Worth knowing:
As one of the most important crops, the Levant Cotton grows naturally up to 1,50 meter in height, whereas the bushy pot plants only reach 50 to 70 cm. It has lovely lobed leaves and in July an August beautiful, up to 5 cm big blossoms, that resemble the Hibiscus plant. About 8 weeks later it brings out fruits. From the black, oval-shaped capsules that are as big as a pigeon’s egg, spring after cracking the soft and ping pong ball-sized fiber tufts. Potted cotton plants are usually annual, but fast-growing.
Natural Location:
The Levant Cotton has its origin in South Africa.
Cultivation:
Seed propagation indoors is possible throughout the year, even though January or February is the best time for sowing cotton. To increase the germinability through priming, you can place the seeds in warm water for a few hours. Then, plant the seeds about 1 cm deep in moist potting compost and cover the seed container with clear film to prevent the earth from drying out. Don’t forget to make some holes in the clear film and take it every second or third day completely off for about 2 hours. That way you avoid mold formation on your potting compost. Place the seed container somewhere bright and warm between 20°C and 25°C and keep the earth moist, but not wet. Usually it takes only four to five days until germination. You might have to prick out one time because the seedlings will most likely stay too tightly together. When the seedlings are about 10 cm tall they can be carefully planted in pots with a 15 cm diameter, where they will be kept until the plants die in autumn.
Place:
Best is a bright and sunny place, for instance on a windowsill. It can be kept outdoors, even during a hot summer, but it should be placed in a wind-protected and rain-sheltered spot. During fructification after blossoming the plant likes to stay somewhat cooler.
Care:
After pricking out, it is recommended to use nutritious standard soil of good quality. You should also give fertilizer for tub plants once a week, starting as soon as four weeks after pricking out. Levant Cotton is a fast-growing plant that needs plenty of water, so water your plant sufficiently, but avoid waterlogging. When kept indoors in a dry and heated room, you might also have to spray the plant regularly, to avoid infestation by aphids and spider mites. For young plants you can use a small stick to support their growth.
During the winter:
When sowed in spring, the potted cotton plant passes through its whole life cycle, from blossoming to fructification and dies in autumn. If it is sowed in summer, it will probably bloom the same year, but its fruits will likely only come out next spring. In that case, the plant should be kept during winter at a temperature between 12° and 18° Celsius and away from a heater in the room. It also has to be sprayed regularly to prevent pest infestations.
Picture credits:
- © © H. Zell - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © H. Zell - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
- © H. Zell - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
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