Celosia Flower Care Tips | Taking Care of Cockscomb

Suyash is a Master Gardener and the Editorial and Strategy Director at BalconyGardenWeb.com. With a focus on houseplant care, he combines over a decade of hands-on horticultural experience with editorial expertise to guide and educate plant enthusiasts.
Learn About Our Editorial Policy

2-Minute Read

Celosia Flower Care is simple and easy! With slight maintenance, you can get prolifically flowers in your home and garden!

Celosia offers a great display of vibrant flowers that can instantly enhance the mood and appeal of any place. However, you need to make sure that you are giving the plant the right care and importance for it to bloom consistently. Here are some of the best Celosia Flower Care tips to help you out!

Here’s everything you need to know about growing Celosia 


Celosia Flower Care

1. Fertilizate Right

When the plant starts to bloom, it needs fertilizer more frequently (every 2-4 weeks). Use a 15-30-15 mix to boost flower production according to the instructions on the label. Also, add plenty of organic matter or compost to the soil.

2. Provide Humidity

While growing it indoors, get a humidifier for it. You can also keep the pot on a shallow tray filled with pebbles and a bit of water. Also, misting the foliage every morning and grouping it together with other plants will help elevate the humidity levels.

Note: Do make sure that you are not wetting the flowers in the process.

3. Keep Them Warm

As celosia is a tropical plant, it loves a warm and humid climate. It grows as perennials in the US Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 to 11, and as annuals elsewhere.

4. Provide Ample Sunlight

Celosias need full sun to grow well. For these plants, the more sun, the better! Keeping it by a south-facing window or balcony will be the best bet.

5. Do Mulching

A thick layer of organic mulch keeps the plants warm and also helps the soil to retain moisture. In addition, mulching helps in preventing the growth of weeds.

6. Deadhead Flowers

Deadheading encourages the plant to produce more flowers as the energy of the plant is not wasted in making seeds. Prune off spent flowers the moment you see them fading, before they set seed with scissors.

Note: Before cutting, make sure to sterilize the blades by cleaning with alcohol and let it dry before using.

7. Look for Pests

Spider mites and aphids are the most common pest that attacks Celosias. Simply wash them away with a strong stream of water. This also removes the dust from the leaves too, which can contribute to the growth of mites.

8. Pruning & Pinching

By pinching, you encourage the plumes to grow and give the plant a fuller look. Also, when plants are about 8–12 inches tall, remove any dead leaves and stems.

9. Stake Taller Varieties

Stake taller Celosia varieties like ‘Fresh Look Red,’ and ‘Fresh Look Yellow’ so the stem does not break as the large flower heads develop. This is a significant step and will keep your plant full and healthy during the growing season.

10. Mildew and More

Avoid overhead watering as it can cause powdery mildew and leaf spots. Always go for the bottom watering method, as it lets the soil absorb water evenly and lets the excess drain out from the pot’s bottom holes. 

Recent Posts

Join our 3 Million Followers:

[easy-followers hide_title="yes" new_window="yes" nofollow="yes" show_total="no" total_type="text_before" columns="3" template="roundcolor" nospace="no" hide_value="no" hide_text="no"]

Related Articles

17 COMMENTS

  1. 8 years ago I bought a few miniature plants at walmart. every year I have seeded the ones I have regrown. My “miniature plant seeds”gtow knee high and have huge blooms. We put them in the city beds in town and my front yard is filled with them. I have people all summer long wanting to know what they are, how in the world they are so big and beautiful and wanting to buy starts. There is no secret, I just water and weed constantly. And I save my seeds every year. I started out with 4 tiny plants, now I easily fill 4 big totes with flower heads full of seeds every fall.

  2. I got new one (small from local shop).. I think I overwatered it, and since then i am unable to help it recover.
    The flower and the leaves are wilting — I replanted it in new earth to get rid of the drained earth but it is not recovering.. what can I do ??

    • I’m so sorry,, but it’s a goner. There is just the right amount of water to use. I live in Benson, Az. I water just enough to wet the earth every other day. They thrive in full sun. Go get some more and try again. They will be beautiful!!!

  3. Help! My celosia is over taking EVERYTHING! It may be an annual, but in my area of NC it comes back more prolific every year and now it is everywhere! I never harvest the seeds, rarely water it, never fertilize or weed. The plants grow to between knee and shoulder high with various colors and shapes to their blooms.
    I’d like to know how to get rid of it. Permanently.
    Thanks for any help you can give.

  4. Have recently brought 2 celosia, only been in ground approx week & black fly everywhere, are they prone to these, I’ve used bug spray tonight, but quite worried, never seen so many!!!

  5. Plant dried
    I forgot to water it for a day, its summer here in India. Next day the plant dried, its losing colour and its drooping. how can i revive it?

  6. Can these b kept indoors for the winters out of zones 9-11? Or can one put mulch around it and cover it for winter? They sold these in our Minot, ND but our winters get extremely cold!!!!
    HELP

  7. I bought a Celosia Intenz. I live in Southern Indiana. Will it make it through our winters or should I keep it potted and put in the house for winter?

  8. Kathi Smith, I also love in NC and mine have already taken over my front garden area. I have the same question, how do I keep it from getting so out of hand. Please, don’t say diesel gas. Whe do I trim it back?

  9. Deadhead your plant as soon as the blooms start to change color. If you wait, the blooms turn to seed and will scatter wherever the wind blows them.

  10. Will celosia grow well in window boxes. I planted them there this year because the deer eat everything else. My yellow ones have been tipping over, but the red ones are staying upright.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here