growing cotton in maine September 2, 2007
Posted by Sandy in a small garden in maine.trackback
Since I found a listing for cotton seeds in the Pine Tree Garden catalog a couple of years ago, I have been trying to grow it in my garden. Last year, I started it too early indoors, and the plant was spindly and weak when I put it out. This year, I planted later and got the plants in the ground about the right time. They didn’t do much until we had the first hot spell of the summer, and then shot up about 8 inches in a few days. Well, it is September 2, and I am just getting blossoms, so don’t know if I will see any cotton bolls this year either.
I gave my mom some seeds last year, and her plants did just fine, of course Oklahoma is very hot in the summer. Here is a post from last year, and photos of her cotton. To see a post about her cotton plants, type my mom’s cotton plants in the search space on my blog. My plants in the garden are about 2 and a half feet tall. That one of them in the photo below. Has anyone else in the north tried to grow a cotton plant outdoors?
I really love your photography! Seems like a lovely place to call home. I too would like to someday have a garden, and perhaps a flower shop. Your blog is pretty inspiring!
Very cool flower on that. In fact, it’s a lovely plant altogether so maybe I should try growing it next year, just for fun…
I’ve never tried cotton, but am big into tropicals despite living in this cool climate. My banana and cannas do quite nicely, but I’ll have to bring the banana in soon as it doesn’t like night temps under 50 degrees. Could be your cotton will be similar. It will be interesting to see if you get any bolls.
I don’t know why it never occurred to me there would be a flower. I guess I have never seen them at this stage. very pretty.
They’re growing them in the Toledo Botanical Garden here. I’ll bet they started them in the green houses because they’re forming cotton. Aren’t those flowers beautiful?
The cotton flower is really beautiful … I, too, had never thought of cotton as having flowers. Duh… I hope your plants make some cotton. That would be so neat.
Cotton flowers! Who would have thought they would be so delicate. I learned a lot from this post. The forgotten, but very important cotton plant. Very wonderful photos, Sandy!
I live in florida and growing a cotton tree,yes a tree as tall as my privacy fence,beautiful pink and cream blooms,pecan size bolls but the squirrel eats them so no cotton yet