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Cosmos

sandraanddavesandraanddave Posts: 4
in Problem solving
The free packet of Cosmos seeds grew strong healthy looking plants but none of them have flowers. Can anyone tell me why? 
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Posts

  • WallflowerBryWallflowerBry Posts: 81
    They do take a long time to flower. Our seeds were planted around two months ago and the plants are now around five feet tall and the first flower buds are just about ready to open.  I will make a note to start them off in February or March next year. I do love their foliage though. It is a great addition to the border in itself een without the flowers.
  • gondorgondor Posts: 135
    edited July 2021
    I am also disappointed with my cosmos from seed. Pinched out the top and it didn't "bush out", it just grew 2 flowers from the top bit. One of which has been deadheaded, so maybe it'll bush out when I deadhead the 2nd one. Although someone might be along to tell me I've done it all wrong and should have cut the plant in half right down to the first pair of leaves from the base.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited July 2021
    The answer's in the soil, to coin a phrase.  I put the best of mine in what I thought was the best position.   I bunged the rest wherever there was a space. The bunged are lush and healthy and will flower - eventually. Even the ones in partial shade.The favoured ones have flowered a bit but look scrawny.
    Mine were a free packet of purity.

    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,313
    Nor mine ,I blame the weather
  • Butterfly66Butterfly66 Posts: 970
    Same here 🙁
    Ours are usually 4ft tall and full of flowers by now. This year the tallest is maybe 18” and only one flower open and very few buds. They don’t seem to have grown at all since planted out. Similar story with our sunflowers.

    I haven’t done anything differently so can only assume it’s the weather
     If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.”—Marcus Tullius Cicero
    East facing, top of a hill clay-loam, cultivated for centuries (7 years by me). Birmingham
  • sandraanddavesandraanddave Posts: 4
    Thank you all for your comments. I will put it down to the weather then.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    It's the main reason seed sowing is often very hit and miss here. Climate is more difficult, so the timing is too, and whatever happens afterwards, if germination goes well, depends on how favourable the weather is.  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • barry islandbarry island Posts: 1,847
    I sowed Cosmos into seed tray April 14th, pricked them out into 3 inch pots May 10th, sowed more Cosmos from packet in magazine May 13th, planted Cosmos into garden June 12th, now flowering and full of buds.
  • Valley GardenerValley Gardener Posts: 2,851
    Ive grown Cosmos "Klondyke" this year,I wanted to avoid pink. Not only are the flowers the size of Geums,but the foliage is totally different from the White ones,which are ferny foliaged. I expected the big saucer type flowers,but very disappointed.
    The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
  • borgadrborgadr Posts: 718
    I sowed last year's free ones from GW ("Purity") this spring. They stayed in the greenhouse til mid May, then went into the ground late May, in a really sunny, well-drained spot.
    I'm really happy with them. I did pinch the tops out when they got to about 10" tall, and lockdown gives me the time to deadhead them daily.

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