Celosia garden flowers. Description of celosia: height, flowering, leaves, root system. How celosia is combined with other plants

Celosia comb- This beautiful plant, which has gained great popularity among all flower lovers. The unusual and bright appearance, aesthetics and showiness, while being stable and unpretentious for cultivation, are amazing qualities. Interestingly, this flower is even sung in Japanese poetry, which is famous for its grace.

Description

Scientists attribute this plant to the genus Celosia (Celosia), the amaranth family. Celosia- latin word, which apparently comes from the Greek Kelos, which means fiery or burning. I immediately understood the name of the plant at the first glance at the bright, rich palette of flower colors.

AT modern world there are approximately 60 species of these herbaceous plants, whose natural habitat is the tropics. Growth geography: Asia, Africa, South America.

By shape, flowers are classified into the following types: Spikelet, Cirrus, Comb.

Celosia comb and celosia pinnate undisputed leaders in people in terms of popularity for their breeding (growing). The first of these will be discussed further.

Its full name is Celosia argentea f. Cristata, that is celosia silver comb. Or, as the people also call it: cockscomb, because the flowers look like it.

This is a perennial plant, although it is cultivated for practical reasons precisely as an annual.

The height of celosia in nature usually does not exceed 45 centimeters; for gardeners, handsome bushes are more compact, from 20 to 35 centimeters. The appearance of comb celosia is exactly this: small flowers are buds of inflorescences, the upper edge of which is sinuous, evoking associations with a rooster's comb.

Celosia is inherent bright coloring: blood red, orange, yellow, pink and their shades.

A rare combination of brightness and a specific form of flowers distinguish comb celosia from other representatives of the terrestrial flora.

Reproduction and cultivation

External exoticism and unusualness, it even surprises how unpretentious these flowers are in terms of their breeding.

Celosia can be propagated by seeds and cuttings.

But in the practice of cultivating the plant, the first method prevails, since with it the plant's selection is better preserved.

Technological features of breeding flowers:

• seeds are sown in moist soil infrequently so that future seedlings are five centimeters apart from each other;
• it is better to sow a seedling of celosia first in each individual pot, so we will avoid the danger of damaging the root system.
• in five days the first shoots will appear;
• climatic temperature regime for seedlings should be 17-20 degrees of heat, with good light and air circulation;
• it is necessary to water, as they say, properly, without overdrying the soil and without turning it into a swamp, since the roots of young plants will rot in excessively moist soil;
• sunlight is needed, but it is not necessary that direct hot rays hit the seedlings.

As we mentioned, celosia comes from the tropics, so it does not need to be transplanted into open ground to establish warm weather.

Seedlings are planted like this: if this dwarf variety, then between them leave 10-15 centimeters of distance, between ordinary varieties 20-30 centimeters.

In a garden for celosia, a sunny area is well suited and, if possible, protected from gusts of wind.

Soil requirements:

• the ideal option is not dense and chemical composition slightly acidic, good drainage desired;
• monthly fertilization (mineral) will have a good effect on the splendor of flowers;
• hot weather required good watering flowers, otherwise they wither and no longer bloom.

Plant diseases

Like everything in wildlife, our comb celosia is vulnerable to various misfortunes.

Very often the plant is affected by fungi of the genus Botrytis. This is fungal disease called "black leg". Each plot of land is potentially dangerous in this regard, so the soil must be specially treated before planting celosia. If traces of the disease are found, the affected seedlings are immediately destroyed without a trace, since the “black leg” is contagious. The ground in this place also needs to be disinfected. It is noteworthy that the disease strikes as garden plants, and room.

The symptoms are: the stem turns black at the base, the fungus penetrates the plant and clogs the vessels, stopping the free flow of juice. As a result - yellowing of flowers and drying out of the root system, and finally, the death of the culture.

As a rule, celosia is affected by the disease in early age(traces are seen even in seedlings).

It should be remembered that this disease is carried by soil, the remains of foreign plants and insects.

As a preventive measure, the seeds should be treated with a manganese solution, which can then be watered on the ground.

Treatment: having found signs of illness - loosen the soil and sprinkle it with charcoal ash or lime. You can also water the soil soda solution or tincture on onion peel.

