Celosia (Celosia argentea) or Rooster's comb is a very beautiful representative of annual or perennial edible garden plants of the genus of the same name (Celosieae), which does not have many representatives and is part of the family Amaranthaceae. The name comes from the ancient Greek κήλεος - fiery, burning. Known and spread all over the world, Celosia argentea is actually a very tasty, nutritious and easy to grow vegetable, whose leaves, young stems and flowers are consumed because they are tender and easy to prepare. There is still controversy as to whether it originated in Africa or Asia, but in the central and western parts of the Black Continent, this plant is incredibly culinary. Also called Lagos spinach, and in Yoruba - soko, soko yokoto, in Hausa - farar alayyafoo, the plant is also known in East African territories - in Swahili it is called mfungu. In India, Indonesia and other parts of Asia, coelosia is also widely present on the table, and its future is even greater because, as many believe, it grows quickly and unpretentiously, without the need for the gentle care that other vegetables require. The taste is soft, spinach and the texture is tender.

Celosia argentea and Celosia cristata are the two most common ornamental garden species, but although in the natural environment this tropical flower is consumed en masse, if you buy seeds for garden decoration rather than vegetable production, we advise you not to try to eat plants . Also known as Wool Flowers, celosia is actually easy to grow, but each type of width has its own temperature requirements.

These herbaceous, rarely semi-shrubby, plants have a long flowering period - about 8-10 weeks, and the colors of different species differ significantly. These flowers are hermaphrodites and are transplanted from seeds that are extremely small - one gram can contain nearly 1500 seeds. Different varieties of coelosia have different colors, and the colors can vary - white, pink, yellow, orange, bright red, burgundy, as well as different combinations and mixtures.

For better and faster flowering, seedlings are prepared, and for our widths this can be done around February-April. The seeds are placed on the porous and well-drained soil, only pressed and watered, not burrowed. However, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the specific manufacturer's guidelines. In general, they are kept in a sunny place with scattered but strong light at temperatures around 23-25 degrees and under glass (mini greenhouse conditions), which is raised daily to clean the condensation and avoid the formation of mushrooms. After about a week, the shoots appear, and after the formation of two true leaves, the seedlings are transferred to open containers and at a distance of about 5cm between the plants. The temperature gradually drops to about 18-20 degrees. In warmer days, the seedlings can be taken outdoors, and as soon as the danger of frost passes, the plants are sown in a sunny place without drafts.