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Among the unpretentious annual flowers that bloom all summer until the first frost, cosmos or cosmos occupies a special place. After all, this flower can be grown by anyone, even a child. Perhaps it belongs to those rare flowering plants that sometimes suffer more from excessive attention and care than from their lack. Because the most common type of cosmos, the double-pinnate, is so unpretentious that it can even be found in its wild form on the outskirts of villages and summer cottages, where it has wandered by self-sowing.
Many people probably remember from childhood those old varieties of cosmos, which had small, charming flowers on their tall stems, their delicate petals reminiscent of elf wings. Today, many varieties have been bred, including low-growing ones, no more than 30-35 cm in height, as well as with large flowers reaching 12-15 cm in diameter. In addition to the usual cosmos inflorescences, double and semi-double varieties have appeared, as well as those that have unusually shaped petals, fused together in the form of a single bowl or in the form of separate tubes.Therefore, today, more than ever, its name, which is translated from Greek as “beautiful,” goes further.
The most common types and varieties
The Cosmea genus belongs to the richest family of Asteraceae. Of the 25 species of annual and perennial cosmos species that grow naturally in the tropics and subtropics of the American continent, only three species are grown in our country.
Cosmea bipinnate
The most famous, popular and unpretentious type of cosmos, which is an annual. Easily propagated by self-sowing. Known in culture since the 19th century.
Among the many varieties of cosmos bipinnate, many of them are distinguished by their tall, even gigantic, sizes and reach a height of 80-120 cm.
Radiance
The flowers of this variety seem more luxuriant than they actually are due to the close arrangement of the petals. They also have a very interesting color, when the light lilac color at the edges of the petals turns into a darker shade in the center.
Dazzler
This variety of cosmos has an interesting feature of changing the color of its flowers over time. From bright red, after a few days they turn into crimson.
Double click
The incomparably beautiful double flowers of this variety of cosmos resemble a rose. The petals have a slight waviness at the edges and are colored with light splashes along the main background.
Full bowl
In this variety, the flower petals are so fused along their entire length that the inflorescence resembles a deep bowl. Looks very original.
Seashell
Not only is this variety of cosmos characterized by a variety of shades of inflorescences, but the inflorescences themselves look very original, consisting of petals fused into tubes.
In recent years, low-growing varieties of cosmos have become especially popular among gardeners. Probably because they look just as attractive as their tall counterparts, but at the same time they do not suffer from the wind and do not need a garter.
Sonata
This variety is especially popular because its seeds are sold not in the form of mixtures, but in varieties with flowers of several shades: white, pink, red and crimson. Therefore, using these colors you can create your own color compositions. The bushes are very branched, with large inflorescences. The height of cosmos plants of the Sonata variety grows from 40 to 60 cm.
Vega
It is a dwarf variety of cosmos with flowers of different colors in a mixture. The height of the plant does not exceed 30 cm.
Cosmea sulphurous yellow
For some reason, this type of cosmos is much less popular. Perhaps this happened due to the greater heat-loving nature of the sulfur-yellow cosmos. In the northern regions of our country, it can hardly tolerate cloudy and rainy weather with constant winds. It is characterized by smaller inflorescences up to 6-8 cm in diameter and mostly yellow or orange. It differs from the previous species in having wider leaf blades, pointed at the ends.
Cosmea blood red or chocolate
This type of cosmos has recently appeared in our country. It is sometimes even called black cosmos because the velvety petals have such a dark red tint that it appears almost black.
The plants are perennials, but they are so thermophilic and cannot tolerate excess moisture that their flowering in open ground can only be observed in the southern regions of Russia.In the middle zone, it is better to grow chocolate cosmos in flowerpots or containers. It also works well in indoor culture, especially since it is easily propagated by tubers and cuttings.
Sowing seeds for seedlings
Considering the cold resistance of the most popular varieties of cosmos and their ability to withstand even slight frosts, the seeds are often sown in open ground. But the problem is that the period from germination to flowering is about 2.5 months for cosmos. Even if you sow it as early as possible, for example, at the end of April - beginning of May (in the middle zone), then you will not be able to admire the flowering of cosmos until mid-July. And many people want to have beautiful flower beds from the very beginning of summer. In this case, you will have to sow the seeds at home in small containers - that is, first grow cosmos seedlings, which in the second half of May can be successfully planted in flower beds and in mixborders.
