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Growing pinnate celosia from seeds allows you to get very bright and beautiful flowers in your flower bed. But first you need to become familiar with the peculiarities of the culture; it is bred according to strict rules.
Description of paniculate celosia with photo
The herbaceous plant Celosia belongs to the Amaranthaceae family and comes from the widespread Celosia silver. It grows on average 1 m above ground level, has straight branched stems, oval, ovoid leaves of bright green color, smooth and pointed at the tips. Some varieties have clearly visible red veins on the surface of the leaf blades.
Cirrus celosia is a very beautiful plant, but it does not overwinter in the ground.
Flowering begins in June and continues until late autumn. Photos of pinnate celosia in a flowerbed show that during the decorative period the plant bears numerous paniculate inflorescences directed vertically upward. They consist of small elongated flowers, the petals of which almost close inward at the top. The buds are very densely spaced and can be red, yellow, orange, crimson, or purple.
In its natural form, the culture is widespread in warm climates - in South America, Africa, Asia, and in certain regions of North America.
Paniculata celosia: perennial or annual
Cirrus celosia belongs to the category of annuals. In warm regions it is often grown as a perennial crop, but in temperate and northern latitudes the flower is simply not able to survive the frosty winter.
The best varieties
Cirrus celosia on the horticultural market is represented by low-growing and tall varieties with bright flowering. At a summer cottage, any of the annuals will become a real pearl.
Feuerfeder
Cirrus celosia variety Feuerfeder is a low annual plant about 35 cm tall. In early summer it bears bright red feathery inflorescences. The leaves are light green with pink-red veins, so the plant looks decorative even when not in flower.
The name Feuerfeder is translated from German as “fire feather”, which is quite consistent with the appearance of the plant.
Torchshain
Variety Fackelschein is a tall pinnate celosia about 70 cm tall. It is distinguished by its fascinating bright red flowering throughout the summer and bears abundant elongated and wide inflorescences.
Torchshine really resembles a flaming torch in the garden
Golden Flitz
Golden Fleece is a popular tall annual crop variety.It rises up to 80 cm above the ground; the flowers of pinnate celosia are golden-orange, collected in large inflorescences.
Golden Flitz can bloom until October and fades only with the arrival of frost.
New bow
The low variety New Look stretches up to 40 cm above the ground. In July it produces paniculate, feathery inflorescences of bright scarlet color. The annual leaves also have a noticeable purple tint. Flowering continues until September.
New Look feels comfortable in sunny areas of the garden
Tomsoni Magnifica
A very beautiful variety, Tomsoni Magnifica, is a tall, feathery celosia, reaching 80 cm above the ground. By early July, rich burgundy inflorescences appear on straight stems. The beauty of the panicles is especially emphasized by the pinkish-green leaves of the annual.
Tomsoni Magnifica blooms from early summer until the October cold
Paniculata celosia in landscape design
Although pinnate celosia is an annual, it is valued and used very widely in garden design:
- The plant is used to decorate verandas and terraces.
Low-growing varieties of pinnate celosia grow well in closed containers in the fresh air
- Using annuals, create single flower beds.
A flower bed with decorative celosia becomes a bright spot in the garden
- The plant is planted in borders and along the walls of buildings.
Celosia can beautifully highlight the line of a path, frame a gazebo or house
- The plant is used in large perennial flower beds.
You can plant celosia in a flowerbed as a bright frame
Cirrus celosia is good both as a tapeworm and as an element of group compositions
Features of reproduction
Unlike many other plants, annual pinnate celosia is propagated exclusively by seeds.The seed sprouts easily and quickly; in the summer the flowerbed blooms with bright inflorescences, and dies in the fall. It is not customary to practice cuttings; it takes too much time, and besides, the crop often loses its decorative effect.
Growing pinnate celosia seedlings
The annual plant is not planted directly in the ground - first, celosia pinnate is grown from seeds at home. Only slightly grown seedlings, ready to develop in the air, are transferred to an open area.
When to sow paniculata celosia seeds
It is necessary to start growing seedlings in the spring, at the end of March or early April. In this case, by summer the annual will be ready to be transferred to the garden.
Preparing containers and soil
Ideally, it is recommended to grow feathery celosia immediately in individual containers; the crop does not tolerate picking well. You can take peat pots or plastic cups about 8 cm high. However, group sowing of seedlings in a low, wide container is also allowed; in this case, you will simply have to be especially careful when transplanting.
It is best to immediately sow celosia in separate pots.
The soil for seedlings must be fertile, loose and with a pH level of about 6.0. A neutral soil mixture is suitable for flower seedlings; you can also prepare the soil yourself, namely:
- mix 3 parts of leaf soil and turf;
- add 1 part each of vermiculite, sand and humus.
It is recommended to heat the prepared mixture in the oven, and then pour it with a biofungicide for disinfection. This is done in advance, 2 weeks before sowing the seeds.