Aphids are another natural enemy of flowers. To combat it, celosia is sprayed with an appropriate preparation (insecticide).

Application

Celosia, behind its exotic velvety-fluffy inflorescences, blends perfectly with the general landscape. land plot, looks good in any flower arrangements, giving the gardens a unique flavor.

Potted celosia, because of their simply amazing beauty, is a bright touch to the interior of an apartment, and also a cheerful decoration of a loggia or balcony.

These flowers are widely used in floristry, as they are able to maintain their "model" shape for a long time.

In addition to aesthetic, decorative value, this plant also has a number of practical qualities that are useful to humans.

Celosia will become an unreal decoration of your flower bed, thanks to its coloring and outline of inflorescences, as shown in the photo of celosia. It belongs to Amaranth. Its name comes from "kelos" (Greek) meaning "flaming, burning."

The warm regions of the African, Asian and American continents are considered the birthplace of celosia. There are almost 60 species in the world, the most common of them are comb silver, pinnate silver and spikelet.

Celosia flower is herbaceous plant annuals and perennials, sometimes looks like a bush. In a cool climate, only one season can exist, because low temperatures are not for it.

It has a branching system of a straight stem, oblong leaves with a pointed edge. Inflorescences look like spikelets, scallops or panicles with different colors: red, purple, yellow, etc. as fruits - many seeds.

seed germination

Growing celosia from seeds is perhaps the only way to reproduce this species. First, the seeds must be soaked in an aqueous solution (add 1 drop of epin and 1 drop of zircon per 200 g), for 3 or 4 hours, so that the shell becomes softer.

The sowing procedure is carried out from the end of March to mid-April in small vessels with a soil mixture of humus and vermiculite in equal proportions.

It is rarely necessary to sow, lightly pressing the seeds to the soil and sprinkling with water.

Then cover with a film and put in a bright place from 23-25 ​​C, but not on open sun, with excellent natural ventilation, watering regularly and freeing from condensate. You can immediately sow in separate pots. Young sprouts will appear in a week.

Growing seedlings of celosia

To germinate seedlings, additional lighting for sprouts for 4-6 hours is necessary, since daylight hours are not yet great. When sowing in groups, seedlings are dived twice.

For the first time, when 2 or 3 young leaves appear, they are transplanted into another pot with the same soil 4-5 cm deep and 5 cm between the shoots. As soon as they take root, be sure to feed them with fertilizer for flowering varieties.

After some time, the strengthened plants are transplanted again into a separate peat-humus pot. If the plant has taken root, carry out the fertilization procedure again.

Celosia: planting in the ground and care

Celosia seedlings are planted in open ground when stable warm weather occurs without frost closer to mid-May.

The landing site should be well lit by the sun, covered from drafts and with an excellent drainage system.

With acidic soil, it should be treated with lime, but without organic additives, the flower does not like them.

The landing process is quite simple. Transplant the celosia to the flower bed carefully so as not to damage the delicate roots, and if the seedlings are in peat pots, then immerse them in the ground with them.

Keep a distance of 15-20 cm between plants for low varieties, for high ones - 25-30 cm.

Care rules

The rules for caring for celosia are elementary, but consider two but: germinated seed way celosia can easily die even with weak low temperatures and waterlogged soil. Be sure to keep this in mind when leaving.

Water only in the heat, if you notice drooping leaves and a slowdown in the growth of inflorescences. At the same time, feed the plant regularly, but do not overdo it with nitrogen-containing fertilizers, otherwise there will be a lot of foliage, and there will be practically no flowers.

Loosen the soil, fight weeds - these are, perhaps, all the difficulties.

Harmful effects on the plant

Seedlings from excess moisture can hit the black leg. If you notice a black color on the stem at the roots (signs of this disease), loosen the soil near the stem and sprinkle lightly wood ash and forget about watering for a while.

If an aphid has appeared on the plant, prepare this solution: mix 2 tsp. liquid soap with a glass of vegetable oil and two glasses of water. Spray the celosium with this solution. Repeat several times with a short interval in the evening.

