Types and varieties of celosia
Celosia silvery comb.
Silver comb celosia (lat. Celosia argentea f. Cristata) is a beautiful perennial plant, reaching a height of up to 65 cm, mainly grown as an annual. Small bright flowers of celosia crestata are elegantly collected in massive inflorescences with a number of convolutions along the upper edge. Due to the fact that the shape of the inflorescence is similar to the comb of a rooster, the plant is called the cockscomb.
Celosia comb flowers are amazing not so much because of their unusual shape, but because of their incredibly varied colors: they can be yellow, scarlet, purple-red, orange, hot pink. None of the plants can boast such an unusual bright outfit, so a flower bed with comb celosia always attracts the admiring glances of passers-by.
Flower growers value comb celosia both for its exotic bright appearance and for its long flowering, lasting from the beginning of July until October. And even after its completion, it does not lose its decorative quality: the leaves shine (depending on the variety) with bright green, red, burgundy, purple, bronze and even golden color.
Celosia variety "Impress". In the middle zone, celosia of the "Impress" variety is most often grown. The flowers of the variety are distinguished by a bright burgundy inflorescence and dark purple leaves.
Celosia variety "Imperialis". Low growing, reaching only 25 cm in height. Plants of this variety have bright purple leaves, which seem to be divided into parts by thin red veins, and beautiful burgundy shoots with purple inflorescences.
Celosia variety "Atropurpurea". Another popular variety of comb celosia is “Atropurpurea”. The plants are distinguished by very large purple-red inflorescences, soft pink stems and unusually beautiful light green leaves with dark pink veins.
Celosia silvery pinnate. Silver pinnate celosia (lat. Celosia argentea f. plumosa) is the second popular species. Annual. Lush flowering lasts for several months - until the first frost. Various varieties of celosia pinnate form a small bush with many bright paniculate inflorescences, the length of which is usually equal to a third of the total height of the plant.
Among the many varieties of celosia pinnate are:
- tall - reaching up to 1 m in height;
- medium-sized - the height of which varies within 0.5 m;
- dwarf - their height does not exceed 30 cm.
Celosia pinnate variety "Golden Flitz". One of the most popular varieties of celosia pinnate. Reaches 80 cm in height. The inflorescences are golden-orange.
Celosia pinnate variety "Feuerfeder". The “Feuerfeder” variety is also popular - the plant reaches a height of 35 cm. The inflorescences are bright red; leaves are light green, with pink veins.
Celosia spica. The least popular among gardeners is celosia spica, whose inflorescences resemble wheat.
Bright slender inflorescences can reach a height of 1.3 m and vary in color: from pale yellow to bright red.
This spectacular plant with incredibly beautiful inflorescences will captivate any person with its appearance. Celosia translated from Greek means “fiery, burning, blazing.” This is true. This plant, blazing with different colors, will be a worthy decoration for any flower garden or flower bed.
The celosia flower can externally resemble the comb of a rooster, painted in incredibly bright shades. Flowers of another species are similar to the plumage of birds, soft to the touch, and have the same bright colors.
Luxurious celosia will be an excellent garden decoration
Each variety of celosia is magnificent in its own way.
Many poets were delighted with the beauty of this plant and called it a “chic dude.” A bright, luxurious outfit makes Celosia a real fashionista, winning the hearts of people!
The genus Celosia includes about 60 annual and perennial species of herbaceous plants belonging to the Amaranth family. The flowers can reach almost one meter in height. Each variety has its own height and exceptional appearance.
Description
Cockerels or killer whales, as they are also called, are very popular, they can be found in flower beds, courtyards, and gardens. These are flowers that require virtually no care. This is probably the secret of people's love for them.
Cockerels bloom from late spring until July, about two months. Then the flowers turn into brown boxes. Some varieties may re-bloom in September.
Irises are representatives of perennial plants. There are about 700 species of bettas in total. They are extremely varied in color, so using cockerels alone can turn a flowerbed into a multi-colored carpet. There is a legend that irises inherited their name from Iris, the goddess of the rainbow.
Cockerels are divided into groups according to color:
- Single color. All petals are painted the same color.
- Two-tone. The petals have the same color, but there are differences in tone.
- Two-color. The color of the lower petals is different from the color of the upper ones.
- Variegata. The upper petals are yellow, the lower petals are red-brown.
- Amena. White petals on top.
- Plicata. A colored stripe borders the petals of the flower.
- Iridescent. The colors smoothly flow into one another.
Cockerels can be bearded or beardless. Flowers that have hairs on their petals are called bearded, while flowers that do not have hairs are called bearded. Bearded irisus have a characteristic crest, which is why they are commonly called cockerels.
