Topic: Overwintering 'chocolate' Cosmos

[Levi]

After 3 attempts at trying and failing, can anyone offer advice please? I've tried keeping them in a cold room indoors but may have kept them too dry  ??? I've got an all-glass cold frame and an all-plastic one. Is this hard to do? Shall I just try to grow them fresh from seed?

[thifasmom]

I would be following this thread with interest as i was given a young plant this year as a thankyou for some plants from a freecycler. I moved mine into the unheated greenhouse late October and because of the mild temps its got three flower buds on it and looks really healthy.

do you think i should nip out the flower buds. The weather as we know is finally turning wintery so i hope it will start to go dormant.

[budgiebreeder]

I have mine in a  stone pot on the patio and just cut it back in the Autumn and leave it outside.Had it several years and it is still growing strong.That is in Yorkshire and we had plenty frost.Never realised they should be taken into the greenhouse?

[thifasmom]

well i have heard that they can be overwintered outside but can sometimes succumb to the wet and cold, so thought i should give it some protection. but i am more than happy to hear suggestions on how to get it through the winter.

i have always wanted a plant and was pleasantly surprised when i was given one. so would be loath to kill it :-X :)

[saddad]

I kept one for several years by taking it into a cold greenhouse and ignoring it until I wanted the space in Spring... it did die after 4-5 years but I think that was just age....  :-\

[asbean]

We had one that we accidently left out all winter, it died of course.  We got another the following year, over-wintered it in the poly tunnel, and it was the only tender plant to die.

Maybe we don't have the right knack with these, or should think about treating them as annuals.  In a garden our size one plant is really enough.

[ACE]

I always treat these as annuals, but if the plant was a present, bring it in somewhere sheltered, but don't let it dry right out.

[BornAgainGardener]

Ours has just been clobbered by the frosts.

But it'll be back next year even better. We put it in last summer, a small garden centre specimen, did OK then died back for winter. This year, though, its been magnificent. If it grows any bigger we will have to divide it.