Collection of seeds after the flowering period

To do this, cut off a few fading inflorescences and leave them without moisture in a dark place.

After the inflorescences are completely dry, shake them over a sheet of paper, the seeds will crumble easily, blow them lightly and pour them into a small container for safety.

wintering celosia

Celosia does not need wintering, because after flowering it is removed, and planted again in the spring. Flowers are also used in dry compositions.

To do this, you need to cut the plant, remove the leaves and install not a large number of celosia at home, it is advisable to use tall specimens, form a bouquet and let it dry in a darkened ventilated place, and then rearrange it in a beautiful flowerpot to decorate the interior in winter period piece of flame.

Varieties of celosia

most popular and known varieties celosia are:

Silvery comb in common cockscomb. The height is 45 cm or less. Leaf color: green, burgundy, bronze or gold.

The inflorescence consists of small, cockscomb-shaped flowers that are bright red or bright orange. Flowering period: July - September. These include varieties: Impress, Atropurpurea, Imperialis.

Silvery pinnate or paniculate. In height up to 1 meter, although there are dwarf species. The stem ends with large inflorescences in the form of multi-colored panicles. Leaves are green or red.

Flowering period: July-September. These include varieties: Goldfeder, Tomsoni Magnifica, Fakelshine, New Look.

Spikelet. Not suitable for our region, but attracts many flower lovers. Grows from 20 to 120 cm, inflorescences in the form of spikelets-panicles different colors. The most refined is Celosia in the color of corals.

Photo of celosia

Celosia has various descriptions because it looks unusual and surprisingly beautiful. From Latin, the word kelos, from which the name Celosia comes, means "burning, flaming." She received the name for small very different, but very bright colors: golden, scarlet, orange, red, pink, yellow. Its flowers are collected in the form of spikelets, scallops or give paniculate inflorescences, the leaves are pointed, lanceolate. All three groups of plants include at least 60 types of celosia. But in our area only pinnate and comb varieties are grown. Spikelets take root worse.

The homeland of the plant is the warm regions of America, Asia, Africa, where it grows as a plant. But in cooler regions, like ours, it is grown as, since it cannot survive the winter. How to grow celosia in your area, we will describe later in the material.

Planting celosia for seedlings

propagate the plant seeds. Celosia can also be propagated by cuttings, but in this case it will lose its own. Since the plant is thermophilic, it does not germinate well in cold soil and does not tolerate, better seeds sow in advance in closed ground. Having grown and hardened seedlings, it can be safely planted in the garden.

Seed preparation before planting

Planting material of celosia has a very dense shell, so the first stage of its cultivation from seeds requires them. pre-soak. It is advisable to do this in solution and. One drop of each drug is given per glass of water, the seeds are immersed in the solution and left for 3-4 hours.

When and how to sow seeds

Planting material is sown at the end of March or at the beginning of April. You can do without, growing on the loggia. In any case, the time when to sow celosia for seedlings is calculated so that when planting in open ground, the plant does not fall under frost.

For sowing, prepare small bowls with light soil. For example, an equal combination of humus and. The main thing is to be loose and neutral. Seeds are sown sparingly. There is no need to sprinkle them with a layer of soil, it is enough to gently press them into it and well from the spray gun.

Conditions for germination

Having figured out how to sow celosia, take care of suitable conditions for its germination. To do this, the bowl with the sown planting material is covered or exposed to a bright place, but away from direct rays. It is important that the air temperature at the same time kept at a level 23-25ºC. If the temperature is lower, the germination of the seeds will not be as friendly, and some will not even be able to shed the skin.

The first sprouts should appear in about a week, but the final dates largely depend on germination conditions and quality. planting material.

seedling care

The plant is very light-loving, so the seedlings must be provided with additional. If you grow it at home, you will need fluorescent ones. When growing, sodium or halogen are used. Additional illumination should be at least four hours.
But even with the organization of additional light, sprouts can stretch out strongly. This happens due to too tight fit. The distance between plants should be at least a centimeter, otherwise the seedlings may die from black leg disease. To prevent this from happening, the seedlings must be thinned out, and the soil should be watered with a solution.

Periodically, it is necessary to remove the glass or film, removing condensation from them and from the bowl. This will prevent the occurrence of fungal diseases.