In addition, irises are rhizomatous and bulbous.
The iris flower has six petals. Three are located on top, and three are turned down. Usually there is one flower on the peduncle, but there may be an inflorescence. The stem is straight and bare, without leaves. The leaves are basal, usually xiphoid in shape. They fan out from below the stem. In normal condition they are covered with a waxy coating.
What to feed?
Feeding is not a problem for the fish as they will eat almost any food. There are different types of food: dry, live and frozen. The proportion of live food should be greater in the diet of fish, since they need protein food.
They happily eat bloodworms and tubifex, daphnia and cyclops, zooplankton and even snails, as well as crushed ordinary earthworms.
The disadvantage of animal food is that it can contain harmful microbes that cause various diseases in bettas.
Frozen is the same live food, but frozen. It is safer because, unlike live food, it does not contain harmful bacteria. Store it in the freezer and, if necessary, separate the required amount for feeding. You should not defrost and refreeze food: it may spoil.
Dry food comes in the form of small granules or flakes. It is recommended to give it less often than live and frozen. Dry food is given according to the order table.
- Regular flake food is given in such a small quantity that the bettas eat it in about 2 minutes.
- Special (for cockerels) granulated food - it can be given daily. It contains properly balanced beneficial elements.
- Tubifex, bloodworms, brine shrimp in dry form.
Different types of food cannot be given at the same feeding: for example, frozen food and dry food, or combine different types of dry food at the same time. You need to adhere to the rule: one feeding - one type of food.
You can supplement your betta's diet with frozen shrimp meat, live insects and their larvae, pre-scalded spinach and lettuce leaves.
Bettas need to be fed 1 or 2 times a day. Adult fish can be fed less frequently, once is enough. During spawning, food is given twice a day, and the fry are also fed. Feed is given at the same time. The fish will gradually develop a reflex, and they will gather near the feeders themselves at feeding time.
The amount of food should not be large: the males should eat it in about 2-5 minutes. Live food is given in the amount of 3-5 worms, and 4-6 pieces of granules are required. in one feeding. Any remaining feed should be removed so that it does not contaminate the water in the container.
It is not recommended to overfeed fish: this leads to their obesity. Every week it is necessary to arrange one fasting day without food.
CELOSIA comb
It received its “cock” name due to the clear similarity of the unusual shape and flaming color of the flower with the comb of a poultry. But this applies only to celosia comb, because the inflorescences of paniculate and pinnate are spikelets, making them easy to confuse with astilbe.
“Comb Celosia is a perennial plant, but since our summers are short and it does not tolerate frost, in most regions it is cultivated as an annual crop,” says flower grower Tatyana Chirkova. – This has a huge advantage, since, like all annuals, it will bloom for a very long time, starting immediately after the seedling period.
Because of its decorative properties, celosia does not need neighbors, but if you plan to grow it in a mixborder, then the plants next to it must be selected not only by color, but also by height, so as not to shade it. The maximum height of celosia paniculata is 40 cm, although it usually does not exceed 20-25 cm.
“However, its growth can stop at 5 cm,” warns the florist. – This is the case if you keep celosia in seedlings or grow it in a small volume of soil, for example, in cassettes. Finding herself in unbearable conditions, she, being just a baby, will begin to plant a flower. Subsequently, the resulting dwarf will practically not rise up, and since there are few leaves on it, the flowers, each beginning to grow from the axil of its own leaf, will not be able to please. This is a feature of celosia, so it must be handled very carefully at the seedling stage.
Your hard work will be rewarded a hundredfold, and your “cockscombs” will glow for several months in a row if you grow celosia as a houseplant. To do this, seeds for seedlings should be sown, as usual, in April, choosing deeper containers. It happens that during this period the plants are attacked by rot or fusarium, which can be eliminated by treatment with the drug “Maxim”.
At the end of May, the seedlings can be transplanted into separate pots and placed in the garden or on the balcony, since celosia grows better in the fresh air. In case of recurrent frosts, it is better to move it to a warm place, and when the danger has passed, return it back and leave it for the whole summer, watering and feeding in time. Closer to autumn, the plants need to be removed into the room, and on the windowsill they will be able to delight us until next summer.
Celosia - a flower with a haute couture outfit
Celosia is an elegant decoration for a flower bed, incredibly bright and spectacular; it becomes the centerpiece of any flower garden, captivating with its unusual appearance. Let's try to grow the beauty celosia together, and I will tell you how to do it correctly in this article.
Quite exotic, curly, velvety celosia inflorescences look great even in exquisite flower arrangements, decorating them and making them even brighter and more expressive.
