cosmos seedlings

i was just wondering when i should think of potting on my seedlings as they are starting to fall over cos of there lenght , and they are nearlly reaching the propagater lid

 

They certainly look overdue for potting on to me.
Plant them a little deeper to aid support.

A Sage with more experience than me will be along soon.

 

Cosmos do grow very quickly, yours look like they've grown leggy reaching for the light, I'd pot them up now and bury up to the leaves or they'll just flop over, if you don't have a lighter position turn the pots regularly so they aren't reaching for the light, on warm days put them outside in a sheltered spot,but bring them back in at night, plant out at the end of May when there's no chance of late frosts.

 

Will they be ok just in pots with no extra cover

 

Yes they'll be fine once they've germinated its best to remove the propogater lid, you reminded me that I hadn't sown mine yet, so they're all sown in the greenhouse now

 

I have put a tray in the shed next to the window a tray in the house and a tray in my plastic greenhouse out of them three places which would you is best

 

Try all three and let us know the best one :WINK1: . At this time of year you should be ok in all three positions . Pot them on when they get the first true leaves - as Simbad said pot them up to the first set of leaves. A nice deep pot is best vending machine coffe cups with a hole in the bottom are perfect

 

Yeah I couldn't believe how long they where when I pricked them out I was very suprised

 

They always go leggy like that at the start Noksucow - so there is nothing to worry about. As the others have said burying them deep when you pot them up.

I would be inclined to keep them as warm as possible. I always remember Christopher Lloyd writing about tender annuals such as Cosmos, Cleome and Tithonia. Saying that if you put them out too early and they get cold they have a tendanct to sulk. That is they don't die but they also don't do well - I have experienced this. For this reason he said that he didn't sow them till April or even 1st of May.

 

Will they appreciate a "white card backdrop" -like my Toms. upstairs in the south facing bedroom? I do love reading all these little tips. A think tank with lots of us is always the best idea isn't it.

 

Tuck them in nicely and read a bedtime story until they get bigger.
It may not work, but it'll make nice reading when you let us know how they reacted. Prince Charles apparently believes in it.

 

Maskotka are Polish and I don't speak a word of treetree Polish. But, in order to encourage a bit of "team bonding" I have swapped the middle ones with the outside ones so they all get a chance of prime position. They are growing on apace and if your'e not careful I shall post a piccie update!
Jenny namaste

 

Do show up a piccie Jenny.

As to a white card backdrop - yes all plants want as much light as you can give them. I have a light meter, and I find it gives me a better understanding of how light levels vary. A sunny windowsill is almost as good as being outside. But if you move back just a foot the light level could be a half or a third. We tend not to notice changes in light levels so much as our eyes and brain compensate. But plants do notice.

 

I will - if I can work a miracle but not in this thread. It will be in the Tomatoes 2012 thread. OK? Can't let these little Polish blighters get slapdash!!
Jenny namaste

 

I potted on my Cosmos (dwarf) seedlings yesterday, they had a couple of true leaves, buried them upto the the first leaves, same as last year and I got a good display