Planting seedlings of celosia in open ground

After the seedlings are strong enough, you can plant them in open ground, forming future ones with celosia.

The best time to plant seedlings

Planting of celosia in a permanent place is carried out when the soil warms up enough, frosts cannot be expected on it, the temperature environment will be high enough. As a rule, this time comes in end of May.

Landing site selection

When choosing a place for a flower in yours, remember that he loves abundant light and does not tolerate excess moisture. Therefore, a bright, lit place is suitable for him, where there will be no drafts and strong winds. The soil should be good and neutral. If it is too acidic, lime must first be added to it.

How to plant seedlings

When planting seedlings in open ground, remember that the plant is very fragile. Therefore, it is transplanted to a permanent place by transshipment - along with earthy clod immersed in a pre-prepared hole. If humus pots were used for diving, you can transfer along with them.

Celosia planting scheme depends on its height. When planting tall specimens, a distance between seedlings of 25-30 cm from each other should be maintained. For short ones, 15-20 cm is enough. The first flowers should appear already at the end of May, and flowering usually continues until the ambient temperature drops to 1 ° C.

How to care for celosia

Despite the exactingness of the place of growth, celosia does not cause special difficulties when growing and caring for it. It is only important to remember that it does not withstand too wet soil and even light frosts. At temperatures below 10 ° C, it develops poorly and blooms poorly. The ideal temperature for her is 23–25 ° С.

Watering, loosening and weeding the soil

When organizing a plant, we must remember that it easily tolerates drought, but can die with excess moisture. Therefore, it is better to forget it than to add water once again. Even if the leaves of the flower drooped from a lack of moisture, it will quickly come to its senses after the first one. But with a lack of water, flowering stops.

Weeding is carried out throughout as needed. More attention should be paid, as the flower does not like high humidity. The procedure is carried out every time after rain or watering, deepening into the ground by no more than 5 cm.

Fertilization

The first application is carried out already at the stage of transplanting the plant into open ground. To do this, add to the water for irrigation complex fertilizers. Use this feed no more than twice a month. Do not overdo it with, otherwise, with lush greenery, you will not get the expected flowers for which celosia is grown.

Did you know? Celosia is used as a dried flower. To do this, during flowering, the shoots are cut, the leaves are removed from them, tied in bunches and dried in a dark, well-ventilated, dry room. In the light, they lose their bright colors.

Pests and diseases of celosia, how to deal with them

The plant is subject to many typical. At the seedling stage, a black leg can overtake it - blackening at the base of the stem, due to which the sprout falls and dies. The causative agent of this disease can be found in any soil mixture, so it is desirable before planting, for example, with a solution of potassium permanganate or boiling water. She also appears in too dense and

Celosia (Celosia) comes from the Amaranth family. Celosia (Greek Kelcos - fiery, burning) fully justifies its name because of the color of flowers and foliage.

The homeland of the flower is South China, East India, America and Africa.
For many decades in a row, celosia has been grown in many gardens by amateur flower growers in various countries of the world. These beautiful velvet blooms will brighten up any flower garden and look great in freshly cut and dry bouquets.

annual and perennial herbaceous, shrub plants with ribbed, juicy, straight, branched stems of a reddish-green color. The height of the flower is 20-130 centimeters.

The arrangement of the leaves is alternate. Leaves petiolate, smooth, entire. The shape is linear-lanceolate, ovoid with a pointed tip or ovate-lanceolate. The color is green, dark purple, bronze, pink or variegated.

The flowers are bisexual, small, with membranous bright bracts, collected in spike-shaped, pinnate (paniculate) and comb-shaped large inflorescences. Coloring orange, fiery red, purple, yellow, white, silver, pink.

Celosia blooms from mid-June to early October.

The fruits are a round multi-seeded box. Seeds are black, shiny, round shape. There are about 800 seeds per gram. Germination is maintained for 5 years.

The genus includes about 60 plant species. All species are divided into spicate, pinnate (paniculate) and comb varieties. Plants can be dwarf (20-30 centimeters), medium-sized (30-50 centimeters) and tall (50-130 centimeters).