Sowing algorithm
Cirrus celosia is sown using the surface method - it is not sprinkled with soil on top, but simply pressed firmly into the soil. Then the seeds are lightly sprayed with a spray bottle and the pots or container are covered with film or glass.
Celosia seedlings are sown on the soil surface
The seedlings are left in a bright, warm place at a temperature of about 25 °C. From time to time, the shelter is removed, the soil is ventilated and moistened, and accumulated condensation is removed. In about a week, the first shoots should appear.
Seedling care
Growing celosia seedlings in seedling boxes in the spring does not involve any particular difficulties. Care comes down to several measures:
- watering, moisten the soil in the container as needed, do not allow it to dry out;
- backlighting - seedlings are kept under a lamp so that the total daylight hours are at least 10-12 hours;
- picking, when 3 leaves appear on the seedlings, they need to be transplanted into separate containers, if the seeds were initially placed in a common container.
After picking, the celosia can be watered with a solution of complex fertilizers for flowers containing potassium and phosphorus.
Stronger celosia seedlings begin to harden in air in May
In early or mid-May, seedlings begin to gradually prepare for transplanting into the ground. To do this, pots with seedlings are taken out onto the balcony or veranda, first for a couple of hours, then for the whole day. Hardening is carried out for 2 weeks so that the plant has time to properly get used to the new conditions.
Planting and caring for paniculata celosia in the ground
Although the annual can be grown in covered containers, it is more often placed in garden beds. In order for the plant to successfully take root, you need to follow important rules for planting and caring for feathery celosia.
Deadlines
Cirrus celosia is transferred to open ground at the end of May or early June. Since the annual plant dies even from minor frosts, it is necessary to wait until a stable warm temperature is established day and night.
Site selection and soil preparation
It is necessary to plant pinnate celosia in a sunny, well-drained place, closed from drafts. The plant loves neutral or slightly acidic soil, but does not respond well to excessive acidification, so if necessary, lime the area. For celosia, small holes about 20 cm deep are dug, after which they are half filled with a mixture of humus, sand and turf soil.
Celosia's roots are fragile, so it is planted in a flowerbed together with a lump of earth.
Landing rules
The landing algorithm looks very simple. On the day of transferring to the ground, the seedlings need to be watered properly, and then carefully removed from the containers, without destroying the earthen ball at the roots. The seedlings are placed in prepared holes, sprinkled with soil and watered again, after which the soil is lightly compacted.
Typically, feathery celosia is planted in heaps to create a spectacular flower bed. Since the annual plant will grow, gaps must be left between seedlings, 15 cm for low-growing varieties and 30 cm for tall plants.
Watering and fertilizing schedule
Cirrus celosia reacts poorly to waterlogging.Usually, natural rainfall is enough for it - the plant needs additional watering only in extreme heat and drought. Use water at room temperature; cold moisture can damage the roots.
Fertilizing can be done once a month - phosphorus and potassium are added to the soil; the transplanted annual does not need nitrogen. It is important not to overfeed the plant, otherwise the leaves will be very large, but flowering will not take place.
Loosening and weeding
To prevent moisture from stagnating in the soil under the feathery celosia, the soil should be fluffed to a shallow depth once every 2 weeks. Simultaneously with this procedure, weeds are removed. Self-sowing plants take water and nutrients from the ornamental annual, and accordingly, the splendor and beauty of flowering are noticeably reduced.
The soil under celosia needs to be loosened to avoid stagnation of water and the appearance of weeds.
Wintering
With the onset of autumn, the flowering of celosia stops; usually it completely loses its decorative effect by October. It is not customary to preserve the plant in the soil; the annual crop is simply disposed of, and the next year, if desired, the seeds are sown again.
Diseases and pests
Among fungal diseases, annuals are most often affected by:
- blackleg;
Blackleg disease develops against the background of waterlogging; the roots and stem darken and rot.
- chlorosis.
If celosia grows in too acidic soil, the leaves may turn yellow from a lack of iron, and flowering will be poor.
To prevent diseases, you need to monitor the level of soil moisture and control its chemical composition.If an annual plant gets root rot, you can transplant it to a new place and add wood ash to the soil. However, if the damage is severe, this measure will not help, and the plant will die.
The most dangerous pest is the aphid, which feeds on the cell sap of the plant. Pest control is usually carried out using a soap solution; the product is sprayed over the flowerbed every 3-4 days. In case of severe infection, you can use Actellik or Karbofos.
Aphids, feeding on leaf juices, are the most dangerous pest of decorative celosia.
Collection and storage of seeds
To plant pinnate celosia next season, it is customary to store annual seeds in the fall. To do this, in September, cut off several wilted inflorescences and place them in a cool, dark place. The dried panicles are shaken thoroughly over a sheet of paper and the spilled seeds are collected.
The material is stored in the refrigerator in dry, sealed containers until sowing for seedlings in the spring.
Conclusion
Growing feathery celosia from seeds is a fairly simple task. If you follow the terms and rules for caring for seedlings, then at the beginning of summer you can decorate a flowerbed in the garden with bright and lush flowering annuals.
