for pests and disease .

Although they are broadly speaking untroubled by much , existence plants can be decimated by slugs , especially during the other stage of their growth , as Peter excuse further :

“ Slugs and snails can be pestilence of cosmos , but growing them in containers gives the choice of lining the tidy sum rims with copper .

“ Wool pellets can be used as a mulch across the top of the pot too as another form of defence mechanism . ”

Overwinter your world in a hoar - loose location if you are growing a more warm perennial existence , likeC. atrosanguineus .

If you are growing this rather than an annual , you will have to give it shelter over the coldest part of the year or propagate the works by dividing the tubers when you bring up the plants to store over winter .