It grows from 20 to 130 centimeters in height. Inflorescences resemble an ear. Flowers are red, yellow, white and orange. Some varieties have bright coral inflorescences.

Celosia pinnate or paniculate is a pyramidal compact bush, 20-100 centimeters high. The species includes dwarf, medium and tall varieties.
Stems are straight. The flowers are large, panicle-like. The color is orange, yellow, includes a large number of red shades. Shoots and leaves of bright green, pink or magenta. Some varieties are distinguished by their beautiful silver-yellow flowers.

It is a perennial that is grown as annual plant. Plant height reaches 65 centimeters. The leaves are colored in purple, burgundy, red, bronze, golden and green color. Flower colors are yellow, orange, purple, red, purple and pink.

The best varieties are:

It is an annual. The plant is drought tolerant. The flower is original bright inflorescences. Stems often fused, erect, thick, juicy, height 30-40 cm.
The leaves are pointed, oval, dark purple or variegated.
Flowers are small. Perianths yellow, pink, orange, purple-red, cream.

Flowers are collected in large velvety inflorescences with large and medium, deep bends along the upper edge, similar to a cockscomb.

Is different decorative foliage and unusual inflorescences. The stems are erect, about 55 centimeters high. At the ends of the stems are feather-like inflorescences. The shades of flowers are quite diverse, from rich yellow to light purple.

It has original inflorescences. The stems are erect, fused, juicy, the height reaches 80 centimeters. At the end of each stem is a fluffy tail-tuft of soft pink color.

Variety Argentia is a perennial plant with upright shoots about 100 centimeters high.

The average height of the plant is 30-65 centimeters. The leaves are dark green. Inflorescences similar to flames. Small flowers of burgundy, raspberry, white, pink, yellow, orange, red color.

Are very large plants, with pale pink stem. Inflorescences are purple-red. The leaves are very beautiful, light green.

You can also distinguish varieties: Impress, Golden Flitz, Imperialis, Feuerfeder, Yukata, Kyupi, Caracas, Carmina, Kimoto and others.

Growing seedlings of celosia at home allows you to get strong and healthy seedlings in more early dates than when sowing seeds in open ground. AT open ground seeds germinate for quite a long time, and when sown in room conditions The first sprouts appear after 5-15 days.

For sowing, a seed box or a low container with drainage holes at the bottom is used. After the seedlings grow up, the plants are picked into boxes or a greenhouse, and then into separate containers with a diameter of at least 7 centimeters.

Plants quickly take root in a new place and by mid-June or early July begin to delight with their beautiful, colorful velvet flowers.

When to plant seedlings

Sowing seeds is carried out from mid-March to early April. Before planting in the ground, the plants will have time to grow, get stronger and easily transfer the transplant. When sown in open ground, the seeds are sown in late April - early May. Crops are covered with foil. Seedlings in this case grow longer and flowering occurs later.

Land and seed preparation

For sowing seeds, 3 parts of soddy or leafy soil, part of sand, part of humus and part of vermiculite (perlite) are taken. To protect against diseases, crushed charcoal. Everything is mixed and processed with a hot, weak solution of potassium permanganate.

Seeds before sowing are treated with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. This treatment will further protect the plants from blackleg and fungal diseases. After disinfection, the seeds are placed in a solution of a mixture of Zircon and Epin for 3-4 hours. For 200 grams of water, 1 drop of the stimulant is taken. After processing, the seeds are dried a little on a napkin and can be taken for sowing.

A layer of sphagnum moss or vermiculite is laid out at the bottom of the tank, and the finished soil mixture is poured. The earth should not completely fill the container, at least 2 centimeters should remain from the surface. The soil is slightly moist.

Seeds are scattered on the surface, slightly pressed to the ground. For even sowing, you can use a paper sheet folded in half. Seeds fall out in a thin stream.

When using a toothpick, the seeds are distributed at a distance of 3 centimeters from each other.

It is not necessary to deepen the crops or sprinkle them with earth, otherwise the seeds may not sprout. The soil with seeds is sprayed from a spray bottle.

