Growing cotton in Lo de Marcos, Mexico
by Elaine on Nov.19, 2012, under Blog Posts
Cotton plants
Last winter when I was in Mexico, I noticed a cotton plant growing by the side of the road leading to the beach in Lo de Marcos, Nayarit. I picked a few bolls of cotton and discovered the seeds inside as well as a very nice natural white coloured fibre. I planted the seeds and within a few days all four seeds had sprouted. I transplanted the plants, one per pot and when we left in March they were growing nicely. Upon our arrival this November, the plants had grown alot…way over my head and they had lots of flowers on them. The flowers were a creamy white, pale yellow and pink.
The flower on the cotton plant
We started to water the plants often (every other day) and noticed the leaves were coming back and flowers were prolific. We moved the plants from an outside wall to a wall on the casita as the iguanas had found the leaves were very tasty. Just the other day, I noticed that bolls were forming where the flowers had dropped off.
I will keep updating this post as the cotton bolls grow. I have brought some supported spindles with me to practice spinning some cotton fibre I purchased from Gemini Fibres in Ontario while the cotton bolls are forming. A very good friend gave me the spindles to use and another friend spent an afternoon showing me how to use them!
June 15th, 2013 on 7:47 am
Hello Elaine,
I too managed to get some cotton seeds in Lo de Marcos this year. I am hoping to grow them this fall at our house on Universidad. I met Larry and Judith this spring and visited their home and their weaving studio downstairs. I had hoped to meet you also but I think you had just left, they told me about your great travels to Oaxaca.
I am a beginning weaver with a Louet 8 shaft loom which hopefully will be going to Lo de Marcos with me in October. We should be able to move into our home in November and will stay until April. My dilema is buying cotton in Mexico for weaving or will I always have to bring supplies with me. If you have any ideas that might help I would really appreciate it. We live in Sooke on the Island when we aren’t in Mexico but we are thinking of going there full time in a couple of years. I would love a chance to talk to you about your tapestry weaving, dying and all sorts of things. Please email me your phone number and I will call you if you don’t mind. Bye for now,
Jill Ballam
778 352-3553