How to Grow Red Velvet Celosia Cockscomb

Start Red Velvet celosia seeds indoors four weeks before the last spring frost so that the plants are well-established by planting time.

Fill a six-pack growing container with sterile potting soil. Leave a 1/4-inch space between the surface of the soil and the lip of the growing container.

Place two Red Velvet celosia seeds on the surface of the soil in each cell of the growing container. Cover the seeds with a 1/4-inch-thick layer of potting soil.

Spray each cell of the growing container five or six times with water. Use a spray bottle to water the seeds since other watering methods will disturb the soil.

Place the six-pack growing container atop a warming mat. Set the temperature on the warming mat to between 70 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit for the duration of the germination process.

Maintain moderate moisture in the potting soil at all times during and after germination. Do not allow the soil to dry out since Red Velvet celosia seeds will not develop normally in dry soil.

Watch for germination 10 to 21 days after sowing the Red Velvet celosia seeds. Pluck out one of the seedlings from each cell of the growing container if both seeds germinate.

Move the growing container near a large, well-lighted window until after the last frost. Keep the soil moist as the seedlings grow. Maintain temperatures around 68 degrees Fahrenheit until you plant the seedlings outdoors.

Select and prepare a bed for the Red Velvet celosia plants in spring once the soil warms to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Choose a sunny bed with southerly exposure. Work a 4-inch-thick layer of compost into the bed using a rotary tiller to improve moisture retention in the soil.

Space the Red Velvet celosia plants 12 inches apart to provide adequate room for spreading. Orient the plants so that the base of their stems is flush with the surrounding soil.

Water the plants faithfully once a week to a depth of 1 inch. Do not allow the soil to dry out for more than a day before watering again.