The container is covered with glass, film or a transparent lid and placed on the window. The temperature of the content should be at around 22-25 degrees. To protect from the sun, the container is covered with paper. The glass is removed once a day for airing, spraying (when drying) and removing condensate. A week after the emergence of seedlings, it can be removed.

Seedlings germinate in 5-15 days. After the appearance of sprouts, the paper is removed, but straight Sun rays should not touch the sprouts, otherwise the plants may die.

After the appearance of 2-3 leaves, the seedlings are transplanted into a spacious box or a warm greenhouse at a distance of 4-5 centimeters from each other.
When the plants get stronger and reach 10-15 centimeters in height, they are seated in separate cups or pots. Can be used for transplant peat pots, which in the future, when transplanted into the ground, will serve as additional nutrition for plants.

CELOSIA - growing from seeds: video

You can get by with a one-time transplant, immediately into separate pots, but in this case, weak sprouts must be immediately fed with fertilizers.

Seedlings are fertilized twice, after picking and half a month before planting in the ground.

Mineral fertilizers with the addition of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are applied at the stage of green mass formation. Fertilizers are diluted in water and applied instead of the next watering. For 5 liters of water, 15 grams of fertilizer is taken.

Watering should be moderate and accurate. Water should be poured along the edges of the pots, without touching the seedlings. Excess moisture can lead to plant diseases and therefore watering should be treated with extreme caution. Moisture is supplied as the soil dries.
Regular airing of the room with seedlings strengthens the plants and, when transplanted into open ground, helps to acclimatize more easily.

Provided for plants additional illumination phytolamp, morning and evening for 5 hours.

When growing celosia in sunny, warm, wind-protected areas, it pleases with beautiful and bright inflorescences.

The soil should be fertile, loose, air and moisture permeable, with low acidity. Acidic soil must be limed before planting seedlings. For this, it is used slaked lime, charcoal (ash), dolomite flour.

Before planting, rotted humus and sand are introduced into the soil. The flower reacts negatively to the introduction of fresh organic matter.

The plant is photophilous and afraid of the cold. With slight frosts, the flower dies. Transplantation into the ground is carried out in May - early June, after the end of spring frosts.

Low-growing seedlings are planted at a distance of 15-20 centimeters from each other, tall varieties are planted with an interval of 30-40 centimeters. The size of the hole should be equal to the volume of the pot. The seedling is carefully rolled out of the pot along with an earthy clod. If the plant grows in a peat pot, it is planted directly in it. Plants are pressed with earth and watered.

Care for celosia includes watering, fertilizing, removing weeds and loosening the soil around the bushes.

The flower needs regular, moderate watering. In hot, dry weather, watering is increased, and the plants are sprayed from a spray bottle. You need to water the celosia in the early morning. With a lack of moisture, flower stalks are often not formed on the plant. Excessive moisture also adversely affects flowers and lead to diseases.

After watering, the soil is loosened. Weeds are removed as they appear. Weeding should be regular, otherwise weeds can bring diseases and pests.

In the form of top dressing, complex mineral fertilizers, which are made 10 days after planting. Then feeding is done once a month.

Decorative varieties Celosia can be propagated by cuttings. seed propagation can lead to loss varietal features plants. Cut cuttings are placed for 2 hours in a growth stimulator solution. Then planted in the substrate and watered. After half a month, the plants take root and they can be planted in the ground.

Celosia is susceptible to damage black leg, chlorosis, pale spotting, brown and white rot.

Because of improper watering plants can be affected by blackleg. To combat the disease, charcoal and ash are used. The soil around the plants is loosened and covered thin layer ash (coal). Watering is reduced and is done only after the soil has dried. into the water for additional protection a few granules of potassium permanganate or phytosporin are added.

Excess moisture leads to the appearance of chlorosis. Iron preparations are used to combat the disease.

At the first signs of damage to plants by any of the diseases, protective preparations are treated.

In addition to diseases, aphids, spider mites and root gall nematodes may appear on celosia. To eliminate the pest, a mixture of liquid soap (20 grams), vegetable oil (200 grams) and water (400 grams) is used. Processing is done twice a week until complete disappearance insects (at least 3 times).

When spider mite plants are treated with a solution laundry soap.
In case of severe insect damage, you can use a suitable insecticide in this case.

