Things You'll Need:
- Cosmos plants
- Garden gloves
- Spade
- Scissors
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Step 1
You can grow cosmos from seed, but you may want to start with young plants from your local garden center. Do not choose plants that are already blooming. Instead, pick healthy, compact plants that have many unopened buds. This assures you of a good start to your gardening season.
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Step 2
Dig holes, spacing the plants at least 2 feet apart. They will bush out and overcrowd if you plant them closer.
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Step 3
Pour water in the holes before and after planting. This will help prevent transplant shock, and give the roots a wonderful start. If your seedlings are pot-bound, pinch the roots to loosen them up a little before you plant.
Tamp the soil down lightly around the plants - cosmos like aerated, loose, well-drained soil. Plant in full sun to part shade. -
Step 4
If your plants already have buds, you should begin to see flowers within a few weeks.
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Step 5
As blossoms fade. pinch or cut them off to the next set of leaves. This sometimes involves cutting 4-5 inches of stem, so you may need scissors. The trick is to focus the plant on growing more flowers instead of putting its energy into producing seeds. Deadheading is the trick!
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Step 6
Enjoy your cosmos all summer as it grows. I don't stop deadheading until early fall.
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Step 7
When the flowers go to seed, harvest the heads for next year, give them to friends who've admired your cosmos so they can grow their own. Sometimes I collect the seeds and scatter them on walks. Sometimes they come up!