More than one poet admired the beauty of celosia, calling this flower a fashionable, chic dude. And indeed, Celosia is a fashionista like no other, and her luxurious haute couture outfit is unlikely to leave anyone indifferent!
Celosia belongs to the amaranth family, and its genus includes about 60 species of various perennial and annual herbaceous plants, mainly growing in Africa, Asia and South America. Celosia got its name from the Greek word kelos - “burning”, “fiery” and it is connected, as you probably already guessed, with the bright color of the flowers of this amazing plant.
Growing celosia in the garden
Thanks to their African origin, scallop flowers are unpretentious and resistant to irregular care.
To enjoy the flowering of celosia as early as possible, the cockerel is grown in seedlings. In March-April, celosia seeds are sown in separate cups, covered with film or glass and placed in a bright place, protected from the scorching sun. The germination temperature of celosia seeds is +17–20°C. Betta seeds germinate within 7 days. Choose the size of the cups so as not to pick the celosia seedlings - they do not tolerate picking well.
Celosia seeds are slightly larger than 1 mm. Photo: Design Green India
Celosia seedlings are watered carefully so that the soil does not dry out. Overwatering young plants is harmful. Celosia is planted in open ground when the threat of spring frosts has disappeared - the plant loves warmth, remember its African origin.
Celosia seedlings do not tolerate picking well. Photo: Green Jean
When planting, the distance between celosia plants depends on the height of the stems:
- for low-growing varieties - 10 to 15 cm,
- for tall varieties - 30 cm.
Celosia loves sunny, windless places and soil without signs of waterlogging. Photo: The Gardener's Workshop
Before planting celosia in the garden, you need to choose the right place. The place for celosia should be sunny, elevated with fertile and light soil. There is evidence that celosia grows well in acidic soil, but it is not worth specifically acidifying the soil because of celosia. On clay soil, it is necessary to loosen the soil and add river sand to improve water permeability.
Celosia does not like strong winds due to its tall growth, so you will have to solve the difficult problem of finding a sunny but windless place. Some gardeners recommend growing your betta in a lighted area, but not in direct sun, which makes finding a suitable location even more difficult. I grow the cockerel flower in the sun without any hesitation - there is hardly any room in the nature of Africa for doubts about sunbathing.
Celosia should be watered only if the plants have withered: the leaves have drooped, flowering has stopped and the appearance has generally become unpresentable. Regular watering and waterlogging will not benefit celosia, so we will consider the cockerel flower to be drought-resistant and not tolerant of excess moisture.
Celosia is fed once every 2 weeks with complex mineral fertilizer dissolved in water. Any fertilizer for the Amaranth family will do.
Celosia must be propagated by seeds; when propagated by cuttings, the varietal qualities inherent in the mother plant may be lost.
Celosia diseases
Scallops are susceptible to blackleg disease if over-watered, so you should think twice before watering your flowers when it is not required. If blackleg affects your celosias, stop watering and loosen the soil by sprinkling with wood ash.
Planting seedlings in open ground
Even light frosts are scary for young celosia plants. Therefore, grown seedlings are planted in open areas of land in June in good warm weather. The interval between seedlings of tall varieties should be 30 cm, between low-growing varieties - at least 15 cm.
A colorful masquerade of irresistible celosias
Carnival of bright celosia “combs”
Planting iris
Any landing begins with choosing a place and time. As for irises, they can be planted in spring, summer after flowering and in autumn. Planting time is selected depending on the climatic conditions in which you live. Another condition that should not be forgotten is that the iris must be replanted every 3-4 years. If this is not done, the plant will grow too large and stop blooming.
Before planting iris, you need to evaluate your site in order to choose the right plant variety. Some species love moist soil, while others, on the contrary, need a minimum of moisture. The location on the site must be chosen so that the sun and shadow alternate and the wind blowing is minimal. It is advisable to enrich the soil at the planting site. To do this, you need to add compost and potassium-phosphorus fertilizer to it. If the soil is highly acidic, you will have to add lime or ash. You can also spray the soil with a fungicide to disinfect the planting site. So, we have prepared the place, now we will consider the features of planting in spring and winter.
In the spring, before planting our plant, it must be treated with the growth stimulator “Ecogel” or “Zircon”. Roots that are too long will need to be trimmed and rotten areas removed. It is recommended to keep the planting material in a solution of potassium permanganate for disinfection. Then, when everything is ready, we proceed directly to planting.
We pour a mound of sand into the hole. We lay the rhizome of the bearded iris horizontally on it. We fill it with soil so that the upper part of the rhizome peeks out a little and water it abundantly. The beardless variety, on the contrary, needs to be planted a little deeper and covered with mulch to retain moisture. The holes must be made at a distance of at least 50 centimeters from each other.
