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FAQs
What are Cosmos?
Cosmos bipinnatus AKA Mexican Aster
- Uses: Annual bedding & wonderful cutting flower
- Plain and variegated pastel colours in white, pink & yellow
- Flowering: May to September,
- Position: Full sun with decent, moisture retentive soil
- Growth: Up to 90cm
- RHS Plants for Pollinators
Plant so that the top of the plug is 1-2cm below the surrounding soil level, which will help to stop it drying out.
Space plants 25-35cm (8-14") apart: wider spacing will encourage sturdier, more wind-resistant stems.
In windy, exposed locations, a bed of cosmos benefits from a horizontal netting support stretched over them at about 30-40cm above the ground (or even two nets, one at 30cm and another at 60cm). It looks bad when you install it, but the Cosmos quickly grow through and hide the netting.
A small quantity of plants could be staked individually with bamboo canes.
Cosmos like a well-worked bed with nothing special added, only a bit of compost, as they flower best on averagely fertile soil; rich soil will produce more leaves than flowers.
They need a lot of sun, and although fairly drought tolerant they still need water in dry spells to grow and to flower.
To help them bush out and produce as many flowers as possible, the tips should be pinched out when they are about 20-30cm tall.
Cut or deadhead the flowers promptly to extend the flowering period.
To maximise flower size and colour, feed lightly with a high potash and phosphate fertiliser during the growing season.
Our Cosmos are sown under cover in early spring, into extra large & deep 6cm x 4cm plugs to allow a bigger rootball than is generally available.
• Cosmos are available as single plugs, but buying in packs of four gives you better quantity discounts.
Delivery is when the plants are ready and the weather permits, generally from the beginning of May onwards. We email you when your order is placed with an expected timeframe.
We grow our plants from the best quality seed, in peat-free compost with a slow release fertiliser.