Celosia is an unusual plant with a rather exotic appearance. It can be seen in almost any flower bed and in any flower greenhouse. Florists love to use celosia in various flower arrangements, both live and dried. Today you will get acquainted with one of the most popular varieties of plants - celosia pinnate. You will learn all about the features of growing it at home from seeds (photo and video materials are included).
Celosia pinnate: plant description
This elegant annual plant comes from Asia: it was first discovered in India and African countries. Currently, it can most often be found in small gardens and greenhouses, where gardeners carefully grow this beautiful flower.
Celosia is a flower with a rather powerful stem, about 0.3-0.9 m high. The plant is well leafy, the leaves are green in various shades (depending on the variety) with clearly defined veins. Some varieties have decorative foliage.
There are two main types of celosia. One has bright flowers that resemble a cockscomb and come in yellow, burgundy and other shades. The other has flowers that are very soft to the touch (like bird feathers), painted scarlet, golden or dark red.
There are about 60 species of this plant in the world, but three are the most popular: comb, pinnate (paniculate) and spikelet. As for pinnate celosia, it is very popular among gardeners around the world due to its bright appearance. This species is distinguished by its high “growth”: sometimes it can reach a height of 1 m, although there are also dwarf varieties. The plant has a straight, thick stem, at the top of which there are bright panicles of yellow, orange and red shades. The leaves can be not only green, but also red and even pink.
The best varieties to grow
Among the most popular varieties of pinnate celosia for growing are the following:
- Golden Flitz. A very popular variety, reaching 0.8 m in height. The tops are decorated with lush inflorescences of an orange-golden hue.
- Feuerfeder. Quite unusual in appearance, a dwarf variety with bright red inflorescences surrounded by luxurious green foliage with burgundy veins.
- New Look. Another dwarf variety with very beautiful yellow-orange inflorescences and purple foliage.
- Tomsoni Magnifica. Almost a “classic” variety, reaching 0.8 m in height. The plant is decorated with burgundy inflorescences and soft green foliage.
- Torchshain. The plant has almost the same "growth" as Tomsoni Magnifica, but the panicles are bright red.
Advice. When choosing a variety of feathery celosia suitable for home growing, remember that this plant requires a lot of solar heat and light, so choose the warmest room with the maximum amount of time illuminated by light.
Features of growing celosia from seeds
Celosia is a plant that is very demanding in terms of growing conditions and requires competent and comprehensive care. Let's look at all the intricacies of growing indoors.
Planting a plant
As mentioned earlier, celosia only grows with enough sun, so the room for its cultivation should be just that. Particular attention should also be paid to the choice of soil for planting. The best option is a soil mixture consisting of 2/3 loam, 1/3 leaf humus. It is also advisable to add a little sand and rotted manure. Don't forget to drain the soil well.
Before planting seeds, the soil should be slightly moistened with warm water. It is better to plant at the end of winter, and even better at the beginning of spring - March-April. A small layer of sphagnum moss is laid out at the bottom of the planting container, then the soil mixture is filled in. You should not load the soil to the edge - leave a couple of centimeters empty.
The seeds are immersed in a container with soil substrate to a shallow depth. You can even just scatter the seeds on the surface, since they are very small. You should not compact the soil on top of the seeds: they may simply not germinate. It is better to press them lightly into the soil.
Advice. Keep in mind that when planting celosia, the soil must be moistened, but under no circumstances pour water into the container in the traditional way: use a spray bottle.
Be sure to cover the seedlings with film or glass. At least once a day, the protective covering must be removed to remove condensation and ventilation. If the soil dries out excessively, lightly spray it with water. After 5-7 days, the first sprouts will appear. The film can be removed immediately.
Subtleties of caring for seedlings
When the sprouts reach 3 cm in height, you can plant them in separate pots and move them briefly to a very warm room. After some time, you can remove the plant to a cool environment and stop watering to allow the soil to dry completely. By doing this, you actively stimulate the flowering of celosia.
After this, you can safely transplant the young shoots into the main pots and return them to a warm place. Further care for celosia is very simple, but it must be done regularly. Remember, a plant can be destroyed only in two cases: if the temperature regime is not observed (no cold, temperature above 20 degrees) and if the soil is excessively moistened.
