Got our plant this spring, had fat long blooms. It got hot here and the blooms became short and thin. The plant was very healthy, watered often when soil appeared dry. Fertilized every couple of waterings. Tried to trim the plant back to promote growth, plant great no change in the blooms. Any suggestions as to how we could get larger fatter blooms?
Try adding some phosphorus rich fertilizer or bone meal to the soil.
I have just purchased a chenille. It is moist as per instruction, directly above my humidifier, and facing east - the only window in my place. I've noticed the flowers have begun to fall off, a few at first but now more rapidly. How can I stop this before all of these beautiful cattails are all gone? The leaves are green and growth does not appear to be stunted. Please help me out.
A Chenille Plant needs a full sun location for best growth.
This plant may be more suited for an indoor location, though it can be wintered over indoors.
Here is a link with care information.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/chenille/growing-chenille-plants.htm
How do I successfully transfer an outdoors cattail hanging basket to the indoors for the winter months. I live in central Ontario, Canada and we are just starting to get over night frost. Have brought my beautiful plant in but not sure if I should cut it back or replant it in different soil. Please help. Don't want to lose this plant.
I believe you are referring to the Chenille plant, often called cattails. You can cut the plant back prior to bringing it indoors for winter. Here is more information on its care: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/chenille/growing-chenille-plants.htm
Cattails are generally grown in wetlands or in the home garden; in pots in a pond area.
You will not need to bring these plants indoors. They are cold hardy and can winter over outdoors. In the case of potted cattails you could tuck the container into a shed or garage for the winter.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/water-plants/cattails/controlling-cattails.htm
What do the tails look like when it is time to deadhead them. Just got mine a couple weeks ago, it's beautiful. But I don't know when to take the tails off. Mine seem to be getting a dark tinge on their outsides. I only dabble with plants occasionally. I didn't inherit my mother's green thumb.
You can dead head the flowers when they have turned brown or are looking quite withered.
Use a small snip to trim them from the plant and any leaves that are aging also can be trimmed from the plant.
Here is an article that will help you with care information.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/chenille/growing-chenille-plants.htm
If seed is in bloom, planting depth?
Yes, the seed is in the bloom, but only if you have a female that set seed. The second article says it may take a while to get flowers from seed, plus you won't know if it is male or female. And only the females have the bright red catkins. So, everything I referenced said not to grow from seed, but from cuttings. Here is more:
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/chenille_plants_that_go_to_seed
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/chenille-plant-acalypha-hispida/
Blooms were red when I got it
This can happen with age, but it can indicate nutrient deficiencies if you don't feed the plant often.
Here are some articles that will help:
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/environmental/fixing-color-faded-flowers.htm
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/chenille/growing-chenille-plants.htm