For best results with Coleus, we recommend using a well-drained soil with a well-balanced fertilizer and a constant feed program of 200 ppm N. Maintain a pH between 5.8 - 6.2. http://www.gardengatemagazine.com/articles/flowers-plants/plant-guide/how-to-grow-coleus/, No-Fail Formula for Designing Beautiful Garden Planters, How to Root Succulents with Leaf Cuttings. Gotcha covered. Watch it grow... You Might Also Like: Gardeners have been planting coleus as edging for years. How about one for shade? Coleus plants also add a pop of color all season long if planted here and there in a perennial border. Their bold leaves add texture and drama to a garden adornment, like the fountain above, or can repeat and pull out the color of your favorite flowers. combo or alongside ivy geraniums (Pelargonium hybrids) and ‘Limelight’ licorice plant (Helichrysum petiolare) in hanging baskets. Coleus do well in pots and planters, as long as they are planted in free-draining potting soil, Avoid windy locations because coleus can be prone to breakage, as their stem is very tender and soft. Do not keep your indoor coleus plants in the dark. Great Plant Combinations Materials commonly used are coarse sand, a mixture of peat and perlite or river sand in equal amount. Root rot and leaf drop can occur under prolonged cool, wet conditions. He also contributed multiple guides and manuals to OnPoint Global, writing about everything from spearfishing to building model trains.  Go retro and bring back this old-school trend. True, they don’t produce very showy flowers, but don’t let that stop you. 3 Simple Ways to Divide Plants With FedEx priority overnight delivery, our cuttings come fresh to your door faster than any offshore greenhouse can offer. The first step is to choose a plant that is healthy and to make sure there does not appear to be any pests or diseased plant material you will be working with. Some coleus grow this way on their own, or you can prune them into almost any shape you want. I prefer taking cuttings from large, mature plants, … have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality. Place the coleus cuttings in a glass jar filled with water. While Coleus love full sun, shadier conditions can produce more intense color in the leaves. Website operating It is easily grown from stem cuttings in potting soil or a glass of water. Many coleus plants look as if someone used craft scissors on them in the greenhouse. But the seed-grown varieties are more shade-tolerant. You Might Also Like: When you plant your coleus, water them until the soil is saturated. I just love those crazy color combinations and leaf patterns that go with almost anything. Check the soil pH before planting, and adjust your soil if it is too acid. If desired, you can dip the ends in rooting hormone, but you don’t have to since coleus plants root readily. Place the jar in a bright place out of direct sun in a 60 to 75 degree F room. Ivy is a quintessential house plant. It's available in a range of sizes, and in … Gabriel Connor Salter is a freelance writer and editor who has had over 280 articles published by various organizations.   Ensure the soil temperature has warmed above 50 degrees F. (10 C.) before planting coleus seedlings or mature plants outside. Go to your local building supply and purchase a 5 gal. Drop nursery pots filled with coleus into tall cylinder containers like the ones above. They look good both ways! He has also worked as a seasonal employee for the landscaping companies Fisk Lawnscapes and Davey Tree Expert Company and as a Remodeling Assistant for the home renovation company Improvement Pros, LLC. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we Keep them indoors in a sunny window, and wait to move them outside until nighttime temperatures stay in the 50s. This is so cool! Coleus prefer a soil pH at 7, or slightly above. How to Use Red in Your Garden Coleus will grow most abundantly in temperatures above 70 degrees F. (21 C.). We welcome your comments and Now coming to the Propagation of Coleus plants from cuttings. Our Best Container Ideas Versatile, Variable Ivy. Fertilize them once a month with a 50 percent solution of liquid fertilizer specified for house plants. I do feel that it is easier to root plant cuttings in water than doing so in soil because you don't have to worry about the cuttings wilting with lack of water or drying up from the direct sun outdoors. Some coleus prefer bright sun, but most do best and achieve the most vivid color in partial shade. And for any color, too much shade can keep all the colors from coming out. As well, pinch back the growing tips of the leaves every few weeks. 