Speaking of moisture. Celosia loves moist soil, so watering should be regular and fairly generous, but do not overdo it if you do not want its root system to rot. It is better to water on the hottest days or when the flowers droop slightly.
In the autumn-spring period, this plant needs fertilizing especially strongly, so try to add nutritious mineral mixtures diluted with water at least once every 3 weeks (at the rate of 15 g of fertilizer per 5 liters of water).
Celosia pinnata rarely gets sick, but sometimes this happens, especially at a “young” age, which is still quite immature. In this case we are talking about black leg, which can appear when the soil is over-moistened. Therefore, try to water the plant very carefully, early in the morning and only when the sun is shining. If you miss the moment and the plant gets sick, immediately loosen the soil, sprinkle it with ash and stop watering for a while.
As you can see, in general, celosia pinnate is not a particularly picky plant and if all the requirements for its cultivation are met, it will delight you with its luxurious flowering all year round. Good luck!
Growing celosia from seeds: video
Undoubtedly, celosia pinnate will become a bright accent for the attention of others in a flower bed. In appearance, celosia resembles a multi-colored broom. With its incredibly bright and fluffy inflorescences, it can conquer any person. This plant glows with various bright colors, and therefore the Greeks called it “fiery, flaming, burning.” The flowers of some species of celosia look like birds with bright plumage, they are soft and fluffy to the touch.
General description of celosia
The genus Celosia includes approximately 60 perennial and annual plants, and belongs to the Amaranthaceae family, although until recently it was classified as a Chenopodiaceae. Celosia can grow one meter high, but each variety has its own exclusivity. High varieties of celosia pinnate are grown to decorate bouquets, and low varieties are grown in flower beds.
In order for a flower to grow well, good lighting is very important. The better the lighting, the longer, sometimes until late autumn, celosia blooms.
This is what celosia looks like:
- The stems of Celosia pinnate are straight and branched;
- The leaves have an oval egg shape;
- The flowers themselves are small and collected in multi-colored inflorescences: yellow-red, golden-burgundy, etc.;
- The fruit is a multi-seeded capsule.
Almost the only way to grow celosia pinnately in a flower bed is by seed. But before planting the seeds, their shell needs to be soaked, because... it is too tight for germination. This is done in a solution of Zircon and Epin, one drop per glass of water.
How to plant celosia seedlings
Sowing is usually done in late March-early April. Celosia is planted in a bowl, directly on the ground surface. The soil should consist of humus and vermiculite at a ratio of one to one. The seeds need to be pressed firmly into the soil; do not sprinkle them with soil. You should also lightly sprinkle the seeds with water. After this, the pots with crops should be protected from direct sunlight, covered with glass or film, and left in a bright place, at the desired temperature of 23-25 degrees Celsius.
Periodically, the crops need to be opened, ventilated, condensation removed, and moistened. If everything is done correctly and the seeds are viable, then seedlings can be seen within a week.
At the end of March and beginning of April, daylight hours are still short, and there is not enough natural light for seedlings. Therefore, the seeds need lighting. If we need group sowing of seeds, then the seedlings need to be planted twice. Initially, when the seedlings have two or three leaves. They need to be planted at a distance of about five centimeters from each other, to a depth of the same five centimeters. After this, the seedlings need to be watered with a weak solution of complex fertilizer with minerals that are suitable for flowering plants. As soon as the seedlings become stronger, they are again dived into a deeper container and transplanted into individual pots. A second fertilizing with mineral fertilizers can be done as soon as the plant becomes stronger.
- When you first dive, you can use the blunt side of a fork or spoon to less injure the roots;
- Use universal soil for amaranths or flowering plants;
- Moisten the soil generously before sowing, and sow seeds very rarely;
- If you have the desire and patience, you can separate one or two seeds at a time and plant them separately. This way you won’t have to do an intermediate pick;
- It is better to water with settled room water using a fine spray bottle;
- Plants need to be hardened off before planting in the ground. To do this, containers with seedlings are taken outside or onto the balcony. A week or two is enough to get used to the sun and open air;
- It should be planted after the weather has settled without night frosts.
