FlowersCosmos
Cosmos bipinnatus
Difficulty: EasyGrows in pots
A tall, easy annual with daisy-like flowers for borders and cutting. Sow it in warm soil after the last frost, in full sun, and skip the fertilizer.
How to grow cosmos
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Comparing Cosmos vs. Balloon Flower vs. African Daisy
The comparison
Cosmos vs. Balloon Flower vs. African Daisy
| Fact | | | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difficulty | Easy | Moderate | Moderate |
| Life cycle | Annual | Perennial | Not yet verified |
| Germination time | 7–21 days | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Germination temperature | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | 18 °C64 °F |
| Sowing depth | 3 mm⅛ in | Not yet verified | Not yet verified |
| Sun | Full sun | Full sun, partial shade | Full sun |
| Water | Not yet verified | Moderate | Low |
| Containers | Yes | Not yet verified | Yes |
| Frost tolerance | Not yet verified | Not yet verified | Half-hardy (light frost) |
| Links |
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Meet the seeds
What each one is, in a few lines, with the full growing guide one click away.
- Flowers
- Flowers
Balloon Flower
Platycodon grandiflorus
Difficulty: ModerateBalloon flower (Platycodon grandiflorus) is a perennial that is easy to grow from seed in full sun to partial shade. Plants are slow to establish and emerge late in spring.
How to grow balloon flower - Flowers
African Daisy
Osteospermum ecklonis
Difficulty: ModerateGrows in potsOsteospermum ecklonis, the African daisy, is an evergreen shrub with daisy flowers that have dark blue centres and white-to-indigo petals. It likes full sun and can be sown in spring at 18 °C (64 °F).
How to grow african daisy
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Cosmos vs. African MarigoldCosmos against another flower- Balloon Flower vs. African MarigoldBalloon Flower against another flower
- African Daisy vs. African MarigoldAfrican Daisy against another flower
Cosmos vs. AgeratumCosmos against another flower- Balloon Flower vs. AgeratumBalloon Flower against another flower
- African Daisy vs. AgeratumAfrican Daisy against another flower
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Sprouting
Germination time and temperature
How many days the seeds take to sprout, and the temperature range they sprout in.
Sowing
Sowing depth and spacing
How deep to sow each seed and how far apart the plants should grow. “On the surface” means the seed isn't covered.
Timing
Days to maturity and life cycle
How long until the plant is ready, counted from sowing or from transplanting (each value says which). Annuals live one year, biennials two, perennials longer.
Light and water
Sun and water
Full sun means 6 or more hours of direct sun a day, partial shade a few hours. Water needs are rated low, moderate or high.
Space and weather
Containers, frost tolerance and soil pH
Whether it grows in a pot, with the smallest pot when it's known. Frost tolerance runs from tender (no frost) to hardy. Soil pH 7 is neutral.
Pets
Toxicity to cats and dogs
Whether the plant is toxic to cats and dogs.
Quick wins
Fastest to sprout
Days from sowing until the first shoots appear, in good conditions.
Pet friendly
Safe around cats and dogs
Listed as non-toxic to both cats and dogs. Each seed's page has the details.
Not safe for pets: borage, buckwheat, caraway, carnation and 14 more.
Comparing
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