chocolate cosmos

How can I overwinter chocolate cosmos? I have lovely clumps of these still flowering in containers but I never manage to bring them through the winter. I have an unheated greenhouse and I also sew wool-and-hessian bags to protect my container plants but neither of these methods have suited the temperamental cosmos so far! Should I bring them into the house?

I don't think you will,mine usually rot after awhile but someone might know different.I collect the seed on a dry day and keep for next year(if we get a dry day)they are easy to grow and I love this variety .but this year all were stunted and rotted.should of kept some.I also had candy twist.good luck.

flowering rose how do I collect the seeds of the chocolate cosmos? When do I sow them? Do I need a propogater? I have done the normal pink cosmos but never suceeded with the chocolate ones.

I think they should be lifted and stored, much like dahlias or begonias, somewhere dark and dry over winter before planting out next spring. Although I haven't done this myself so someone else might have better advice.

I have just got one of these and have potted it on into a bigger pot and watered it. Once the flowers have done I was going to keep the pot in a frost free workshop outside with light but under the bench? Just hoping for the best thereafter. My son bought one from Gardeners World a few years ago and found it did not survive out in his garden in the midlands but  you never know, cold ,wet and windy Cumbria might get away with it. Hope so as the colour is fabulous. I will try taking seed and re-sowing next year. I  must look to see if there is anything on this site that advises.

I have just checked and it says to lift dry and store it like a dahlia so once it has stopped flowering I will so this presumably in compost. I might try to get some seed to save first though

wait for a dry day  and collect seed and put in a tray to dry on window sill.when dry separate the seed from the chaff and put into paper bag or envelope.Then in  spring sow seeds in a seed tray and place in greenhouse or window sill.water when dry do not over water.when they appear and are still small transplant to pots to give more room to grow.then when few inches taller and looking strong and healthy transplant to garden when fear of frost is gone.(in my area that can be end of April).you will  need to stake them as sometimes they can topple also keep dead heading to prolong flowering.hope that helps ,they are easy to grow,nothing to lose.

Thanks for this flowering rose; I will try this out. Dry days are few and far between up here in the northern reaches of Cumbria but as the plant is still in a pot I might try taking it into my husbands workshop to dry out a bit once it has set seed and collect it that way. Last frosts up here can be in June so will plant out after then. I have had some success with pink cosmos this year that I sowed from an old packet of seed in the above way and kept in my cold frame till mid June and then planted out; and yes have found that next year they will need more space and proper staking. Am assuming the chocolate ones are a little less vigorous?

Are we talking about the perennial chocolate cosmos here?

As I understand it it does not produce seeds as it it is a sterile plant and is only propagated be a vegetative cutting

Am happy to be proved wrong but as no commercial seed companies sell the seed- does that prove the point??

Yes I have athe perennial one so will just bring it in and protect it over the winter Cheers for that.