Cosmos is a multi-colored plant that can introduce unique shades of colors to your garden. Cosmos is easy to plant and nurture.
As you read this, you can learn the following;
* Cosmo Flower Description
* How to Grow and Care for a Cosmos Plant
* Varieties of Cosmos
* Medicinal Uses of Cosmos
Cosmos Flowers Description
Cosmos is a unique type of flower that is very easy to grow and nurture. If you want flowers that leave you with little or no stress, and can beautify your garden for months with its bloom, then the best choice for you is cosmos flower. All cosmos require is that you scatter the seed on fertile soil.
Cosmos plants have long and slim stems and create a great display of colors that are appealing to humans and some animals like birds, butterflies, and bees.
These flowers can grow in adverse conditions that are detrimental to other plants, they thrive in poor soil conditions, drought, and when uncared for. Cosmos can even produce offspring on their own, but the only problem is that they can grow seedlings where they’re not needed.
Cosmos can mix well in the garden with any type of flower. Cosmos have various varieties with different height, the taller variety looks great in the middle or back of the garden border. The tall varieties have rough-textured flowers and spiky flowers, while the shorter ones are airy edging and colorful.
The flowers are daisy-like and have a broad range of colors that interface with other colors in the garden in a unique way. The plants are hardly attacked by pests, and as such, looks good in most season.
How to Grow and Care for a Cosmos Plant
For it to bloom well, plant it in a location that has great access to sunlight. Cosmos can grow in partial shade, but it won’t bloom as well. It is a rugged plant that can be planted in a soil that has low nutrition. Some varieties of cosmos plants can have stunted growth if they’re planted near a plant that does not support them.
Light: Cosmos is a plant that requires an environment with good access to sunlight to grow optimally. They can even thrive in the hottest of the environment on earth. Cosmos are natives of the dry region of South America and grow perfectly in environments that have an environmental condition that is similar to this region.
Soil: Cosmos requires a soil that is not damp, and well aerated, but they can also survive in regions that have soil that is not aerated.
Soils that have too much nutrient makes the plant grow excessively.
Water: You only need to water cosmos if you live in an environment experiencing severe drought. They can survive for long stretches without any source of water.
Humidity and Temperature: The hot weather is a perfect weather for cosmos. Cosmos plants hardly react to humidity, as such, they can grow optimally at any humidity level.
Fertilizer: You don’t need to add fertilizer to a cosmos plant, except in a situation where your plant is not growing. Cosmos can survive in any type of soil, except one that is too rich in nutrients. As such, fertilizers can have an adverse effect on your soil. If the soil is over-fertilized for the cosmos plant, it results in late blooms and weak stems.
Pruning: You should try deadheading the plant to ensure that the bloom lasts. Another alternative is to cut the stem of the plant by a third when the flower is partially out of bloom. This makes your flower grow a new set of flowers and leaves.
Propagating Cosmos: Cosmos self-seed without any assistance, but this can make them grow in undesirable locations. You can also collect the seed from your cosmos, and save them for the next planting season.
It is important to note that if you plant a seed from a hybrid specie, it may grow either of the parent species
Growing Cosmos from Seeds: You can grow cosmos in your garden by purchasing the plant from the nursery, or planting the seed.
Cosmos are very easy to grow from seeds, and there is no reason why you should spend an extra dollar purchasing one from the nursery. You can grow cosmos seeds indoors, few weeks before the last frost, but if you sow cosmos directly outdoor, it germinates more rapidly.
Most botanists recommend that you plant the seeds at an interval of two-foot, but if you want to have a beautiful array of flowers, you should scatter the seed on the ground, such that they can support each other while growing. You can always replant the cosmos seeds if you want to re-arrange their positions.
Frost easily kills your seed, as such, you should avoid planting your seeds during frost.
Varieties of Cosmos
The most common varieties of cosmos are cosmos sulfurous and cosmos apparatus. You can further break down these common varieties into cultivars and specific types.
Cosmos bippanatus: This flower is a daisy-like flower with a cheerful display and a yellow center. Cosmos bippanatus is a plant that is native to arid regions of Mexico, and it can grow as high as 6 feet. Cosmos bippanatus flowers come in colors lavender, pink, purple, crimson, and rose, all have yellow centers.
Cosmos sulphureus: This plant is also native to the arid regions of Mexico. It can grow normally in a poorly fertilized soil and can grow irregularly in fertilized soil.
A fully mature plant can grow as tall as 6 feet, although the normal height for a mature cosmos sulphureus is between 1 to 3 feet.
The flowers have colors ranging from red to orange and yellow.
Medicinal Uses of Cosmos
Cosmos is a traditional medicine used in Mexico and Brazil for treating Malaria. The plant can be used as infused oil because it has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
The plant also contains dimethoxy chalcone, which can be used to treat illnesses such as eczema, fibromyalgia, and some viruses. It is ideal for treating skin problems and muscle aches.