It is difficult to name the exact time when to plant cosmos seedlings, since much depends on the climatic conditions of your region. For example, in the south it can be sown as early as March and planted in flower beds in April. And for most areas of the middle zone, the best month for sowing cosmos seedlings will be April.
For sowing, you can take almost any universal soil, although cosmos seeds germinate best in light and loose soil with a significant sand content.
The germination of cosmos seeds lasts about 5 years. The seeds are medium in size (1 gram contains 150-200 pieces) and have a slightly elongated shape, but it is not recommended to plant them vertically.
The best way to plant is to scatter the seeds over the surface of the ground in a container so that they lie horizontally, and moisten the top well to ensure good adhesion to the ground.
After sowing, the container is closed with a bag or any transparent lid to create greenhouse conditions and placed in a moderately warm place. Cosmos seeds germinate well even at +15°+18°C, so they do not need special heat, but they do need light. You can place the container with the seeds on a regular cool windowsill.
Depending on the freshness of the seeds, seedlings usually appear in 8-14 days.
Cosmea tolerates transplanting and picking well, so when the first two true openwork leaves of the young sprouts open, they can be planted in separate cups.
If you grow tall varieties of cosmos, then when they form 5-7 leaves, it is advisable to pinch the tops of the plants for lush branching. Although the pinching procedure may somewhat delay the flowering of the bushes.
Cosmos seedlings can be planted in open ground, having previously been hardened off, even when there is still a threat of slight return frosts. But average temperatures during the day should be around +10°C. A distance of about 30 cm is usually left between the bushes. But practice shows that it is optimal to plant cosmos in small groups of 3-5 plants. In this case, flowering may be more abundant and the plants feel better.
Seedless cultivation of cosmos
Cosmos seeds are usually sown in flower beds using the nesting method, that is, several are placed in one hole at once.You should not sprinkle the seeds with soil, just like when sowing seedlings. However, when sowing outdoors, wind and rain should be taken into account, so it is advisable to press the seeds well into the ground.
The nesting method is perfect for sowing cosmos, since it has been noted that with denser planting the plants form a larger number of flower stalks. While, if they are planted sparsely, they will form a lot of luxurious green mass, but the flowering will be rather sparse.
A similar effect can be obtained if you plant cosmos in the shade or overdo it with organic or nitrogen fertilizers. In this case, it is difficult to hope for anything other than magnificent openwork leaves.
Abundant flowering can be expected only when planting cosmos of any type in the sun and on moderately fertilized, non-moist soils.
Therefore, it needs good watering only during the first month of development. After flowering, it is better to limit watering to a minimum, no more than once a week, especially if the weather is cloudy or rainy.
Interestingly, cosmos reproduces well by self-sowing, so its seeds can be sown before winter. This is usually done in late autumn, after the first snow falls. True, in regions where thaws are common in winter, winter sowing will give flowers little chance of survival.
Cosmos care and use
Caring for cosmos is so simple that we can say that excessive attention can only harm it and, instead of flowers, you will only get an abundance of lacy greenery.
For fertilizing, it is better to use complex fertilizers with a minimum nitrogen content. For the first time, cosmos can be fed a few days after planting the seedlings in the ground.Then you can give it a little treat during the period of bud formation and the last time - at the height of flowering.
The undoubted advantage of cosmos is the fact that most pests and diseases bypass it. Therefore, it does not require any additional processing.
True, it is advisable to tie tall bushes to supports, otherwise the thin stems will not withstand the pressure of the winds and will bend.
Cosmos flowers stand well in vases. If you cut them at the stage of half-opened buds, they can decorate your home for a week or more.
And cosmos, especially tall varieties, can be cut. The result is a beautifully formed and graceful flower hedge.
By following all the simple rules for planting and caring for this unassuming flower, you have the opportunity to enjoy its bloom all summer, and even autumn, right up to real frosts.