Planting or replanting after flowering is not much different from spring. In order for the plants to have time to take root before the onset of cold weather, it is advisable to plant them no later than the end of September. First of all, you will need to remove the iris bush and divide it into planting material. Then, inspect the rhizome, removing rotten areas and shortening the roots. After treating with a solution of potassium permanganate, leave the rhizome to dry for 5-6 hours. Next, we perform the same steps as when planting in spring.
Carnation pinnate or Hungarian, carnation chinensis and carnation turkish or bearded
Radermachera flower at home (with photo)
Flowering period:
the Turkish bearded carnation
begins to bloom - from mid-May the first individual flowers of the inflorescences already appear, then from June
the feathery carnation
, and from July the Chinese carnation begins to bloom.
Turkish and Chinese carnations
look better in complex sowing in one flower bed or bed, but pinnate carnations have the ability to form picturesque bushes, so either a point planting method or a furrow - “fence” - is suitable for it. It will be very beautiful!
Character:
They are quite unpretentious, cold- and drought-resistant, but react to strong temperature changes.
Reproduction:
seeds, dividing the bush and cuttings. Seeds are sown in spring, cuttings can be carried out all summer, germinating cut cuttings in damp sand for about a month until roots appear. Then the cuttings can be planted in the ground. Even in summer they are covered with a cellophane greenhouse, and then the cuttings are not afraid of either cold rain or wind. In the first year of sowing, the flowerbed will be decorated with low bushes without flowers, and the next year all the carnations will delight you with abundant flowering.
Landing:
If we say in total for all three varieties, then it is most acceptable to sow cloves from the beginning of May. If it is pinnate, then the seeds can be sown in the summer; by September there will already be seedlings that can be transplanted to a permanent place. It is highly recommended not to thicken the crops to avoid rotting.
The soil:
loams, sandy loams, drained and easily permeable, very well loosened and nutritious. In no case are carnations suitable for an acidic environment or stagnant moisture - this is the easiest condition to destroy the flowers.
Lighting:
good sunlight is most acceptable, although in fact flowering will occur in partial shade.
Temperature:
average summer temperature +25+30°C. Does not require shelter for the winter.
Care:
at the end of flowering, it is better to trim the carnations, leaving only 15 cm. Pruning is also used during the growing season, then the bushes will be lush and branched, and not with long, very elongated and falling stems. This technique even provokes re-blooming.
Peculiarities:
Almost all carnations smell good, are very decorative, have a long flowering period and are very durable when cut. Carnations are especially easy to hybridize, so you're sure to be in for a colorful surprise when collecting your own seeds next year.
Content Rules
Creating good living conditions is the basis of comfort for betta fish. These pets need:
- clean, clear water, it will have to be changed regularly;
- plants on which the fighting Thai will rest;
- interesting decoration of the bottom.
You should avoid immersing sharp objects in the aquarium, otherwise the fins may be damaged. In this case, you can wait a long time for the tail to grow.
You will also need free space - during the day, fish like to play in the water and often stay close to the surface. If you turn off the backlight at night or do not use it, the pet sleeps in the thickets of greenery.
One individual requires at least 3-4 liters of water; it is better if, when kept alone, the tank capacity reaches 10-15 liters.
In a spacious, already stocked aquarium, you can add males of different sexes, or separate compartments for each individual with partitions when keeping a monobreed. Holes are made in them to ensure free flow of water. Plants are planted near the improvised wall to create a feeling of isolated housing for each male. Any aquarium must have a lid - the fish are jumping and curious.
Betta fish can survive without additional heaters. But the optimal values for cockerels, as well as for other tropical species, are considered to be +24… 28 degrees Celsius. Other characteristics of the environment: 6-7.5 pH, hardness not higher than 15 units. As a home remedy for antibacterial treatment, add salt to water - 0.5 tsp is enough for 3 liters of liquid.
Replacing 1/6 of the medium in a small aquarium is necessary up to 10 times a month, in a large aquarium - every 14 days or as needed; bubbles on the surface - a future nest - are removed with other contaminants.
Aeration for labyrinth fish will be unnecessary; it is only needed by fry in the first month of life. But you don’t need to neglect the filter, but just choose a low-power model. These fish do not tolerate strong currents; in nature they live in reservoirs with almost stagnant water. When choosing soil, you should give preference to fine gravel, dark-colored sea or river sand, pre-treated against bacteria and parasites.
Aftercare
Care activities include several mandatory stages.
