Grow your own cosmos

 

Check out the step-by-step guide below to get started.

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at-home | ▲ difficulty | ⏳ 45 days

Step-by-step guide

OK, let’s get started.



A quick note about this cozo

With thousands of plant and flower options in the world, we’ve narrowed it down to a household favorite: cosmos, which are native to Mexico. We picked cosmos because they are beautiful, low maintenance, and safe for children and pets. These annual plants reach full maturity within two months. They’re easy to grow indoors and make lovely additions to outdoor gardens. Cosmos prefer to grow in warm/hot temperatures, making this an ideal flower to plant in the Spring.

The steps provided below may vary for other plants. For additional flower and/or plant options, check out the relevant links section.

Step 1: Get the seeds

Visit your local garden center and pick up some cosmo seeds. Home Depot and Lowe’s usually have them in stock. You can also order seeds online from local garden shops or via Amazon. 

If you are planning on keeping your cosmos in a pot (as opposed to transplanting them into an outdoor garden), cosmo dwarf seeds are recommended. This just means that the cosmos will grow a bit smaller and not quite as tall as regular cosmos, which can grow up to six feet.

 
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Step 2: Gather your planting container(s)

Gather or buy a couple planting containers. 

For cosmos, the starter containers should be at least three inches deep and six inches in diameter, with drainage holes at the bottom. You can also start with larger potting containers—especially if you plan to keep them indoors.

Here are a couple popular options when it comes to containers:

  • Plastic planters - The most popular type of containers. You can get these at a local plant or garden shop or order them online.

  • Biodegradable - An eco-friendly container that usually decomposes on its own when your plant is ready to graduate from its container.

  • Reused containers - You can create your own planting containers from plastic food containers that have been used. If you go this route, make sure to poke a few small holes at the bottom for drainage purposes.

Step 3: Gather the right soil

Gather the soil for your cosmo seeds. Cosmos prefer drier soil. Garden soil is not usually recommended for growing seeds as they lack the necessary nutrients the seedlings need. A simple indoor potting mix should do the trick — just make sure the soil isn’t too moist or soggy or else your cosmos may get too lanky and droop.

Fertilizer is also not needed—cosmos can handle poor soil and too much fertilizer can create more foliage than blooms.

Step 4: Plant the seeds

Once you have all of your planting materials (seeds, containers, soil):

  • Fill your containers with soil, leaving ~½ or ⅓ inches (1 cm) of space at the top.

  • Scatter a handful of seeds into each container, spacing them ~1 inch (2.5 cm) apart. Then lightly scatter soil to cover the seeds (~¼ of an inch or 0.6 cm).

Step 5: Watch the seedlings grow

Once the seeds have been planted, mist your soil and place them in an area where they will get direct sunlight for at least six hours. Seedlings usually sprout within five to seven days.

Step 6: Transplant the cosmos (optional)

Once your seedlings have sprouted, transplant them into a larger pot (at least 12 inches in diameter). If you started with a larger pot, you may skip this.

Step 7: Watering

Water the cosmos lightly whenever the soil is dry two inches at the top. Do not let the water sit in the saucer pan as cosmos do not like excess water or moisture. Make sure the soil has good drainage and that the pot is fully drained after watering.

Step 8: Sun

Cosmos likes to grow in full sun and do well in hot temperatures. Place them somewhere where they get plenty of sunlight throughout the day. 

Step 9: Clipping

Clip off dead leaves or stems whenever you see them. This helps the cosmos produce more bloom.

Step 10: Bloom!

Once your cosmos reach full maturity, they can stay in bloom for months, until the late summer or early fall. 

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Enjoy your beautiful flowers! 

 Relevant links: