Growing cotton

Has anyone ever grown cotton in their home garden? I've just ordered seeds for 3 different coloured cotton so would like some growing tips form anyone with experience. I am after the bolls as I'm a spinner and thought it might be interesting to try to grow my own cotton so I'm after the flowers followed by the bolls.

I had thought that feeding with 'flower and fruit' fertiliser might be appropriate once I get them growing.

Reply to
Fran Farmer
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As I recall from studying cotton in elementary school more than 60 years ago, cotton plants require a lot of water and some fertilizer. However, the bolls are damaged if the plant gets rain as the bolls are ripening.

Reply to
David E. Ross

A friend grew some in her home yard just this past summer and got enough to spin a bit. You need way bigger than a backyard crop to get serious with it, though.

Boron

Reply to
Boron Elgar

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Reply to
Brooklyn1

Thanks for that input.

Reply to
Fran Farmer

Well that sounds positive. It's good to know that it is possible to grow enough to have a play with it. Next time you talk to your friend could you see if she has any particular cultivation tips please and report back?

Reply to
Fran Farmer

Thanks Sheldon.

Reply to
Fran Farmer

Good luck growing... do you also knit as well as spin? Cotton knits can be kind of weighty.

Reply to
Brooklyn1

Yes, I do knit, but I wasn't thinking of knitting any cotton. Years ago, I knitted one short sleeved top and as you say, it was heavy and too hot for our summers. I was thinking that I might include any cotton I can manage to produce into some weaving project or other.

First I have to actually grow it and the seeds haven't even arrived yet

- hopefully that should be tomorrow or the next day.

Reply to
Fran Farmer

Then you've plenty of time to ponder what to do with your crop, perhaps some colorful cotton collages:

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Reply to
Brooklyn1

I will. Her garden is in Alabama - long, hot & humid summers. Cotton territory.

Boron

Reply to
Boron Elgar

Ah. We don't have humid here. Hot yes, but not humid as we're inland. Is humid important for cotton do you know?

Drat, now I've got a song about Alabama running my brain and I'm darned if I can remember who sun it or enough of the lyrics to do a google!!!!

Reply to
Fran Farmer

Wow. Stunning work. Thanks for posting that link.

Reply to
Fran Farmer

Certainly here in the US cotton was grown under such conditions (its commercial heyday is long gone here) .

Granted, these requirements are mainly for commercial plantings, but a quick Google shows what you see blow...Odd, the list below mentions "dry conditions," but when cotton was king in the south before the Civil war, I assure you, nothing was dry about the climate down there....Mississippi River delta provided the water and the shipping lanes..

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Cotton is grown between latitudes of 37° north and 30° south in temperate, subtropical and tropical regions and on every continent.

Ideal conditions for the cotton plant are:

Long vegetation periods (175 to 225 days) without frost. Constant temperatures between 18 and 30°. Ample sunshine and fairly dry conditions. A minimum of 500 mm of water between germination and boll formation. Deep, well-drained soils with a good nutrient content.

Reply to
Boron Elgar

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Reply to
Brooklyn1

First one that popped into my head...

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Reply to
Leon Fisk

Nah, it's not 'Oh Susannah' - it's a modern song. I keep wondering if it's Steely Dan or some group like that -it's got a very nasal 'Alabam' repeat refrain in it. Not 'Alabama', but 'Alabam'.

Drat, it'd disappeared overnight but now I've got it running round in my head again!

Reply to
Fran Farmer

Nope, that's not it either - good and closer to the right age of the song but it's still not it.

I'm going to have to go and look at the LP collection and then check out the CDs or the old cassettes..................... This is going to drive me nuts till I find it.

Reply to
Fran Farmer

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;-)

Bob

Reply to
zxcvbob

"America" ?

Reply to
David Hare-Scott

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