The flower known as Cosmos is beautiful. With a maximum height of 1 meter, it produces small colored flowers that can be pink, purple or white, which brighten the garden or patio from spring to early fall.
It is very elegant and easy to care for, so much so that it is a suitable plant for beginners. Even so, if so that you do not have any problem, I will tell you what care should you provide.
Origin and characteristics of the cosmos plant
The cosmos flower, whose scientific name is bipinnatus, It is a herbaceous plant native to Mexico that reaches a height of up to 1 meter. Its leaves are divided into linear-filiform segments, and sprout from a highly branched stem. The wonderful flowers have a central yellow disc, with pink, purple or white peripheral ligules.
It is also known as mirasol, coreopsis or purple sunflower, and as a curiosity to tell you that it was introduced in Europe towards the end of the XNUMXth century although, despite the popularity it had in its day, today it is rarer.
Varieties of Cosmos
There are many varieties, such as Sensation that can reach one meter in height, the Versailles that does not exceed 45 centimeters, or the Daydream It produces white flowers with a pink center.
What are the care you need?
If you dare to have a cosmos flower in your garden or patio, we recommend providing the following care:
Location
So that it can grow and develop normally, it is very important that it is planted in a sunny location, since it does not adapt well to living in semi-shade. It is also not a good idea to have it indoors, unless it is in a room with windows through which a lot of natural light enters or a bright interior patio.
Earth
- Flower pot: if we want to have it in a pot, it is advisable that the substrate has good drainage, as you can have it by mixing, for example, black peat with perlite in equal parts.
- Garden: In the event that we are going to have it in the garden, we will not need to make any changes, since it is not demanding 🙂.
Irrigation
Irrigation has to be frequent: about three times a week in summer and 1-2 / week the rest of the year. It is important not to wet the aerial part, that is, leaves, flowers, or stems in order to avoid problems.
If you are going to have it in a pot with a plate underneath, remember to remove the excess water 30 minutes after watering since the roots do not like to have contact with stagnant water, and in fact they can rot easily.
Subscriber
It is advisable to take advantage of and fertilize the plant throughout the flowering season with fertilizers for flowering plants, or with guano (liquid, for sale here), following the indications specified on the package.
Multiplication
And if we need more copies, we can multiply them sowing their seeds in the seedbed during winter and spring following this step by step:
- First, we will fill a seedling tray (for sale here) with universal substrate or for seedlings.
- Then, we will place a maximum of 2 seeds in each socket.
- Next, we will cover them with a thin layer (no more than 0,5cm thick) of substrate.
- Later, we will water thoroughly with a sprayer, or better, placing the seedbed inside another tray that does not have holes and filling it with water.
- Finally, we will place everything outside, in full sun, and we will keep the substrate moist but not waterlogged.
Thus they will germinate in two weeks at a temperature of about 18ºC.
Plagues and diseases
It is quite resistant in general, but can be attacked by White fly o Red spider. Both are insects that love dry and warm environments, so they are common during the spring and especially the summer.
They feed on the cells of the leaves, although they can also be found on the stems. But it will not be difficult for us to control them, or even eliminate them since, first, the plant is relatively small, and second, there are highly effective natural products.
From my own experience, what I recommend the most is diatomaceous earth (on sale No products found.), which has the appearance of a very fine and light white powder. It is composed of microscopic algae that contain silica, which once it comes into contact with the insect, pierces it, thus causing it to die dehydrated.
In addition, it does not leave any residue, but precisely for that reason it must be used when there is NO forecast of rain. The way to proceed is simple: we wet the plant with water -obviously, when the sun no longer hits it-, and then we sprinkle it with diatomaceous earth.
If this product does not convince us, we can use potassium soap or insecticidal oil, which are also very effective.
Rusticity
Resists cold and frost up to -4ºC, although it prefers warm and tropical climates. If you live in an area where the winter temperature drops a lot, keep your cosmos plant indoors or in a heated greenhouse.
What is the meaning of the cosmos flower?
It is common for people to give or acquire certain flowers for the meaning that has been assigned to them. The cosmos is one of them, since it is the symbol of the modesty, integrity and also from the peace.
Do you dare to have some Cosmos? 🙂