Watering
Both indoor and garden celosia do not tolerate waterlogging. Therefore, such plants should be watered sparingly, only when the soil dries out. During the rainy season, you can generally do without watering until the weather gets hot. After supplying water, garden celosias must be loosened and any weeds that have appeared must be uprooted.
The correct time for watering is the earliest morning, but if this is not possible, you can postpone the event to the evening. The water must first settle, and many gardeners use rain water - this is the best option. The temperature of the liquid should be room temperature, since celosia does not tolerate cold water, even if it is hot outside, it may even die from this.
Fertilizers
Fertilizers should be applied in doses. They begin to do this in the second month. Phosphorus and potassium are used for these purposes. Many gardeners also add nitrogen, but this must be done very carefully. If you overdo it, the plant will quickly gain green mass, but it will no longer have enough strength for flowers.
Complex fertilizers should be applied monthly. However, experienced gardeners advise using a different tactic: divide the fertilizer into several parts, dilute it in water and give it along with each watering. Thus, it is possible to ensure that the concentration of nutrients in the soil is at the required and stable level, excluding excess.
As for sheltering for the winter, it is not carried out, since even with the best shelter the plant will not survive.
Cockscombs are cut off and left to dry to obtain seeds. In addition, the plant is stored for a very long time when dried, so after collecting the seeds, you can put it in a vase and enjoy the delicate aroma.
Appearance of crown-tailed bettas
Crowntails differ from other aquarium fish by having a very unusually shaped tail fin. Thanks to the reduced membrane between the rays, they become more visible, and the fin itself looks like a crown with teeth.
As for the color of bettas, it can be very different, but the most common fish are dark red/blue. Males can have pastel colors, bright metallic notes, and even be albino.
Types of crown-tailed bettas
Based on the specific shape of the caudal fin, bettas are divided into several types. Let's get to know them.
Classification of crown-tailed cockerels:
Single ray These fish have straight and long fin rays (crown tails resemble a comb).
Double ray These fish, as you might guess from the name, have 2 rays on their tail. They are connected to each other by a membrane, and at the ends they form a kind of two-pronged fork.
Cross rays The most unusual type. The rays come in pairs, and at the ends they intersect with others. Thanks to this, the fish look like multi-colored snowflakes.
The circumference of a cockerel's unfurled tail can reach 180°. Female fish have a smaller circumference - a maximum of 130°.
Application in landscape design
The unusual and elegant “cockscomb” looks wonderful in any corner of the garden, which allows landscape designers to consider this flower a real find. The photos below of comb celosia in flower beds confirm this.
A bright, eye-catching plant fits perfectly into borders and mixborders, looks great both in single and mixed plantings
Low-growing varieties of comb celosia will help create a picturesque border along a garden or park path
Tall varieties will become a picturesque element of a voluminous flower garden, combining well with perennial shrubs, ornamental grasses or any other plants that have a less bright color
Comb celosia looks very beautiful growing in a box or container.
By planting several varieties of different colors nearby, you can easily get an elegant colorful flower bed that remains decorative for a long time
In addition, comb celosia is excellent for cutting and floral compositions of both fresh and dried flowers, since its inflorescences are able to retain their shape and brightness of color for a long time
Control of possible pests and diseases of irises
When growing iris, it is important not to violate the rules of agricultural technology. Problems usually arise when the soil is waterlogged and the rhizomes rot.
If it is noticed that the rhizomes of the bettas are covered with rot, it is important to immediately clean it out until healthy tissue remains. Then the fungicidal solution is treated and the rhizome will need to be dried for 24 hours in the open air, turning it over periodically. It is better to move the planting to a new place, since the soil in this place is contaminated and should be disinfected more than once.
When cockerels are affected by fusarium or other putrefactive diseases, it is important to take action quickly. Signs include rapid drying of leaves and rapid death of the plant.
It is recommended to destroy diseased iris bushes, and then water all other plantings along the roots with a 2% solution of Fundazol. The same product will serve as a preventive protection against rot before planting if it is used to treat the bulbs or divisions of rhizomes. Spraying hare cucumber plantings with 1% Bordeaux mixture helps prevent spotting.
Among the harmful insects that can cause harm to irises are:
- Cutworms that eat away the bases of flowering stems. For control, a 10% solution of karbofos is used, which is applied twice a day with a gap of 7 days.
- Thrips interfere with the normal processes of photosynthesis in the leaves, then the foliage turns brown and dries. Both karbofos and a solution of laundry soap or shag are used.
- Slugs spoiling foliage. To remove the pest, metaldehyde is used (30–40 grams per 10 m2) or MetaGroza.