Planting in open ground
At the end of May, when the warmth has finally settled in and we are sure that there will be no night frosts, the time has come to plant celosia pinnate in open ground. To grow beautiful and strong plants, you need to choose a site that is sufficiently sunny and protected from the wind. The soil must be drained. If the soil in the area being prepared is acidic, it should be limed.
You cannot use fresh organic matter; celosia does not tolerate it.
When planting in the ground, young celosia roots are very fragile, so planting in the ground must be done very carefully, trying not to damage the root system. It’s good if the celosia was planted in peat-humus pots.
In this case, the plant can be planted in the ground along with them, and the root system will not be damaged . Tall seedlings are planted at a distance of 25-30 centimeters, short ones - 15-20.
Celosia care
Celosia pinnate does not require special care after planting in the ground. But there are still some nuances for the growth of beautiful, strong and healthy plants:
- Celosia does not like wet soil, so you just need to moisten it, and in no case fill it with water;
- You can water celosia only when it has stopped throwing off flower stalks and has dropped its leaves;
- Also, even the mildest frosts can destroy celosia flowers grown at home from seeds;
- You should not neglect feeding approximately once a month, but you should not use nitrogen fertilizers. If we use them frequently, we run the risk of not seeing flowers; all the plant’s energy will go into the foliage;
- You also need to remove weeds more often, loosen the soil, and celosia pinnate will thank you with a riot of colors and bright flowers.
Methods of using the plant
Celosia pinnate is used:
Celosia pinnate has taken root very well in our gardens. Very often you can see this bright and fluffy flower in flower beds. It becomes an organic addition to the design of any garden. The plant always pleases us with its appearance, and endlessly thanks us for the warm and proper care with its long flowering!
Celosia is an unusual plant with a rather exotic appearance. It can be seen in almost any flower bed and in any flower greenhouse. Florists love to use celosia in various flower arrangements, both live and dried. Today you will get acquainted with one of the most popular varieties of plants - celosia pinnate. You will learn all about the features of growing it at home from seeds (photo and video materials are included).
Celosia pinnate: plant description
This elegant annual plant comes from Asia: it was first discovered in India and African countries. Currently, it can most often be found in small gardens and greenhouses, where gardeners carefully grow this beautiful flower.
Celosia is a flower with a rather powerful stem, about 0.3-0.9 m high. The plant is well leafy, the leaves are green in various shades (depending on the variety) with clearly defined veins. Some varieties have decorative foliage.
There are two main types of celosia. One has bright flowers that resemble a cockscomb and come in yellow, burgundy and other shades. The other has flowers that are very soft to the touch (like bird feathers), painted scarlet, golden or dark red.
There are about 60 species of this plant in the world, but three are the most popular: comb, pinnate (paniculate) and spikelet. As for pinnate celosia, it is very popular among gardeners around the world due to its bright appearance. This species is distinguished by its high “growth”: sometimes it can reach a height of 1 m, although there are also dwarf varieties. The plant has a straight, thick stem, at the top of which there are bright panicles of yellow, orange and red shades. The leaves can be not only green, but also red and even pink.
The best varieties to grow
Among the most popular varieties of pinnate celosia for growing are the following:
- Golden Flitz. A very popular variety, reaching 0.8 m in height. The tops are decorated with lush inflorescences of an orange-golden hue.
- Feuerfeder. Quite unusual in appearance, a dwarf variety with bright red inflorescences surrounded by luxurious green foliage with burgundy veins.
- New Look. Another dwarf variety with very beautiful yellow-orange inflorescences and purple foliage.
- Tomsoni Magnifica. Almost a “classic” variety, reaching 0.8 m in height. The plant is decorated with burgundy inflorescences and soft green foliage.
- Torchshain. The plant has almost the same "growth" as Tomsoni Magnifica, but the panicles are bright red.
Advice. When choosing a variety of feathery celosia suitable for home growing, remember that this plant requires a lot of solar heat and light, so choose the warmest room with the maximum amount of time illuminated by light.
Features of growing celosia from seeds
Celosia is a plant that is very demanding in terms of growing conditions and requires competent and comprehensive care. Let's consider all the subtleties.
Planting a plant
As mentioned earlier, celosia only grows with enough sun, so the room for its cultivation should be just that. Particular attention should also be paid to the choice of soil for planting. The best option is a soil mixture consisting of 2/3 loam, 1/3 leaf humus. It is also advisable to add a little sand and rotted manure. Don't forget to drain the soil well.