Loosening, weed removal and preventive maintenance help protect plants from unwanted diseases and pests.

How to collect your seeds

To collect seeds, you need to select and cut the most beautiful inflorescences that have begun to fade. Flowers should be placed in a jar (vase) without water in a dark room. After the inflorescences have completely dried, they need to be shaken over a sheet of paper. Spilled seeds must be dried and poured into a paper bag for storage.
Seeds are stored in a cool place.

These velvety, figured, exotic inflorescences and bright, colorful foliage can decorate any flower bed, flower bed, mixborder, container, flowerpot, vase, used in dry bouquets.

Low grades are used in the design of balcony containers, boxes, hanging planters, carpet beds, flower beds.

Tall varieties are suitable for decorating voluminous flower beds, mixborders, discounts, flower beds, various landscape compositions in conjunction with decorative stones, perennials and shrubs.

Cut flowers in dry bouquets can stand until spring.

What to plant in the year of the rooster Celosia Cockscomb: video

Celosia is loved by many flower growers for its unpretentiousness and beautiful view, able to decorate any flower garden or vase.

If the grower is looking for an extraordinary flower for his garden or flower bed, he will not remain indifferent to celosia. This plant has rather unusual inflorescences, different kinds differ in their shape and color. Among the many colorful varieties, there is definitely one that will win you over. What varieties of celosia are best cultivated in our climate and how to grow this exotic flower, will go further.

Description, types and varieties

Celosia belongs to the Amaranth family, you can grow both perennial and annual flowers. The plant has straight branched stems, on which leaf plates are arranged alternately. Their shape is different: linear-lanceolate, ovoid or ovate-lanceolate. Spike-shaped, paniculate or comb-shaped inflorescences consist of many small flowers, their color can be red, yellow, orange, pink, golden or scarlet.

There are the following popular types and varieties:

Argentina

A perennial plant, the erect shoots of which usually do not grow more than 1 meter, specimens of 30-65 cm in height are more common. Veins stand out strongly on dark green leaf plates, they are arranged alternately on the stem. Inflorescences resemble flames, the color of small flowers can be burgundy, white, raspberry, pink, red, yellow or orange.

Comb

A perennial that is cultivated as an annual plant because it does not survive the winter. This type has another name - cockscomb, as it was called by the people for unusual shape inflorescence, which actually resembles a rooster's comb. The color of the flowers is quite bright, they are yellow, orange, purple, purple or pink.

Impress

Perennial variety that belongs to the species comb celosia, the height of erect stems is only about 20-30 cm. Leaf plates of the plant small size, but have an interesting dark purple or crimson color. Lush flowers stand out favorably among the foliage; their bright burgundy color gives the plant a special decorative effect.

Caracas

The plant is perennial, has branched stems, leaf plates are regular, green in color. small flowers form an inflorescence that resembles a spikelet in shape, the color of the petals is pink-purple. The variety is valued for its decorative effect and is often grown as indoor plant. You can observe flowering from the second decade of July to October.

carmina

The variety was bred by US breeders, a pyramidal compact plant can reach a height of 20-25 cm. Straight stems end with paniculate inflorescences of large sizes. Small flowers can be bright red, yellow, orange or deep red. Often this variety is grown indoors.

Kimono

A well-branched, highly leafy plant, it can grow only 15 cm in height. The flower has densely double paniculate inflorescences, the color of which can be yellow, red, orange, burgundy or cream. The variety is cultivated in open and closed ground. Bushes begin to bloom profusely in June, and flowering declines closer to mid-autumn.

coral garden

An annual culture with erect rather thick stems, the height of which can reach 30-40 cm. Inflorescences in the form of a dense comb give decorativeness to the plant, the color of the flowers is cream, purple, yellow, red or pink. It will be possible to enjoy flowering from mid-summer, but it lasts only until the first frost.

