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Cosmos Seeds

jr5689jr5689 Posts: 5
in Plants
Hi all,

Last year I grew a lot of cosmos seeds from pots which gave about 100 strong adult plants. At the end of the season I did not collect the seeds and I guess that some of these seeds fell into the soil. So should I expect any good number of new cosmos plants this year from mother nature or do I need to start again from scratch? 

Thanks...
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Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I've always found they sprout from fallen seeds. 
    The seed are cheap and easily germinated if you wanted the "belt and braces" approach.
    Devon.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I grow lots of cosmos too.
    They do self-seed, but for me, the self-seeded plants don't flower until around late August. They're good strong sturdy plants and I leave them, but I sow lots too so I get blooms from June onward

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    @Pete.8.......when do you start them, to get them to flower in June?
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I sowed them on 23 March and they were flowering in the modules by May before I could get them in the ground.
    I sow them in April now - makes life a lot easier

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • jr5689jr5689 Posts: 5
    Thanks for replies. I aim for early flowering so I guess I can't rely on self-seeding and will have to do the work myself  :)
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I've never had a cosmos self-seed and I plant new seeds in modules just after Easter.
  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    The GW site is recommending planting cosmos seeds now. Is there any benefit so early?
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Madness in my view.
    A few yrs ago I sowed on 23rd March and they were in flower in the modules in May while I was still waiting for the lasts frosts before planting out.
    I now sow mid-April

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Fire said:
    The GW site is recommending planting cosmos seeds now. Is there any benefit so early?
    I would only do it now if I had a large frost-free greenhouse to grow them on. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • BiddyBooBiddyBoo Posts: 1
    Fire said:
    The GW site is recommending planting cosmos seeds now. Is there any benefit so early?
    Think it depends where you are. I don't till later, but I'm 'Up North.'  :)
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