Before planting seeds, the soil should be slightly moistened with warm water. It is better to plant at the end of winter, and even better at the beginning of spring - March-April. A small layer of sphagnum moss is laid out at the bottom of the planting container, then the soil mixture is filled in. You should not load the soil to the edge - leave a couple of centimeters empty.
The seeds are immersed in a container with soil substrate to a shallow depth. You can even just scatter the seeds on the surface, since they are very small. You should not compact the soil on top of the seeds: they may simply not germinate. It is better to press them lightly into the soil.
Advice. Keep in mind that when planting celosia, the soil must be moistened, but under no circumstances pour water into the container in the traditional way: use a spray bottle.
Be sure to cover the seedlings with film or glass. At least once a day, the protective covering must be removed to remove condensation and ventilation. If the soil dries out excessively, lightly spray it with water. After 5-7 days, the first sprouts will appear. The film can be removed immediately.
Subtleties of caring for seedlings
When the sprouts reach 3 cm in height, you can plant them in separate pots and move them briefly to a very warm room. After some time, you can remove the plant to a cool environment and stop watering to allow the soil to dry completely. By doing this, you actively stimulate the flowering of celosia.
After this, you can safely transplant the young shoots into the main pots and return them to a warm place. Further care for celosia is very simple, but it must be done regularly. Remember, a plant can be destroyed only in two cases: if the temperature regime is not observed (no cold, temperature above 20 degrees) and if the soil is excessively moistened.
Speaking of moisture. Celosia loves moist soil, so watering should be regular and fairly generous, but do not overdo it if you do not want its root system to rot. It is better to water on the hottest days or when the flowers droop slightly.
In the autumn-spring period, this plant needs fertilizing especially strongly, so try to add nutritious mineral mixtures diluted with water at least once every 3 weeks (at the rate of 15 g of fertilizer per 5 liters of water).
Celosia pinnata rarely gets sick, but sometimes this happens, especially at a “young” age, which is still quite immature. In this case we are talking about black leg, which can appear when the soil is over-moistened. Therefore, try to water the plant very carefully, early in the morning and only when the sun is shining. If you miss the moment and the plant gets sick, immediately loosen the soil, sprinkle it with ash and stop watering for a while.
As you can see, in general, celosia pinnate is not a particularly picky plant and if all the requirements for its cultivation are met, it will delight you with its luxurious flowering all year round. Good luck!
Growing celosia from seeds: video
Exotic representatives of plants make the garden unusual; they surprise with their extraordinary appearance and bright colors. One of these representatives is comb celosia from the amaranth family. Its inflorescence looks like a red rooster comb or a piece of coral reef.
Description of celosia
The flower gets its name from the Greek word Kelos (fiery, blazing), which describes its appearance - a burning torch. The tropical forests of Asia, Africa, and South America are considered the homeland of celosia, where it coexists well alongside other exotics. The elegant “dress” of the plant is noticeable in the flowerbed from afar due to its bright color and unusual shape.
Celosia is a herbaceous, annual plant, propagated from seedlings. In nature it grows as a perennial, thanks to self-sowing it fills the entire space. Loves warm summers, without frost; its southern origin has made the flower capricious to weather conditions. The diversity of the genus of celosia numbers about 60; comb, spikelet, and pinnate are very popular.
Decorative species barely reach 25 cm, although in nature there are plants half a meter in height. The relatively thick stem ends in a comb-shaped bud with a velvety ornate edge. The color scheme is only bright natural or neon shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, burgundy.
The shape of the bud can be of different sizes: elongated, oval, moon-shaped, round. It blooms from July to October (until the first frost); due to its size, it is often grown as a balcony or border plant.
The stem is green with needle-like, thin leaves throughout the stem in one species and wide, lobed, veined leaves in another. The fleshy green mass requires a large amount of water; the juice from the plant is harmless.
Growing comb celosia in open ground
Growing such a beauty in your garden is easier than it might seem at first glance. The plant is propagated by seeds or cuttings, the method depends on the type and growing conditions. The climate of a room or greenhouse allows you to grow celosia as. For propagation in a flower bed, the seed method with the preparation of seedlings is better suited.