Paniculata

Some varieties of panicled celosia can reach 1 meter in height, but there are undersized specimens and dwarf ones. Medium-sized leaf plates can have a different color from bright green to red or pink. Large panicle-shaped inflorescences are located on straight stems, their color is orange, yellow or red.

pampas

This variety looks quite elegant, not only due to the unusual inflorescence, but also the decorative foliage. The upright stems can grow to a height of about 55 cm, feather-like inflorescences are located at their ends, the shade of the flowers can vary, from bright yellow to pale purple. Abundant flowering starts from the second decade of June.

pinnate

The plant is an annual, the height of the shoots can reach 55-65 cm, the leaves have a rich in green. Densely leafy stems end in pyramidal inflorescences, their color is predominantly red only differs in shades. Bushes bloom profusely for 2-3 months, closer to October, the inflorescences begin to fade a little.

Silvery

This species is popular in our country, annual flower grows about 1 meter in height. Lush pyramidal inflorescences are formed on straight stems, their length can be a third of the entire height of the plant. The color of the petal is different, but always quite bright. The decorativeness of the inflorescences lasts 2-3 months, but ends with a decrease in temperature.

When to plant

Celosia does not tolerate frost, this fact should be taken into account when sowing seeds in open ground. It is recommended to do it at the end of April, but it may be necessary to cover the crops with foil, most often this has to be done in May, and in some regions in early June. For earlier flowering, gardeners grow celosia in seedlings, then sowing is done by the end of March or at the beginning of April.

Seedling from seeds

Before sowing, the seeds of celosia must undergo pre-planting preparation, for this they are left for several hours in a solution of Zircon and Epin, each substance will need 1 drop per cup of water. Such procedures are carried out to soak the shell of the seeds, since it has a rather dense structure.

Planting material should be sown superficially on moist, nutritious loose soil, which should consist of vermiculite and humus soil, they should be mixed in equal parts. Celosia seeds are quite small, but you need to try to sow them not too thickly, they are not sprinkled with soil, they are only pressed tightly against the surface of the soil. After the work has been done, the container with seedlings must be covered with glass or plastic wrap and put it on a bright window sill, optimum temperature air for seed germination is 22-25 degrees. It is desirable that direct sunlight does not fall on the container with crops; periodically the film or glass is raised to ventilate, moisten and remove condensate.

When the plants form two leaves, they can dive into small individual containers to avoid picking, you can immediately sow the seeds in small pots or cups. At optimal conditions seedlings usually hatch a week after planting.

Transfer to open ground

Celosia seedlings are planted in a permanent place by the transshipment method, along with a clod of soil in which the plants grew. It is possible to make a transplant starting from the second decade of May, when frosts no longer move forward.

A place for planting seedlings should be selected well-lit and closed from the effects of wind and drafts. The soil should be drained and not acidic, if necessary, it should be limed before planting. It is not recommended to apply fresh organic fertilizers because celosia does not tolerate them.

When growing undersized varieties, the step between the planting holes should be about 15 cm, in the case of tall varieties not less than 30-35 cm.

seedless method

When sowing seeds of celosia immediately in open ground, they must be embedded in moist soil to a depth of no more than 1 cm, then the plantings should be rolled with a roller. As with seedling method cultivation, planting material is sown sparsely, having previously carried out preplant preparation with it. Under such sowing conditions, flowering should be expected 50-75 days after planting.

Gathering New Seeds

To collect new planting material, you need to cut off 3-4 inflorescences that have already begun to fade. They must be placed in a vase without water in a gloomy room. When the inflorescences are completely dry, they will need to be shaken over paper (newspaper), what spills out of them should be slightly blown and poured into a small box for storage.

Celosia in winter

Unfortunately, celosia does not survive the winter in our climate, since it is a heat-loving plant. In our country, a perennial crop in open ground can be grown only as an annual, and as a perennial it can grow only in southern regions Krasnodar Territory and in the Crimea.

Diseases and pests

Young celosia plants (seedlings) may be affected by:

• Black leg with excessive moisture of the substrate. At the first sign (the base of the stem turns black) of the disease, the soil must be loosened, sprinkling it with a small layer of ash, and watering should be stopped for a while;
• Aphids, then treatment with the following solution will help get rid of the pest: liquid soap(2 teaspoons), water (2 cups) and vegetable oil(1 glass). The spraying procedure is repeated 3-4 times in the evenings every 4 days.