How to Grow Cosmos

To me cosmos are the sweet little reliefs of the garden. They grow so seamlessly and are so pretty. Although I don’t recommend this sometimes when I want a garden bed super full I’ll just throw cosmo seeds in without even planting them and they still grow! That doesn’t work every time in every spot, but you get the point. They grow so well!

To grow cosmos is super simple and their care is almost too easy! To have full blooms by mid summer start seeds indoors around 4 weeks before your last frost. Cosmos are technically classified as heat lovers (I say technically because they will grow in cooler areas as long as they aren’t planted to early) so you don’t want to plant them when the ground is still frozen or will reach temperature under 60 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Once starts reach about 3-4 inches they will need to be pinched. Pinching is when you snip off the top two inches of the plant to help it produce more blooms that are longer, stronger, and healthier. Cosmos are cut and come again flowers so the more blooms cut the more they will come back. Like with most flowers make sure to keep their space well weeded and watered. They like lots of sun so at least 6 hours is necessary. 
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Light: Full sun (At least six hours)
Water: Plenty (These flowers are usually very thirsty!)
Height: anywhere from 3 to 5 feet tall (They can get tall!)
Planting time: Early Spring (Once the ground has warmed to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit.)