Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Cosmos Conundrum

OK... so last year I tried planting garden cosmos for the first time. Lots of people in my neighborhood grow them - they're so pretty and they bloom all summer long.


So I started some from seed and transplanted them... and, well, they did OK, but not great.


The main problem was that they just didn't form many flowers, and they didn't bloom until September.

I figured that perhaps I just got them in too late, so this year I scattered a bunch of seeds early in the spring. Now we had TONS of rain this spring, so I know they got plenty of water, but most just didn't sprout. Finally a few plants sprouted, but once again, they grew really slow and produced no flowers.

This one STILL has no flowers, though it does finally have one tiny bud.


So here we are in November, and one plant is finally starting to bloom.


Still... it's pretty pitiful! But here's the thing. The plant itself is lush and green with big "branches" instead of the tall spindly stems that most cosmos flowers have. It's like all of the energy went into the plant and none into the flowers.

It can't be the climate because my neighbors have cosmos that have been blooming since June with TONS of flowers. I've read that if you fertilize them or water them too much, or if they don't get enough sun they can fail to bloom... but I didn't fertilize at all, they're in full sun, and I honestly didn't water at all most of the summer.

So I'm just flummoxed!


Anybody have any experience growing garden cosmos? I'd be grateful for any advice that anyone might have!

15 comments :

  1. I grew them for a few years and they just kept reseeding themselves. I didn't do much, so I don't really have any advice.

    Did you use seeds from the first plants the second year or were they new seeds?

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    1. I used a combination, but only a small fraction of what I spread actually sprouted, so I'm not sure which ones did. But I'm starting to think it might be the seeds - I read today that when they reseed they can sometimes "degenerate" into a variety that won't bloom until the days get shorter in the fall, and also that if the seeds are a few years old (which the packet was) you can get problems with them blooming.

      Anyhow, I think I'll start with a fresh pack of seeds next year and see if I do any better!

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  2. You might also have too much nitrogen in your soil, which makes the plants grow all bushy and green but not flower: http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/cosmos/fertilize-cosmos-flowers.htm
    (I've never grown cosmos, but there was something in my brain that said 'nutrient imbalance' so I googled...)

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    Replies
    1. I read that too... but I have NEVER fertilized or amended the soil at all in this area so I'm not sure how there could possibly be too much nitrogen. But I suppose anything is possible!

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    2. Maybe dog/cat/human pee?

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    3. Ha! I must admit that possibility never occurred to me. Hmm... I wonder who's peeing in my front yard! :-)

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  3. No advice except to talk to your neighbors. Even if you don't know them, they'd probably love to talk to you about their gardening, especially after you compliment them on their fabulous cosmos blooms.

    You might look up how to say cosmos in Spanish (or start at houses where you can easily point to "esas flores" from the front door).

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    Replies
    1. Now there's a radical idea! If I happened upon someone who was outside, I might be able to dredge up the courage to do it, but if it meant actually knocking on someone's door - fuggitaboutit! (I'm a loudmouth online, but a terrible introvert in person.)

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    2. Ha, I also hate doing that. Do you have a friend who would do it for you while you just followed him or her around, smiling and waving?

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    3. Er... um... well maybe, but I'd honestly be afraid to ask my friend to do it! It's funny, I don't really think of myself as such an introvert until faced with something like this and then the reality of my tendencies hits me in the face big time!

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    4. Ha! Well, I have the same thing, but I think of it as not liking to bother people!

      Well, just pay attention to whether you see any of your cosmos-growing neighbors outside!

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  4. Replies
    1. They are beautiful - I just wish I could figure out how to make the darned things bloom!

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  5. Replies
    1. My neighbor's are beautiful... mine... well, not so much!

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