Gossypium BARBADENSE

Gossypium BARBADENSE - Sea Island cotton, Extra-long staple cotton, Gossypium barbadense.

Woody and herbaceous, perennial, biennial, and annual plants originating from tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, the Americas, Africa, and Australia, belonging to the Malvaceae (Mallow) family. The genus includes 54 species.

The root system of the plants is a taproot; the root penetrates the soil to a depth of 30 cm (11.8 in) or more, in some varieties reaching three meters (9.8 ft). Leaves are alternate, with long petioles, most often 3-5-lobed. Flowers are solitary, numerous, of varying colors. The flower consists of a corolla with three to five broad and fused petals and a double five-toothed green calyx surrounded by a three-lobed epicalyx that is many times longer than the calyx. Numerous stamens fuse into a tube. The fruit is a capsule, sometimes more rounded, in other cases oval, 3-5-locular, dehiscing along the valves, with numerous dark brown seeds inside, covered on the surface with soft, curly hairs - cotton. Two types of cotton fibers are distinguished. They can be long and fluffy or short and fuzzy - the so-called lint and fuzz (linter). On the seed, depending on the cultivar and growing conditions, there may be both types of fibers or only long ones. Wild species lack long fibers. The cotton seed, covered with a dense coat, contains an embryo consisting of a radicle and two cotyledons.

Gossypium barbadense is a perennial shrub with long stems that serve as strong support for large lobed leaves, usually consisting of three lobes. Leaves are petiolate, green in color. Veins, both primary and lateral, of a lighter hue, are clearly visible on the surface of the leaf blade. The petals of the floral corolla are yellow with purple or red spots at the base. The corolla has double protection against external threats in the form of a small calyx of sepals and a picturesque epicalyx formed by beautiful stipules with a cordate base and toothed margin. The upper teeth are long, resembling splayed fingers or bird's feet. The surface of the stipules is light green with numerous dark green speckles. Fruits are seed capsules containing black seeds and light white fiber.

Cotton should be sown as early as possible - as early as winter. However, it can also be planted in spring - in April or May. The seed is buried in the soil by about 1-1.5 cm (0.4-0.6 in). If the room temperature is high, the first sprouts will appear within several days. During this period, they must be watered and illuminated abundantly. It is better not to place seedlings on a windowsill, as the young bushes may perish from drafts.

When plants reach a height of more than 10 cm (3.9 in), they are repotted. Choose spacious pots, taking into account the fact that the cotton plant will remain in this container until autumn. It is important to remember that the root of a cotton plant can reach more than 30 cm (11.8 in) and will feel cramped in a small pot. After about two months, the bushes will begin to open, forming beautiful yellow flowers. The plant itself, if not cut back, reaches a height of more than 60 cm (23.6 in).

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The plant needs to be grown in a bright, sunny spot protected from drafts. It tolerates summer heat well, but perishes at the first frosts. It prefers to grow at a temperature not lower than 20 °C (68 °F). Humidity should be moderate; water as the root ball in the pot dries out. Fertilize twice a week during vegetative and generative growth. Apply a complex feeding. The substrate should be nutritious, rich in humus, with acidity around pH 6. Do not forget about drainage. The roots of the plant are long, so a deep pot is needed. Repot as the plant grows, preferably by the pot-stepping method. It can also be kept outdoors in the garden, but in this case sheltering from rain will be necessary.