On 24/11/2014 11:19 PM, Boron Elgar wrote:
On Mon, 24 Nov 2014 21:45:57 +1100, Fran Farmer
wrote:

On 24/11/2014 1:54 AM, Boron Elgar wrote:
On Sat, 22 Nov 2014 11:01:18 +1100, Fran Farmer
wrote:

On 22/11/2014 12:55 AM, Boron Elgar wrote:
On Fri, 21 Nov 2014 13:17:06 +1100, Fran Farmer
wrote:

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.


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.

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?


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


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!!!!

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..


http://www.organiccotton.org/oc/Cott...quirements.php
Cotton is grown between latitudes of 37° north and 30° south in
temperate, subtropical and tropical regions and on every continent.

:-)) Did you notice that although that cite mentions cotton being grown
on 'every continent' there is none shown on the map as growing in
Australia? I got a chuckle out of that - we often don't exist for the
rest of the first world. Not that I particularly mind that in these
post 9/11 days.

I've checked out where it's grown on my continent and it's in dry places
but also a lot further north or west than where I am - worth a try:
http://cottonaustralia.com.au/austra...re-is-it-grown


Ideal conditions for the cotton plant a

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.

Excellent. I think I might just be able to do that with a bit of work
at the later end of the season. Might have to buy some plastic sheeting
but worth a try. The seeds arrived in the mail today so I'm hot to trot.