Hi, this is Yolanda Vanveen and in this segment,
we're going to learn all about how to grow
Cosmos. Now to figure out how to grow a Cosmos,
let's discover where they're native. So Cosmos,
they're also known as Mexican Aster 'cause
they look a lot like a daisy, and they're
from Mexico. So they like really, really hot
climate that's dry. They don't like a lot
of humidity. They'd rather be in a prairie
type of situation where it's really hot and
dry, so when you're growing them in wetter
climates, you gotta make sure and give 'em
full hot sun, and really let 'em dry out in
between watering. So Cosmos are actually related
to Dahlias which are also from Mexico, and
they're really easy to grow. You can start
'em by the tuber, or you can start 'em by
seed in the spring. So start the Cosmos in
the spring when there's no frost, and put
'em in either trays, or you can start 'em
right into the ground directly, and they'll
come up and they'll bloom in the summer. But
make sure that you start 'em at least after
it's forty, fifty degrees at night. You don't
want 'em to freeze at all. Another trick with
Cosmos is if you just trim 'em back or chop
'em down here and there, they'll keep sending
more blooms up and that way you can get more
blooms for the fall, and there's lots of new
variety's of different types of Cosmos that
are just gorgeous. Right now a really popular
Cosmos is the Chocolate Cosmos because they
have dark, dark burgundy flowers and they're
just gorgeous. Now Cosmos are only hearty
from zone eight to ten, so they really, really
can't handle any freezing temperatures, so
you gotta make sure and either dig 'em up
and save 'em, the tubers in the garage, or
just start 'em by seed every spring, and that
way you can enjoy them every summer, and they're
such a delight in the garden.
