Unusual appearance, brightness of color and unpretentiousness when growing - this is what distinguishes cockerel flowers from many other ornamental plants.
Celosia (popularly called "cockscombs") is both annual and perennial. This flower has a juicy stem of green or reddish color. The color of the leaves is distinguished by a variety of shades - from green to dark purple. The flowers got the name "cockscombs" because of their unusual appearance, because this plant is very similar to the crest of this bird.
For rapid growth of celosia, regular watering is needed. This is a very thermophilic plant that does not tolerate even small frosts and loves the sun's rays. Scallop flowers easily adapt when transplanted. Celosia reproduce using seeds. This unusual-looking plant is widely used in landscape design.
Scallop flowers are popular not only because of their beauty, but also because of the simplicity of growing. Seeds begin to sow in early April. Then the seedlings should be planted in pots, and only when all the frosts have passed, the plant can be planted in open ground.
Scallop flowers love fertile, loose and non-acidic soil. It is better to plant plants in a warm, sunny and sheltered from the wind place. Flowers are recommended to be placed when planting at a distance of 15-25 cm from each other. After transplanting, scallops require enhanced watering. Usually celosia is usually planted on flowerbeds, balconies and borders.
Scallop flowers are quite unpretentious, but some common diseases can affect their growth and development. Of particular danger to this plant is the black leg. The causative agent of this disease can live in any type of soil. In order to get rid of it, the soil must be carefully processed.
Many gardeners calcine the soil before planting in the oven, this method helps to get rid of the pathogen at the initial stage. The defeat of the disease can be determined by the blackening of the trunk at its base. A black-footed plant should be disposed of immediately. The most common cause of this type of flower disease is waterlogging of the soil or its increased acidity. If scallop flowers are grown at home, then the reason may be a lack of fresh air. The carriers of the pathogen of the black leg can be insects, diseased land or the remains of infected plants. As prophylactic purposes, seeds should be soaked in a potassium permanganate solution, and the soil should be doused with boiling water.
A scallop flower, the photo of which can be seen in gardening magazines, can grow to enormous sizes when grown properly - 70-90 cm. But, of course, not all plant varieties grow to such indicators. The largest are flowers of varieties such as Goden Flitz, Thomsoni Magnifica or other types of spikelet celosia.
Cocks can be pleasing to the eye not only in summer but also in winter. Simply make a beautiful dry composition out of them - celosia is ideal for this. There is really a small secret that helps to preserve the beauty of the plant - you need to cut it before the ripening of the seeds begins, and then place it in a cool and dry place for about half a month.
In some countries, cocks are used in cooking. Residents of Indonesia, India and many African countries have long known that the leaves of this plant are suitable for preparing a variety of dishes. Also, celosia is used in folk medicine - anti-inflammatory decoctions are prepared from it.