The best protection against pests is periodic (once every 14 days) spraying of iris bushes with insecticidal preparations. The most effective results are achieved by such treatments 1.5 months before flowering.
Digging up bulbs
Eremurus flower. photo
Experienced gardeners strongly advise digging up iris bulbs, especially when it comes to Dutch varieties, otherwise they may rot due to frequent rains. If the bulbs of other early flowers are dug after their leaves are completely dry, then with cockerels you don’t have to wait so long.
As soon as the leaves turn yellow, as a rule, this happens 12-14 days after they bloom, the bulbs can be removed from the ground.
Note!
If the region has a dry summer, that is, rain is unlikely, then it is not necessary to dig up the bulbs during this season.
The dug up bulbs need to be treated with a weak solution of manganese, then dried for 2-3 weeks and stored in a ventilated area.
Celosia planting technology
Young plants of this species are planted in the usual way for all flowers. When planting, you should handle the seedlings carefully - they are very delicate and fragile, so it is easy to damage their root system or stems. To do this, seedlings are planted in open ground using the transshipment method. But it is better to plant the seedlings in peat cups; in this case, the plants are planted in the soil along with them.
Selecting and preparing a seat
When choosing a place where these bright flowers will grow, you need to know:
- plants cannot tolerate strong drafts and gusts of cold wind;
- the area should be illuminated by sunlight during the day;
- the soil in the flowerbed should be slightly acidic or neutral, quite loose.
If the soil in the garden is too heavy, then before planting flowers, add a sufficient amount of river sand to make it looser. Regardless of how fertile the soil is, humus must be added to it before planting the seedlings at the rate of 10 kg per 1 m2. The land for planting these flowers is prepared in advance, 25–30 days before planting. However, it is better to prepare the flower bed for planting flowers at the end of the previous season.
Heat-loving seedlings cannot tolerate even slight fluctuations in air temperature, so the time for planting them in open ground is the first days of June, when the heat has finally established itself.
Also read: Variety of species and varieties of creeping tenacious
Growing celosia from seeds
Celosia varieties can be propagated by seeds or cuttings. But it is believed that when propagated by the second method, plants most often lose their decorative properties. Therefore, flower growers grow seedlings from seed at home, which are planted in a specially prepared place with the onset of warm weather. Seeds can be bought at a specialty store or collected yourself from flowers in the previous season.
The distance between the seeds when sowing should be 2–3 cm. However, the seed of these plants is small, they are not buried in the ground, but simply scattered over the soil, which is pre-moistened. Containers with planted seeds are covered with polyethylene and placed in the light. The air temperature in the room should be maintained around 22 – 24°C.
Emerging seedlings should not be exposed to direct sunlight; it is better if it is diffused light. It is enough to hang tulle on the window to protect young plants. Polyethylene is removed 5 - 7 days after the seedlings appear. The daylight hours while growing seedlings are not yet too long, so seedlings need additional lighting in the evening and morning hours (4 - 5 hours a day).
Emerging seedlings should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
Picking and planting seedlings in open ground
When planting seedlings at close distances, there is a need to pick them. This type of flower must be picked twice:
- When the seedlings have a pair of true leaves, they are planted at a distance of at least 5 - 6 cm from each other, the nutrient mixture for replanting them should be the same. Seedlings in a new place take root quite quickly, and now it’s time to add fertilizer to the soil from a complex mineral fertilizer (for flowers). Such feeding should not be highly concentrated. This procedure is carried out in parallel with watering the seedlings.
- After complete engraftment of the picked seedlings, it can be replanted again. For transplantation, you should use peat cups, in each of which one seedling is planted. When the seedlings re-establish themselves, they can be fed again.
Be sure to lay a layer of drainage material (at least 5 cm in height) at the bottom of the planting holes. Soil with low acidity should be treated with lime before planting flowers. After planting, the seedlings must be watered, the soil is loosened and mulch 7–10 cm high is added. You can use sawdust, peat as mulch, and if these materials are not available, you can use mown grass.
During the season, celosia is fed once every 25 - 30 days.
Necessary care for celosia seedlings
Only with proper care of seedlings can excellent results be achieved.
- Frail young plants should be protected from the burning rays of the sun. They can be covered with newspaper or plain paper.
- The seedlings do not tolerate dry soil. It is recommended to water the seedlings in the morning in good sunny weather. Watering is carried out very carefully, because fragile roots can rot from excess moisture. To prevent this from happening, the soil is regularly loosened. You can also sprinkle it with wood ash.
Watering celosia should be sufficient and moderate.
Celosia will thank you for your care with a bright, long-lasting color
In order not to damage the roots when planting plants in a permanent place, they are first planted in peat cups.