Breeders recommend sowing proven branded seeds, this way the decorative qualities of the flower are preserved and resistance to weather conditions is maintained. Seed material collected independently from hybrid varieties does not retain the characteristics of the parent plants.
Growing celosia from seeds When to plant
Celosia comb growing from seeds Celosia seeds photo
To prepare seedlings Celosia seeds begin to be sown in March, sometimes at the end of February, the timing depends on the local climate and boils down to what needs to be sown 1.5 months before planting in the ground. For balconies or enclosed terraces, where frost is not a problem, early sowing dates are suitable. Planting of seedlings in the ground is carried out after the departure of spring colds with night frosts.
- The soil should be chosen as a universal seedling soil for flowering plants or for amaranths;
- Before sowing, the soil is moistened abundantly, and the seeds are scattered as rarely as possible, it is better that there is at least 2-3 cm between plants. The seeds are, of course, small; later you will still have to thin out.
- You can scatter the seeds over the surface, press with your palm and simply sprinkle sand or soil on top, moisten with a spray bottle.
- Individual fit is preferable, as intermediate picking is not required. If you are patient, you can easily separate 1-2 seeds and plant them carefully.
- For germination, it is necessary to maintain a temperature no higher than 20ºС, the place is well lit, otherwise the stems will stretch and will not be strong;
- It is better to water from a fine spray bottle with settled water at room temperature, this way there is less risk of erosion of the roots and injury to the stems.
- If sown in a common container, then when 2-3 true leaves appear, the seedlings are transplanted into individual cups, using a fork or the back of a spoon, in order to reduce the damage to the delicate roots.
- When the plants begin to grow, this is about a week later, it will be possible to feed them with nitrogen-containing or complex fertilizers to stimulate growth and reduce stress.
- Before planting in the ground, celosia seedlings need to be taken outside or onto a balcony to harden the plants. A week or two is enough for the seedlings to get used to the open air and sun.
- In established warm weather without night frosts, celosia can be safely planted.
The scheme for a permanent place provides for 10-15 cm of distance between bushes for dwarf varieties or 30-40 cm for plants of normal growth. It is better to choose a sunny place, on the south or west side, so that the rays illuminate the flowerbed for 12 hours. It is imperative to protect celosia from the wind; its stems are not strong and can break under sudden gusts.
The soil at the permanent growth site should be well-drained, slightly acidic, and not dense. This is achieved through the timely application of mineral and organic fertilizers, weeding, watering and loosening.
Important! In hot summers, it is necessary to regularly irrigate the green mass of the flower by sprinkling, and water it abundantly at the root.
Sowing celosia seeds in the ground
How to sow celosia seeds in the ground Winter seedlings of celosia photo
Celosia can be sown simply in the ground. The seeds are not afraid of frost, so you can sow them before winter at the end of October - beginning of November or in early spring, at the end of March. The main thing is that the soil is ripe and allows you to make rows well and then fill them evenly.
How to sow celosia seeds in the ground:
- It is better to prepare the bed in advance so that the soil settles (in 7-10 days), since the seeds are very small.
- The rows are made shallow, up to 5 cm. The seeds are mixed in half with sand and sown very rarely.
- The distance between rows is 25-30 cm.
- Cover the rows with the back of the rake.
- Water moderately to moisten the soil, but do not flood it until the lumps are completely dissolved. If this happens, an earthen crust will form, which is very detrimental to the delicate celosia seedlings. It’s good to sprinkle a thin layer of humus on top after watering. This way the moisture will be retained and there will be no crust.
- When the shoots appear, thin them out without regret, otherwise you will end up with thin plants that are lagging behind in development.
You can, of course, plant the extra ones, or you can immediately leave at least 15-20 cm between celosia shoots so that powerful, well-formed bushes grow.
Celosia comb in landscape design and other uses
Flower growers start growing for several reasons: to surprise the neighbors, to brighten up the garden with new flowers, to add a tropical flavor or to make an accent. Scallops perfectly retain their original appearance when cut, so florists did not ignore it. Bouquet compositions with the addition of openwork tops become elegant, story-driven, and carry a fairytale motif.
The plant with its delightful velvet comb has become a favorite component of floral art and landscape design. For ordinary people, healing qualities are not as important as bewitching beauty.
