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Chocolate Cosmos - how to care for
Rob Lockwood
Posts: 380
in Plants
I've bought a couple of these (potted) and it seems they need some special care, so any advice appreciated - !
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Hi Rob. I have one of these - now 3 years old and looking healthy as ever. I treat it like a dahlia. Its in a large pot which gets moved into my cold greenhouse during the winter and I allow the compost to dry out. I begin watering in Spring and it just reappears without too much bother at all.
Hi Rob,
They are half-hardy perennials so will need protection to try and keep them for next year.
In autumn after the foliage has died back reduce the stems to within 5cm (2in) of the roots. Lay in a tray of soil or compost and over-winter in a frost-free environment until early spring.
A single bee creates just one twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime
Thank both - obviously late-birds like me! Will consider your advice carefully tomorrow and may have some questions!
Last edited: 21 June 2016 00:00:30
Ladybird4 - if you're still reading(!), do you do anything to provide against frost risk as noted by Bee witched - bubble wrap round the pot / fleece etc?!
Next questions:
1. Pot size - I've had very little success digging up dahlia tubers in the past, so will likely grow the cosmos in a pot - can anyone give an indication as to size - as in, how long / deep / large do the tubers get, and how much space is needed for the wiry/hairy root things to keep the plant thriving? I'd rather use a smaller pot if possible as I may want to stick it on a stand.
2. Deadheading - obviously the blooms are on long stems - do I deadhead at the base of the stem or just whip the seedhead off?
Hi Rob. As the plant is in the pot inside the greenhouse, up to now I haven't used any form of protection. The soil and plant act as insulation. My greenhouse does have a heater on a frost free setting (i.e. it comes on when the temperature drops below a certain point and all it does is blow cold air around the greenhouse) this keeps the interior of the greenhouse frost free. I never have dug it out of the pot, I just remove some of the old compost and add new each season. I remove each complete flower stem down to base when it has faded. My pot is 12 inch diameter but I only have the one Cosmos in it.