Celosia 'Red velvet'

Celosia like full sun and need rich soil with lots of compost to produce the large brilliant plumes. The soil needs to be kept moist, but not wet. Water regularly during dry spells, and also the soil should drain well. Fertilize with a general all purpose fertilizer once or twice a month. Space small varieties about 18 inches apart and the larger ones 18 to 24 inches apart. Smaller ones will grow to 10 to 12 inches and the larger on up to two feet tall.

Try to plant in a location that enjoys full sun and remember to water moderately. Keep in mind when planting that Red velvet is thought of as half hardy, so remember to protect this plant from frosts and low temperatures. Red velvet tends to grow best in a soil ph of between 5.8 and 6.5 meaning it does best in weakly acidic soil.

Celosia is grown from very fine seeds. They can be sown directly into the flower bed after the soil has warmed, or maybe you started them indoors 4 to 6 weeks ago. Seeds need to stay moist and will grow larger flower heads if the soil is warm, and also need warm soil to germinate.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Red velvet is a half hardy plant.

This variety tends to be ready for harvesting by mid autumn.

Celosia is from the Greek word “kelos” which means burning and refers to the brightly colored and character of the flowers. The variety name ‘cristata’ means crested.

Cockscomb, Brain Celosia