Celosia Flamma

Celosia Flamma from Sakata Seed boasts early, uniform flowering. Available in five colors (Bright Red, Golden, Orange, Red, Rose) and one mix, Flamma provides vibrant plumes of color that won’t fade. Flamma is great for both spring and fall sales in 6-inch and 1-gallon pots with three plants per pot. It features a compact habit with many branches per pot.

Flamma Orange is a 2022 All-America Solutions winner.

Culture details

Plug stage is four weeks.

Stage 1 (days 1-10): sow seeds in a well-drained soil mix and cover lightly with vermiculite. Provide a soil temperature of 70-75° F. Since the root system is delicate, avoid sowing in open flats and instead sow directly into plug cells.

Stage 2 (days 10-19): after seedlings emerge, place plug flats in a well-ventilated area and reduce the temperature to 65-70° F during the day and 61-65° F at night. Fertilize plugs lightly with 50-100 ppm N. To promote vegetative growth and avoid premature flowering, produce under a long day photoperiod (>14 hours) starting at seedling emergence.

Stage 3 (days 20-27): maintain good air circulation. Celosia is sensitive to day length and any type of stress, (moisture, high temperature, root banding), will cause premature budding and stunted growth later in production.

Stage 4 (day 28): seedlings are ready for transplanting at the 2-3 leaf stage. Holding the plugs too long in the plug tray will stunt future development of the plant and cause premature budding.

Transplanting to flowering takes five to six weeks.

Celosia has a soft stem and delicate root system. To avoid damage, use a plug popper to dislodge plugs and only handle seedlings by one leaf. Also avoid deep transplanting to prevent rhizoctonia.

Select a well-drained media with a low starter charge. Maintain the plants at a temperature of 65-75° F. Avoid temperatures below 61° F. Applying long days (>13 hours) early in productions builds plant bulk. Growth regulators are not necessary. Do not pinch. Celosia must be kept growing vigorously to reach favorable size before flowering begins.

Apply 100-150 ppm N as needed to maintain strong growth. Supply sufficient amounts of potassium to avoid smaller and abnormal shaped flowers. Boron deficiency causes deformed foliage and a witch’s broom effect.

Celosia is susceptible to botrytis, downy mildew, pythium and rhizoctonia. Watch for aphids, cut worms, nematodes and thrips.

Information provided by the breeder.