Hi, this is Yolanda Vanveen and in this segment, we're going to learn all about how to grow Cosmos. Now to figure out how to grow a Cosmos, let's discover where they're native. So Cosmos, they're also known as Mexican Aster 'cause they look a lot like a daisy, and they're from Mexico. So they like really, really hot climate that's dry. They don't like a lot of humidity. They'd rather be in a prairie type of situation where it's really hot and dry, so when you're growing them in wetter climates, you gotta make sure and give 'em full hot sun, and really let 'em dry out in between watering. So Cosmos are actually related to Dahlias which are also from Mexico, and they're really easy to grow. You can start 'em by the tuber, or you can start 'em by seed in the spring. So start the Cosmos in the spring when there's no frost, and put 'em in either trays, or you can start 'em right into the ground directly, and they'll come up and they'll bloom in the summer. But make sure that you start 'em at least after it's forty, fifty degrees at night. You don't want 'em to freeze at all. Another trick with Cosmos is if you just trim 'em back or chop 'em down here and there, they'll keep sending more blooms up and that way you can get more blooms for the fall, and there's lots of new variety's of different types of Cosmos that are just gorgeous. Right now a really popular Cosmos is the Chocolate Cosmos because they have dark, dark burgundy flowers and they're just gorgeous. Now Cosmos are only hearty from zone eight to ten, so they really, really can't handle any freezing temperatures, so you gotta make sure and either dig 'em up and save 'em, the tubers in the garage, or just start 'em by seed every spring, and that way you can enjoy them every summer, and they're such a delight in the garden.
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