- Landscape design. Dwarf varieties are used to decorate balconies, borders, and low flowerpots. Taller plants can be used as an accent in a flower bed or as a background for low-growing varieties.
- Design of flower beds and mixborders. The plant grows well not only in partially enclosed spaces, but also in open areas. Often the flower is adjacent to other exotics in a city flowerbed or near architectural structures.
- Floristics. The ability to preserve its original appearance for a long time has made the flower popular for decorating bouquets. Celosia fits perfectly into the thematic composition and creates an exotic, bright mood.
- Creation of decorative panels. A correctly performed technique of drying a flower (a dry, dark place without a press) preserves its aesthetic properties: the color and texture remain unchanged. Such examples are included when creating decorative and applied products: panels, design of finished compositions.
A flower needs care, like any other plant. A properly organized celosia care system will help you achieve the desired result. Before planting, it is necessary to take into account the climatic conditions of the region in order to avoid an unfavorable outcome.
Other uses of the plant:
- aromatic addition to culinary dishes (leaves are added to first courses, used as an independent dish in the form of salads or side dishes, and decoctions are made);
- Traditional medicine of tropical countries has brought many recipes for using celosia leaves and flowers for the complex treatment and prevention of diseases such as infestations, inflammatory processes of the skin, and visual impairment.
Celosia in folk medicine and recipes
To treat a gastrointestinal disorder you will need:
- 2 tbsp. fresh or dried leaves
- 1 tbsp. boiling water;
- 1 tsp honey
Pour boiling water over the crushed leaves, let it brew for 12 hours, strain, mix with honey, take three times a day an hour before meals. The decoction normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, flavonoids help restore intestinal motility, heal microcracks and ulcers.
Important! Honey is added before consumption, otherwise its healing properties are lost. If you are allergic to bee products, you can replace it with syrup or jam. However, it is better to drink without any sweeteners at all.
For the prevention and treatment of diseases of the mouth and throat:
Fresh juice from the leaves and stems of the plant will do. It is squeezed out (passed through a meat grinder or food processor), mixed with warm boiled water, and used for rinsing or compresses. For one glass of water you will need 1 tbsp. freshly squeezed juice. Store the rinse solution in the refrigerator.
Anti-inflammatory skin prevention
You will need plant seeds, which are ground in a coffee grinder and filled with vegetable oil. This is how celosium oil is obtained, which is used for inflammation and redness of the skin. It heals microcracks well, moisturizes and makes the skin velvety.
Pests and diseases of celosia
Blackleg– a fungal disease that affects the stems and root areas of the bush. The legs of the plants actually turn black, bend and dry out, and the seedlings seem to be mowed down. The infection quickly spreads to healthy plants, so the affected sprout urgently needs to be removed and the soil should be shed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Timely disinfection will save other plants from infection.
Signs: the fungus penetrates the structure of the plant, clogs the outflow of sap, which stops the flower’s nutrition, the plant quickly dries out from the root and up to the leaves.
Prevention: moderate watering without stagnation of moisture (drainage is required), treating seeds and soil with a weak solution of manganese, loosening the soil, removing weeds.
Treatment: after removing the diseased plant, the earth is loosened, sprinkled with ash, and watered with soda solution (1 tsp per glass of boiling water). A tincture of onion peel, which also has an antifungal effect, helps.
Aphid– a pest that often accompanies ant attacks. The sweetish and alluring aroma of celosia attracts many insects, including pests.
Signs: aphid larvae are located on the inside of the leaf; tracks can be detected by sticky marks.
Prevention: remove anthills in nearby places, treat the ground next to the bushes with special solutions.
Treatment: if larvae are found on the plant, wash off with soapy water and treat with insecticides (Fitoverm, Akarin, Bitoxibacillin).
Spider mite– takes away the plant’s nutrient medium, depriving it of the opportunity to grow and develop normally.
Signs: white dense web in the leaf axils or at the base of the flower, often invisible due to the bright inflorescence, yellow spots on the leaf blade.
Prevention: water in a timely manner, humidify the air next to the flowerbed, you can spray the bush with a spray bottle.
Treatment: wash off the affected areas with soapy water, it is better to use a generously moistened sponge, then treat with an insecticide against ticks.
