Planting Cotton in Indiana

I have plants! I did quite a bit of research on planting cotton in Indiana. These plants were started inside (but not as soon as next year), and have been fertilized twice (which I almost never do to my plants, explaining the low yield in my vegetable garden). I planted the cotton in a pattern between tomatoes and okra, not realizing that okra and cotton are related so the pattern wasn't as pretty as I hoped.





 Then I surrounded each plant with basil and cilantro to ward off bugs. It's too early to tell if I'll actually get any cotton puffs, but look at the bolls:

 

 

Cotton plant. I don't think it is nearly as big as they grow in Cotton Country.

 

Below is an Okra plant. The leaves are very different, but the flowers are similar. Okra has the dark center, cotton is pure yellow, then when it is fertilized the flower turns pink. They are also related to Hibiscus, which grows well in Indiana.

 

As the weather cools, the bolls are getting dark spots on them, and turning pink at the base. I know nothing about what will happen. The bolls are heavy, and I had to stake the plants after the last rain because they all tipped over. Somehow I can't see cotton farmers messing with that, and the dried cotton always looks so straight in the field.

 

I have cotton!!!

 

For this year, my sister (from Tennessee) is scavenging some more so that I can make a project, but I will have quite a bit. I plan to make face scrubbies unless it really makes a lot.