How to grow cosmos in containers or pots

Cosmos is a herbaceous annual plant that is native to Mexico. There are 30 different varieties of cosmos. Cosmos comes in several colours like pink, white, yellow, orange and red. It grows up to 6 feet tall. There are also shorter varieties and they can grow up to 4 feet. Some of them include Cosmic red cosmos, Cosmos yellow and Cosmos bipinnatus pink. These beautiful flowers require less maintenance. Cosmos attracts bees and other pollinators. The shorter varieties of cosmos can be grown in pots. It is easy to grow cosmos in containers.

Growing conditions for cosmos

The best time to grow this flower is during the summer season. Cosmos is drought tolerant and does not like soil that is too wet. Cosmos prefers soil that is well-drained. The soil ph should be between 6.0 to 6.8. Overwatering can damage the plant’s roots, so water the soil when it is dry. The optimum temperature for cosmos to grow well is between 21° C to 25° C (70°F to 77°F). Cosmos needs sunlight for at least 4 to 5 hours every day. Cosmos gives lots of flowers even in average soil conditions. Avoid adding compost that is high in nitrogen as it produces more foliage and decreases the number of flowers.

Grow cosmos from seeds in containers

To grow cosmos in containers, you will need a container that is at least 12 inches deep. You can start seeds indoors 4 weeks before the last frost. Sow the seeds in seed trays a half inch deep. Seeds will germinate within 7 to 10 days. Transplant them into bigger containers after they grow 3 to 4 inches tall. For preparing the potting mix, take 20% of garden soil,20% compost and 60% of coarse sand. Flowering takes place 7 weeks after germination. For cosmos to bloom more, pinch out the growing tip of each stem. This encourages them to grow better and produce more flowers.

Pests and Diseases

Cosmos can get affected by various fungal and bacterial infections. Fusarium wilt and powdery mildew are the fungal infections that affect this plant. You can prevent these fungal infections by growing cosmos in a location that gets plenty of sunlight. Cosmos can also get infected by certain bacterial infections. When your plant gets affected by infections such as bacterial wilt there is no treatment and the only way is to remove the entire plant so that the infection does not spread to nearby plants.