If watered incorrectly, it can be affected by snails, slugs, and caterpillars. Ant passages near the root system disrupt air microcirculation and affect root processes. Depleted soils become a favorite place for mole crickets and nematodes, which can only be achieved by completely changing the soil and sanitation.
Celosia pinnate is an annual, herbaceous, ornamental plant belonging to the amaranth family. Under natural growing conditions, it can be found in Asia, Africa, South America and eastern India. Celosia came to European countries at the end of the sixteenth century, and quickly gained popularity among gardeners. Translated from Latin, the name of the plant means “flaming”, apparently this is due to the bright color of its flowers, they can be red, bright yellow, pink, burgundy and purple. Due to the specific shape of the inflorescences, the plant is popularly called “cockscomb”.
In the wild, celosia reaches more than one meter in height; in gardens it is more compact, from twenty to forty-five centimeters. The erect stems are bright green, sometimes with a reddish tinge. The dense, smooth, pointed foliage is ovoid in shape and rich green or dark purple in color with darker veining. Flowering of celosia pinnate occurs in summer or autumn.
Growing celosia pinnate from seeds
The first shoots appear after a month and a half.
Sowing of seeds is carried out in the first half of March. Before this, they need to be disinfected for half an hour in a solution of potassium permanganate, and then placed in an infusion of wood ash for six hours. In order to prepare it, you need to take two tablespoons of ash, pour one liter of boiling water and leave for two days. To make the seeds germinate faster, after soaking they can be placed in the refrigerator for several hours.
At the bottom of the planting container you need to lay a layer of sphagnum moss, and then fill it with loose soil to half the volume. The seeds are evenly distributed over the surface of the soil, slightly pressed into it or covered with a thin layer of substrate. Then the plantings are covered with glass or covered with plastic film. The cover must be removed daily to water and ventilate the plantings. The container is placed in a well-lit and regularly ventilated room with an air temperature of about twenty degrees. You need to water the seedlings very carefully, since when they are overwatered, their formed roots rot very quickly.
Shoots appear, as a rule, after a month and a half. With the appearance of the third true leaf, picking is carried out. By this time, the seedlings have already formed a fairly developed root system, and they take root well. Young plants are placed in individual cups for ease of further replanting. The seedlings are placed in a place with bright lighting, but they must be protected from direct sunlight.
When and how to plant celosia in open ground
Celosia pinnate is a very heat-loving plant, for which even short-term exposure to low air temperatures is harmful. In this regard, seedlings should be planted in open ground only when the spring night frosts have ended and the soil has warmed up sufficiently. This is usually done at the end of May.
Important: if for some reason you have to plant celosia pinnate earlier, then you need to take care of equipping a shelter for it.
Before planting, you need to prepare the area well. This should be done a month before planting, and preferably in the fall. The soil must be covered with humus, dug up and harrowed. Holes for seedlings are made at a distance of ten to thirty centimeters from each other, depending on the expected size of adult plants. After planting the seedlings, you need to water them and then mulch the soil around them with sawdust or peat.
Caring for celosia pinnate
Celosia pinnate loves good light
Although growing celosia pinnate is not particularly difficult, when growing a plant you still need to know some of the subtleties of its content.
Choosing a location and lighting
Like most tropical plants, celosia pinnate loves good light. Therefore, for its location you need to choose a sunny area, protected from the wind.
Watering and fertilizing
Celosia pinnate requires regular moderate watering. In this case, it is necessary to allow the top layer to dry thoroughly in order to prevent waterlogging of the soil, which leads to rotting of the root system. It is also recommended to periodically loosen the soil to increase air permeability.
After planting celosia pinnate in open ground, fertilizing is carried out once a month with universal complex fertilizers. You should not do this more often, since an excess of nutrients in the soil leads to inhibition of flowering.
Important: celosia does not tolerate fresh organic fertilizers; you can add a small amount of bone meal or compost to the soil.
The soil
Choose the right soil when planting celosia
The soil for planting celosia pinnate should be loose, well-drained and slightly acidic. The best option can be considered the following composition:
- deciduous soil - three parts;
- loam – two parts;
- rotted manure - one part;
- coarse sand - one part.
You can add a small amount of crushed charcoal to the prepared mixture.
