Growing instructions for our cotton seeds

GROWING: Growing from seed indoors is possible all year round, but it is best to sow cotton in January or February. First place the seeds in a container with room-warm water for a few hours to allow them to swell and thus improve germination. Then place them about one centimetre deep in moist growing soil. Place the propagator in a bright and warm place at 20 to 25° Celsius and keep the soil moist but not wet. It then usually takes only four to five days until germination. It will probably be necessary to prick out once, as the many seedlings will be too dense. From a size of about 10 centimetres, you should therefore carefully transfer the seedlings into larger pots with a diameter of 15 centimetres. The cotton plants will remain in these pots until the end of their life in autumn.

LOCATION: A bright and sunny spot, for example on a windowsill, is ideal. Outdoors, the location should be protected from wind and rain. In summer it can be very warm. In the period of fruiting after flowering, however, the plant prefers a cooler spot.

CARE: After pricking out, use good, nutrient-rich standard soil. Already four weeks after pricking out, you should provide a weekly fertilisation with pot plant fertiliser. The fast-growing potted cotton needs a lot of water. So please make sure that you water abundantly without waterlogging. If your potted cotton is kept in a dry (heated) room, we recommend regular spraying to prevent aphids or red spider mites. Young plants should be allowed to grow on a stick.

WINTER: If sown in spring, the potted cotton will go through its entire cycle from flowering to fruit ripening in the same year and die back in autumn. If it is sown only towards summer, it will probably flower in the same year, but will probably not set fruit until the following spring. In this case, it should not be placed near the heating in winter at temperatures between 12° and 18° Celsius. The Gossypium also needs to be sprayed more frequently in winter to protect it from pests.

 

If you have any further questions, please contact us at kontakt@happyseed.de