Hey Everyone,
This year I planted variegated cotton in the ground and there are many seed pods, some of which seem to have been fully formed for a long time. I have no idea if they'll ripen naturally in my zone 6 garden but fear there isn't enough time. Should I remove them when frost threatens? Can they withstand light frost? Will they continue to ripen after removal or is the best option to dig them out and put them in pots in the greenhouse? Help! I know I could probably google for answers but would prefer insight from those who have personal experience growing and ripening cotton seed. Thanks!

If your cotton bolls are near ripening a light frost won't hurt them, but if they are still really green the seeds probably won't continue to develop, even when the weather moderates. I have never tried ripening them inside, so I don't know how well that works for cotton. Maybe?

My rule of thumb has been if a boll looks like it is trying to split, even a tiny crack in one segment, the seeds will be fine, you just need to continue the drying process. If not, I leave them.

How long have they been growing including time inside if they were started indoor? If its at least 100-120 days the seeds are probably done. If you want to harvest stop watering immediately to let them start to dry out. As a rule if the plants are in the ground, stop watering 2 weeks before u want to harvest. This will force any ripe seeds to cure (turn black) and the boles will start to split and open. These pods will be the oldest ones usually located on the lower half of the plant. If the plants are in pots move them somewhere out of the rain and stop watering. Let them finish drying in the pot before u harvest. If you can still expose them to some sun during this process it will facilitate the drying process. If you dry inside, cut at the base of the stalk and hang the plant upside down until completely dry. Almost mature seeds will continue to cure until there are no more nutrients to draw from the hanging plant. Have any of the boles on the plant started to split? If so, you are probably good to dry the rest inside.