Celosia pinnate after flowering
After the end of flowering, celosia pinnate retains its decorative qualities for some time, thanks to its foliage that is not only green, but also golden or purple. Since the plant is an annual, it dies with the onset of the first frost.
When to collect celosia seeds
At the end of flowering, fruit-boxes are formed on celosia pinnate, which contain round black seeds. In those regions where they have time to ripen, they can be collected at the end of autumn and stored for five years, during which they retain a high percentage of germination.
Methods for propagating Celosia pinnate flowers
In addition to growing seedlings from seeds, you can propagate celosia pinnately from cuttings. To do this, you need to cut off branches from the plant, which must have at least five leaves. They need to be placed in a container with boiled water, to which you can add a growth stimulator or aloe juice. In this case, roots quickly form on the cuttings, and after just half a month they can be planted in the garden. In open ground, plants obtained by cuttings develop well, but usually bloom less profusely than those grown from seeds.
Diseases and pests
To combat spider mites, you can use a solution of green or laundry soap.
The most dangerous pests for celosia pinnate are aphids and spider mites; they can destroy the plant in the shortest possible time. When they appear, you need to wash all parts of the plant with a solution of green or laundry soap, and then spray with an insecticide. If necessary, the procedure should be repeated after a week.
The plant is often affected by fungal diseases, especially blackleg. Infestation can be identified by the black stem at the base. The disease occurs due to excessive watering, excess nutrients, and inappropriate temperature conditions. As a preventive measure, you need to water the soil with a fungicide solution before planting seedlings. And if the plant is sick, you need to dry the soil well, loosen it, and then water it with infusion of garlic or onion peels. After this, it is recommended to sprinkle the soil with crushed charcoal.
The use of celosia pinnate in landscape design
Thanks to the velvety flowers of Celosia pinnate, which have different bright colors and form spectacular inflorescences of a unique shape, the garden takes on a cheerful and cheerful appearance. A wide variety of flower arrangements are created from plants, they are used in group plantings, and planted in rows on ridges (rectangular flower beds, stripes). Celosia pinnate goes well with a wide variety of both annual plants and perennials in prefabricated flower beds.
Celosia goes well with a wide variety of plants and flowers
Popular types of celosia and photos of flowers
Under natural growing conditions, there are more than sixty species of celosia. Only a few of them are grown as cultivated plants.
The plant is quite compact and reaches a height of up to thirty-five centimeters. The comb-shaped, twisting inflorescences consist of small flowers of yellow, pink, red, orange and purple colors. Flowering of the plant begins in July and ends in early October.
Photo. Celosia silver comb
Celosia silvery pinnate is a very spectacular, large, annual plant, characterized by lush flowering and general decorativeness. The panicle inflorescences of many varietal varieties reach one third of the height of the plant, which ranges from twenty to ninety centimeters. Their color can be golden yellow, bright red, scarlet, orange-golden, burgundy and dark purple. The foliage is as beautiful as the flowers: bright green, greenish-pink, purple-violet.
Photo. Celosia silvery pinnate
Celosia spicata gets its name from the shape of its inflorescences, which resemble the ears of some cereal crops, such as wheat. Their color ranges from pink to burgundy, which, combined with bright green foliage, makes the plant look especially impressive. The height can vary from twenty centimeters to one and a half meters.
Photo. Celosia spicata
In many countries of Africa, South America and some areas of Indonesia, young shoots and leaves were used to prepare a wide variety of culinary dishes: soups, side dishes, salads. At the same time, you need to add herbs to them, since celosia does not have its own special taste. Livestock loves to eat the plant.
Also in its homeland, celosia is used in folk medicine. With its help, they expel helminths, treat diseases of the blood, oral cavity, and gastrointestinal tract, restore vision and immunity, and relieve inflammatory processes. Infusions of the plant are often used for hepatitis and other toxic liver damage. As an external remedy, they are used as compresses for skin diseases and headaches.
Special processing of celosia seeds makes it possible to extract celosia oil with a nutty scent, which is used to make various cosmetics with anti-aging, moisturizing, anti-inflammatory and healing effects.
Being an exotic tropical plant, celosia has taken root well in our gardens. And if you create favorable conditions for it, it will paint their space in the most joyful colors and become an excellent decoration of the landscape.
