[breezyacre]

Hi I have been growing cosmos for a number of years now. It grows very tall and doesn't flower til very late in the summer. I wonder could I nip out the growing tip and get more bushy plants producing more flowers. If anyone has any ideas based on experience preferrably I would appreciate them.

[Sive]

I wish I could say I had experience, but as yet I don't. However having grown a couple of packets of cosmos from seed this spring I was amazed to see huge big bushy plants ( in my garden centre ) for sale at around 5 euro each.
I immediately decided that the only way that could be achieved must be by nipping out the tips of the seedlings and that's what I plan to do next year.
As for when they flower....I don't mind if they start "late", as last year my cosmos kept flowering till early winter, and you can't ask for more than that.

[breezyacre]

Thanks Sive. I think I will nip out some and leave others and see what happens. Yes they are lovely though they tend to show every thing else up as they tend to flower when everything else is in decline.

[Sive]

A good point, breezyacre, I hadn't looked at it like that !
I'm afraid I'm just pathetically grateful for anything that flowers in the autumn, as I am, by then in my "I'll do better next year" stage !
I always greet the winter with a sense of relief . Mind you, by the time spring rolls round I am again full of boundless renewed optimism !
I can never decide whether that makes me an eternally hopeful person or just a sad old biddy !

[Protein]

there are some shorter / dwarf varieties available... readily available on seed sites....

they flower well after the first frosts.... for me.

[Sive]

Hi Protein, I actually grew two different types of cosmos this year.....short and tall, but they all take a while to become bushy and some never do....so I think pinching out the tops will be definitely worth trying next year.
I had flowers up to Nov/Dec last year...most impressive.