Expert: C.L. Fornari - 6/20/2006

Question
I am trying to redo all of our flower beds, etc. We live in the West Texan and yes it gets hot and the ground dries up fast. Not a lot of rain lately.  I can grow petunia's and some others that don't even want to die if I try to kill them.  I saw the Celosia's and thought that they were the most beautiful plant I have ever seen.  Once planted, they seem to become limp, the leaves dry up and the bloom fade.  I read in one place that the blooms should be cut off once fading, but what about the leaves, etc.  I really became confused when one site said that the plant lasts two weeks.  I think it was talking about the blooms and they mentioned removing all of the leaves.  I know how to plant and water, but between now and the next blooms, what do I do to take care of the plant and promote blooming?  Thank you for your help, Teresa

Answer
Teresa,
I'm not sure what the "remove all leaves" info was about...to maintain Celosia you just need to clip off the old blooms just below the flower.  The plant then produces more flowers that appear from where the leaves join the stem.  Fertilize the plants every two to three weeks if you're using liquid, or apply a time-release product such as Osmocote.  Water deeply less often (water before the plants wilt, but not a shallow watering by hand....better a sprinkler or soaker hose to deep soak so that the plants develop deep roots.

I hope this helps,
C.L.