Looking for something unusual to add to your garden? Have I got an extraordinary beauty for you – black cotton plants. Related to the white cotton one thinks of as growing in the South, black cotton plants are also of the genus Gossypium in the Malvaceae (or mallow) family, which includes hollyhock, okra, and hibiscus. Intrigued? Read on to find tips on how to grow black cotton, harvest the plant, and other care information.
Planting Black Cotton
Black cotton is an herbaceous perennial that is native to sub-Saharan Africa and Arabia. Like its white cotton plant relative, black cotton (Gossypium herbaceum ‘Nigra’) care requires plenty of sunshine and warm temperatures to produce cotton. Unlike regular cotton, this plant has both leaves and bolls that are dark burgundy/black with pink/burgundy blooms. The cotton itself, however, is white. Plants will grow 24 to 30 inches (61-76 cm.) in height and 18 to 24 inches (46-61 cm.) across.
How to Grow Black Cotton
Black cotton specimens are sold at some online nurseries. If you can acquire the seeds, plant two or three in a 4 inch (10 cm.) peat pot to a depth of ½ to 1 inch (1-2.5 cm.). Put the pot in a sunny location and keep the seeds warm, 65 to 68 degrees F. (18-20 C.). Keep the growing medium slightly damp. Once the seeds germinate, thin out the weakest, keeping only one strong seedling per pot. As the seedling outgrows the pot, cut the bottom out of the peat pot and transplant it into a 12 inch (31 cm.) diameter pot. Fill in around the seedling with a loam-based potting mix, not a peat-based. Put the black cotton outside on days when the temps are over 65 degrees F. (18 C.) and with no rain. As the temps cool, bring the plant back inside. Continue hardening off in this manner for a week or so. Once the plant has matured, black cotton can be grown in either full sun to partial sun.
Black Cotton Care
Planting black cotton in the northern states will undoubtedly require either growing it indoors or depending upon your region, at the very least protecting it from wind and rain. Do not overwater the plant. Water two to three times per week at the base of the plant. Feed with a liquid plant fertilizer that is high in potassium or use a tomato or rose food per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Harvesting Black Cotton
Large yellow flowers appear in the late spring to late summer followed by the gorgeous burgundy bolls. The eye-catching bolls are lovely when dried and added to flower arrangements, or you can harvest the cotton the old-fashioned way. When the flowers wither, the boll forms and, as it matures, cracks open to reveal the fluffy, white cotton. Just grasp the cotton with a forefinger and your thumb and gently twist out. Voila! You’ve grown cotton.
-
Forage For Herbs: 7 Tasty And Safe Wild Herbs To Pick Close To Your Own BackyardIn addition to growing your own herbal staples, did you know there are several wild options out there that are safe and tasty – and free? Try foraging these 7 wild herbs
-
Should You Cut Back Roses In The Fall? – When To Prune Your Prized Shrubs For WinterDiscover whether to cut back roses before the onset of winter – or to leave plants alone until spring.
-
Boll Weevil History – Learn About The Boll Weevil And Cotton PlantsThe story of the boll weevil and cotton is a long one, lasting many decades. To learn more about cotton boll weevil problems, click the following article.
-
Picking Ornamental Cotton – How Do You Harvest Homegrown CottonMany people are trying their hand at growing crops that are traditionally grown by commercial farmers. One such crop is cotton. Learn about picking ornamental cotton and when to harvest your homegrown cotton in this article.
-
Cotton Seed Placement – How To Plant A Cotton SeedCotton plants are actually quite attractive. Your neighbors will ask about this unique garden plant, and they won't believe it when you tell them what you're growing. Find out how to sow cotton seeds in this article.
-
What Is Cotton Burr Compost: How To Use Cotton Burr Compost In GardensNot all compost is the same. Many gardeners will tell you that the best stuff you can get is cotton burr compost. Why and what is this? Find more information in this article and learn about how to use cotton burr compost in your garden.
-
Cotton Plant Info For Kids - Teaching Kids How To Grow CottonCotton growing with kids is easy and most will find this to be a fun project in additional to an educational one. Learn more about how to grow cotton in the following article and give your kids a fun history lesson.
