Cosmos are easy flowers to propagate. Last year we received Cosmos seeds from Ted, who had a garden of beautiful dark pink, pink, and white Cosmos flowers. Weeks after we had planted the Cosmos seeds, we had a garden of cosmos. Cosmos flowers are a good mix with a semi-native prairie garden and they attract butterflies.
Growing Cosmos
Obtain Cosmos seeds, from friends or garden store. In spring plant seeds indoors four to six weeks before your region's average last frost date to get earliest bloom. Or, plant outdoors directly in the soil after the last frost date, 8 inches apart in full sun in average soil with good drainage. (We basically scattered the seed in the garden. This worked for us. We had a lot of Cosmos flowers last year and this year.)
To harvest seeds:
1. Wait for the plant to flower and dry 2. Cut the off the flower head 3. Dry the seed pods on newspaper
4. After the seed pods are dry the seeds "will fall out" 4. Put in a moisture resistant container and store until the following spring 5. Next spring... plant seeds indoors four to six weeks before your region's average last frost date to get earliest bloom. Otherwise, plant outdoors directly in the soil after the last frost date, 8 inches apart in full sun in average soil with good drainage.
6. Next year repeat. Happy gardening.
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