Remember that domestic celosia seedlings, that is, grown at home, must be illuminated. For this purpose, halogen or fluorescent lamps for plants are used.
Cockscomb or Celosia comb
Celosia is a genus of annual or perennial flowers of the Amaranthaceae family. Celosia comb
is better known as
cockscomb
due to the resemblance of the inflorescences to the comb of a rooster. But among the celosias there are also spikelet and feathery forms.
Flowering period:
can last from the end of June-July until October.
Character:
very tender, despite the external strength. Unresistant to cold and wind, even adult specimens are not cold-resistant at all.
Reproduction:
seeds and cuttings. But the latter option often leads to degeneration and loss of the decorative beauty of the buds.
Landing:
at the beginning of June you can sow seeds in the ground, but on the condition that frosts will not return to your latitudes, but will be +15+18°C. Cockscomb is so heat-loving that it is best to sow the seeds in a container or flower pot around April. And at the appointed time, plant ready-made seedlings in the flowerbed. Do not thicken the sowing to avoid diseases.
The soil:
nutritious, light, non-acidic, loose, well drained so that there is no harmful stagnation of moisture. Soil looseness is very important. Lighting:
very photophilous, but requires shading from the bright sun.
Temperature:
very thermophilic, does not like wind, especially cold wind, as well as drafts. As temperatures drop, flowering and growth deteriorate. Optimally, celosia tolerates +10+25°C outdoors.
Humidity:
watering with warm water and preferably in the morning, before the onset of a hot day. The soil should always be moist, but not excessively. Intensive watering is especially important during periods of growth and in dry, hot weather.
Fertilizer:
twice a month throughout the development period. It is better to apply fertilizer when preparing the site, since you can overdo it later, and then the plant will begin to grow leaves rather than flowers.
Care:
watering, loosening and weeding. In the fall, you can collect seeds and plant celosia comb
next year.
Peculiarities:
cut scallops, like sokiri - a type of delphinium, do not wither in a vase of water for a very long time, without losing their appearance at all and without unnecessary manipulations. And this type of flowers is simply ideal for creating ikebana: with proper drying, even the bright color is not lost. Cockscomb
and other celosias can be grown as houseplants. In this case, the ideal conditions for it are +18+25°C, but this way the flower only grows for one season and cannot be replanted.
Caring for the plant after replanting it
After transplanting to a permanent location, the seedlings require intensive care. With poor watering, plants will not produce new flower stalks. Therefore, they need a sufficient amount of moisture, especially during the hot period. Once every twenty days, plants require feeding with special mineral fertilizers, which can be alternated with bird droppings.
Celosia should not be overfed, otherwise it will grow foliage rather than flowers. The plant does not tolerate low temperatures, the most favorable is 23-25°.
Celosia blooms for a long time at home, but the room must be ventilated and well lit. In extreme heat, the plant must be sprayed. The higher the humidity and air temperature, the better the lighting should be.
For good growth and flowering of celosia, regular watering and periodic fertilization are required.
Picturesque spike of celosia
Disease and pest control
These flowers have a lot of pests and a high probability of being exposed to disease. Therefore, preventive work to prevent diseases plays an important role. If any specimen is affected by fusarium, then the diseased flower must be removed immediately. And the remaining flowers must be treated with Fundazol solution. By the way, it would be nice if you treat the rhizomes with this solution before planting. Then you will reduce the likelihood that the flowers will get sick.
Small insects called thrips cause great harm to flowers. Their food is plant sap. To combat them, flowers must be treated with a solution of karbofos. Small nematode worms also cause damage. They are scary because they can survive the winter by settling in a plant. They reach flowers through weeds, so regular weeding is very important.
Pests
If we talk about pests, aphids are most often found on celosia. It appears mainly in areas where there are a large number of ant colonies. Therefore, if a gardener decides to fight aphids, then he should take measures for a more comprehensive fight against ants. You can scatter semolina to prevent ants in the area, and sometimes the anthills are destroyed by the grower himself, and he does it manually. At first, aphids can be easily washed off; it is enough to treat the leaves with a soap solution, but if suddenly the aphids have spread and multiplied too much, then only insecticidal preparations, which are specifically intended for this purpose and to combat pests and insects, will help. In addition to the fact that the plant is eaten by aphids, mole crickets love to feast on it. These creatures generally position themselves as omnivores, but what they like best is to damage roots by feeding on root sap. Because of this, the plant begins to wither very quickly and, as a result, these processes cause the death of the plant. Mole crickets love to live underground, sometimes they come to the surface, but you can meet them occasionally. Mole crickets are destroyed using the same effective insecticides, which are poured directly into the soil along with water. Also, some gardeners recommend scattering sweet corn sticks around the area, which are pre-loaded with poison against these insects. In addition, along the edges of the flower bed where celosia is located, you can plant fragrant marigolds, as this will serve as an excellent preventive measure against mole crickets.
