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Collapsing Cosmos
keepitlive
Posts: 102
I have 3 pots, each planted with Cosmos, Begonia and trailing Petunias. They have been flowering their heads off since June, but over the last week or so, the Cosmos have started to look very tired. The colour of the foliage goes pale, with small white flecks or bands, then the lower foliage starts turning brown and crisp.
The other plants still look fine. The pots have been watered regularly for the most part (daily in the very hot weather, every 3 days otherwise) and fed weekly with tomato food. "The most part" could be the problem - on a couple of occasions during the hot weather, the daily watering was missed.
What is the most likely cause of this decline?
Thanks
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Cold nights, shorter days: Autumn
Thanks Fleurisa, I always like to ignore the obvious
. The thing is, I remember reading somewhere that Cosmos flowered through October.
The way to get then to flower until autumn is to not let them flower til august, it was probably me that said it. I like them to grow to about six ft or more then flower at the back of the border.
Time for the compost bin for yours and get your spring bulbs in.
Have you dead headed every other day. At the moment mine are desperately trying to produce seed. Any that have produced seed are now dying off.
I dead head as much as poss, been a bit difficult at the moment with family, but, yes, thats the way to keep them going. Once they produce seed they think their job is done and they will start to die. They like rough ground and not much feed because that will bring them up to quickly,
Oh dear! I saw the heading 'Collapsing Cosmos' after listening to Brian Cox talking about physics on the radio and instantly thought you were telling us about THE Cosmos
What a relief it's the flower
I have had them last till November but they start to look weird in the dull light so I pull them out
It's a tough call to decide that it's time to pull the cosmos out. The thought of bare soil and empty pots is a tad depressing......but only for 5 minutes because there's always something else to plant....even if it is boring bulbs because they won't be boring for long!
Lyn, fidgetbones, ginagibbs - thanks for your help. Artjak - Brilliant!
I have been deadheading regularly, sometimes every day and I'll be glad to say goodbye to that particular job for a while.