First time growing Cosmos (or anything for that matter) from seed, ready to go in the ground?

Hi all,
As the thread says, this is a first attempt at growing stuff from seed (I’ve just planted about 20 dahlias out today) do you think these Cosmos are ready to go out now, or would you wait a bit?
I’ve had them outside for a few hours last couple of days, some with more than 3 leaves have been pinched, but should I plant them now and keep pinching them as they grow?
Cheers.

 

Personally, I would keep them in pots for a bit longer, not because of their size but because they can get attacked by slugs and it may be easier to protect them in pots. That said, the slugs may be busy eyeing up your dahlias, as they find those delicious too.

 

Yes, the slugs have been bad this year, they have annihilated my hostas, however……… I already had a couple of dahlias in, and did research about going out hunting them.
So Friday night, I went out with the head torch at 10pm and a pair of scissors, they were like an army coming out from under the hedges and heading over the lawn towards the borders, I must have killed between 200/300.
Last night I did the same, but numbers were down and only killed 50-60, so hopefully the cull is working?
I will be out again tonight at 10pm to protect the dahlias.
Slugs and snails aside would you say they were ready? I suppose another week in the greenhouse wouldn’t harm, although the slugs even got in there and killed half a dozen dahlias.

 

Where are you planting; ground, pots or raised beds. I'd say they are well ready to go, but slugs do love them. We now have most in pots or the couple of big barrels we have. Those that self-seeded in the barrel are at around 50cm and about to flower - so we will get to know the colour...

 

Yes, slugs and snails aside, I'd say they are big enough to cope.

2-300! That is a significant population! If we get a dry spell, that will curb their activity a bit. All the rain we have had has given them ideal conditions.

 

I will be planting in a ground level bed, I already put a couple in 2 days ago as a little experiment to see how they went.
So far they seem fine.
I have about another 20 to go in, will also give a few away to family.
If I hadn't have gone out the last two nights hunting slugs however, I think they would have been decimated.

 

Yes, 2-300, I couldn't believe it either.
The garden is quite large and has beech hedges on 3 sides, this is where they were all advancing from.
Last night, a lot less.
Im hoping tonights will be even less after the cull and dry day today.