How to plant?
Planting irises is not particularly difficult, but it is still worth following the universal requirements to ensure success. It is best to choose well-lit places. But in the most difficult cases, you can also choose areas with light shading. It is recommended to plant swamp iris in dense soil, where a lot of organic matter is concentrated. The acidity of the earth should not exceed 7 units.
The crop will grow even in lowlands where water collects and stagnates. Iris growing near a pond will not need special watering. But when planting in ordinary open ground, irrigation should be done regularly, since drying out the earthen coma is extremely dangerous.
During the first year of development, the iris may move slightly to the side. That is why they prefer not an ordinary, but a fan seating scheme. Before planting, a mixture of potassium and phosphorus, supplemented with compost, is placed in the soil. It is imperative to take care of disease prevention by treating planting areas with fungicides and herbicides. The use of manure for irises is strictly prohibited.
How to properly care?
Although cockerels require simple, but proper care. Let's consider the basic requirements of their content.
- A properly equipped aquarium with a water volume from 3 (for one individual) to 10-20 liters for several bettas.
- Optimal temperature conditions. The water temperature in the container should be approximately +24. +28 degrees Celsius. Fish can tolerate lower temperatures well, but it should not be lower than +18.
- In addition, fish cannot stay in cool water for a long time: this can cause them to develop various diseases. The temperature should be constantly monitored with a thermometer.
- Composition of water. Cockerels are undemanding to the quality and composition of water, but it is desirable that the hardness is from 4 to 15 dGH, and the acidity reaches approximately 6-7.5 pH. To prevent diseases, stress conditions and strengthen the color of fish, it is advisable to add special aquarium salt to the water (0.5 teaspoon per 2-3 liters of water).
- Periodic water change. In large containers, water must be changed every 14 days, in small containers - every 3 days. You can change the water using two methods: three times a week, replace only 1/4 of the total volume of the container; The fish are transplanted into a separate container and all the water in the aquarium is replaced. Clean water from the tap is first allowed to stand for two days. The use of distilled water, as it does not contain substances beneficial to fish, and bottled water is strictly prohibited.
- At the same time as changing the water, the aquarium is cleaned. The bottom is cleaned and all remaining food is removed, the walls and decor are cleaned. Often a bacterial film forms on the water surface. It prevents the air the bettas need from entering the water.
Since bettas are labyrinthine fish, they periodically rise to the surface to gulp air. Therefore, a clean water surface is so necessary.
The film is removed with a special tool or simply using a sheet of paper. All emerging plants are also removed from the surface.
- Lighting should be diffused. At night the lights must be turned off.
- The presence of an aerator is necessary only in large containers: without it, the water at the bottom will be colder than on the surface.
In addition, round walls are much more difficult to clean. Typically, such containers are of insufficient volume and are suitable for keeping only one fish.
Caring for fish kept in a round container is no different from regular care: periodically changing the water, washing the aquarium and decor, caring for aquatic plants, which involves cutting off dead parts.
Reproduction
To obtain planting material, you need to cut off several wilted inflorescences in the fall. They should be dried in a dark and cool place. After this is done, the inflorescences must be shaken over the paper, and the finished seeds spill out of the plant in abundance. These seeds are placed in tightly sealed containers and placed in the refrigerator.
At the beginning of April, the seeds are ready for planting. But first they need to be processed. Such products as “Zircon” and “Epin” will help with this. Dissolve a drop of each drug in a glass of plain water, and soak the seed for 4 hours. In addition, it would be useful to treat the soil and seeds with a manganese solution - this will strengthen the plantings and make them less susceptible to diseases.
Several grooves are made in the soil (in the container), but you can simply loosen it and place the seeds.
As a soil, soil made from humus and vermiculite, with a small addition of clean sand, is suitable.
Do not fill with soil on top, just press down lightly and spray with a spray bottle. Then they cover it with polyethylene and place the container with the material in the warmest part of the apartment on a well-lit windowsill. In this case, the temperature in the apartment should not fall below +25 degrees Celsius . The polyethylene should be opened periodically to allow the sprouts to ventilate.
A little more than a week will pass and you will see the first sprouts. When 2 leaves appear on each of them, the sprouts will need to be plucked, each planted in a separate container. When the plants are well established, they are planted in a permanent pot and fed with mineral complexes.
