Overview:

Celosia is one of my favorite flowers to have in the field and in containers for late summer and Fall. They come in colors from pink to orange and red. They also make great dried flowers for crafting projects. These flowers can re-seed readily in the garden, which I don’t think is a bad thing! They can take hot temperatures, so when its still 90 degrees in October, we can still have the cool fall vibes with these flowers.

Adventure Level

2/5

Starting seeds:

I always recommend starting these seeds indoors. They transplant well and grow quickly inside with room temps around 75 degrees. Seeds like to be surface sown, they need light to germinate. I typically sprinkle 2 seeds in each cell, water in a flat gently on a shower setting, then lightly dust the top of the tray with fine vermiculite. Place humidity dome on top of tray and place under grow lights. Once the seedlings emerge, take off the dome and let them grow on. Seeds usually take 4-6 weeks to be able to go into the field.

When to plant outdoors:

You can plant these flowers out anytime after your last frost. I usually wait to plant out into the field during Arizona’s monsoon that officially start on June 15th. Typically I don’t plant them out until the middle of July.

Pinching:

Pinch Plume & wheat type celosia are when they are about 6” tall. I like to fertilize after pinching to help encourage good growth.

Do NOT pinch Crested Celosia. They will not bloom properly if you do.

Spacing:

6” - 9” apart

Sun:

Full sun, 6-8+ more hours per day.

Water:

Celosia like consistent moisture, but benefits from drying out. Typically they are watered once per day in the ground and in pots. They are watered 2x in containers when temperatures are about 105+

Flower Support:

Check your Celosia for mature height when deciding whether or not to use support. I like to use Hortonova in the field and Peony cages in containers or smaller garden settings. If you do not wish to sake your celosia, make sure to find varieties that stay under 24” in height.

Fertilizing:

Celosia benefit from a balanced granular fertilizer at the time of planting, as well as a bi-weekly liquid feed. If the temperatures are hot and you find yourself watering more than once per day, liquid feed once per week to compensate for nutrients leaching out of the soil. Maxsea and Neptunes Harvest are some of my favorite liquid fertilizers to use.

Succession plant?

Yes! I typically plant my first succession out into the field in July, and succession plant every two weeks until the middle of August.

Favorite Varieties for cuts:

Sunday Orange

Celway terracotta

Queen orange