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Cosmos query

AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
in Plants
I have 5 pots of cosmos "Sonata mix". 2 of them are flowering away, but the other 3 have lots of healthy growth but no flowers. They were grown on from plugs, planted at the same time in the same compost. With talk of a hosepipe ban, l don't want to waste water if they are not going to flower. Does anyone have any advice please ? Many thanks. 
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  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    There was a widespread issue with cosmos last year.
    They did flower eventually. It depends whether you've got the patience to wait and when you get the first frost.
    My white ones are the same as yours this year. Some with buds and some with lush foliage. I'm just leaving them in the ground. They'll flower when it suits them :/
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Thanks @B3, it's a dilemma ! I think l will leave them for now, and see how fed up l get when I'm lugging watering cans around.  :/
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    Last year all my cosmos grown from seed were fantastic, some 4 feet high, exactly the same plants this year, same seed packets (still in date) same compost, some have only just flowered, they are very small this year, some of the taller ones havnt flowered yet.(I cheated and bought some tall ones at a garden open for the local Hospital!)
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    edited July 2018
    Wierd isn't it?  There is talk of temperatures in the low 30s, so they'd better start flowering soon ! If not, it's off to the compost bin, and a couple of things less to water.
  • stewyfizzstewyfizz Posts: 161
    They will flower eventually. I am the same. Have some in bloom and others that are masses of foliage. They will flower well in to Autumn hopefully.
    Gardening. The cause of, and solution to, all of my problems.
  • Valley GardenerValley Gardener Posts: 2,851
    Me too,very lush foliage,lots of buds,but these were grown by me from seed,however I did buy some from a GC,and they are half the size,but flowering like mad.
    The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    edited July 2018
    Last year I planted mine late into manure and the plants grew over six feet. They didn't flower until Sept but, by God, we got an amazing autumn display through Oct and Nov, until the deep frosts - not the first frosts, either. It wasn't at all the plan, but they lit up the garden up when most other things had gone over.

    Someone said recently on the forum that Monty never waters his cosmos once planted up. Cosmos is native to Mexico sub-desert, so it might be fine without watering (if in the ground). I can imagine it being a very efficient plant. I've been watering mine, but if we go onto a ban, I wouldn't be worrying about my cosmos much.
  • RaspberryKillerRaspberryKiller Posts: 156


    My red/pink ones have been in constant flower for the past month... Loads more buds opening up, too.

    My white ones, less so. Oddly, they seem to go from being OK to a little bit droopy from day to day and I can't work out why?  :#
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    Some of mine have just started flowering, more are just bushy for the moment.  I've found the same as Nanny above, much smaller plants than last year.
  • hogweedhogweed Posts: 4,053
    All of my cosmos are rubbish this year - Xantos, Purity and Cranberry. Small and very few blooms.
    'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
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