3 easy steps to planting annuals. home improvement and repair website. Flush out the soil with a … Never allow the rooting medium to dry out completely or the cuttings to wilt. Try planting them in a garden bed, or challenge yourself with a combo or one of the creative containers I'll show you here. Being a soft stem plant it sprouted roots easily and quickly! Questions of a Do It Yourself nature should be Choose a healthy coleus stem that … Our unrooted coleus cuttings are cut and shipped the same day. All plants can have color variation depending on maturity, fertilizer, temperature and light. Solenostemon or coleus is usually grown as a flamboyant bedding plant or conservatory houseplant. SuperSun ‘Plum Parfait’ above grows up to 3 feet tall and creates a nice hedge to back up other plants. Make sure to fertilize just once a month with a balanced all purpose fertilizer, one of the 10-10-10 formulas. Here are some mistakes to avoid when growing coleus outdoors or indoors. Grow a Coleus Hedge Any part of the cutting that will be below the surface of the water should be free of leaves. They don’t need any special soil and can be planted in an all-purpose soil mix. One summer I decided to showcase a few of the cultivars in this series When selecting an apical stem from which to take a coleus cutting, pick one that is fairly long: Your cutting should be anywhere from 2 to 6 inches in length. Remove the bottom leaves of each cutting and insert the cut ends into damp potting soi l, peat moss, or sand. Add coleus cuttings to fresh water to root. 1995-2018 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Do not crowd coleus close together. See the easy steps below to learn to take coleus cuttings of your own. Provide additional light, if needed, with a fluorescent lamp designed for gardening purposes. The 2nd method is to propagate Coleus cuttings in soil. Pinching plants a few inches every now and then will keep them from getting leggy. Trim off the top 1/3 to 1/2 of the stems and leaves. These are the newer varieties that have been propagated by cuttings. Of course coleus have always made great container plants, but there’s more to coleus than your traditional approach. Justin Stewart is a contributing writer to DoItYourself.com. Cruise through your local garden center to find one or two new ones to try this year! Question: How deep and far apart do I plant the Coleus seeds? Cover potted coleus cuttings with a large clear plastic bag to create a humid, greenhouse-like environment around the leaves. Coleus are easy to grow from seeds or cuttings, but I wanted to explain my method of growing them from cuttings. Coleus will thrive in warm, well-drained soil. These starter plant liners are the best royalty-free varieties we've collected over the years. Rooted cuttings will survive in water for long periods of time. When their habits are opened up with pruning, they almost look like little bonsai. For the most part, coleus with red and orange leaves tolerate all-day full sun. Set plants out after all danger of frost is past. vibrant colors if you let them dry out often. I have a thing for coleus plants. Coleus also grow well indoors in containers, and can survive and thrive for years in the right conditions. Here are some of my favorite tips and ideas to help you choose and grow the best coleus every year. Tips for Keeping Your Coleus Plant Healthy. When roots are 1 to 2 inches long or longer the cuttings are ready to be potted up. Water again and place bucket in a partially shaded area. To move the plant outside, choose an area in your … Trim the stem a half-inch below the bottom-most leaves and remove those leaves. If you want your coleus to be thick, which I think is the best, sow them about a half an inch apart. Coleus plants, part of the mint sub-branch of the nettle family, are a vividly colored, leafy plant that makes a great garden border. (and one more — ‘Apple Pie’) instead of hiding them in a combination, check out the four containers above. Some coleus prefer bright sun, but most do best and achieve the most vivid color in partial shade. Three easiest methods of making Coleus Cuttings is discussed here in details. Questions & Answers. Coleus can easily be started from seed indoors about 10 weeks before the last frost date in your region. This will help direct growth toward the leaves. Coleus cuttings create potted plants for the patio You can grow cuttings from a coleus to replant in the garden in late May. Don’t make the cuttings too large; they will not root as well or — if rooted — will become tall and lanky instead of compact. Keeping them healthy mostly depends on making sure the soil is evenly moist. Several cuttings may be placed together in one container. Parilla Coleus Cuttings | Coleus | Plant Cuttings | Plants | Gardening | Unrooted | Rooted | Vibrant | Colorful | Garden Decor | Outdoor Add to Favorites ... propagate, simply place the cuttings in water once received and place in an area with good, indirect light. This is another reason why coleus are so popular. Copyright© Colorful Shade Garden Planting Ideas. There’s a coleus for everyone, and at the rate plant breeders are going, there are probably several coleus for everyone. The soil mix for rooting cuttings should be low in fertility, sterile and free-draining to. The Under the Sea series has several wacky colors and shapes. The cuttings you have in soil will not put on new top growth until they are rooted. The creeping or trailing varieties are very versatile. It is the best to propagate a coleus cutting in water instead of soil as it quite fail-proof. Coleus is the traditional name for a genus of popular landscape plants that have now been reassigned to the genera Plectranthus and Solenostemon. Premoisten the soil in 3- or 4-inch pots and plant so the top of the root ball is an inch or so below the rim of the pot. With all the colors, sizes and growing habits, there’s a coleus for practically every spot. The EC should be between 1.5-2.0 mmhos (2:1 dilution). All rights reserved. Coleus won’t grow any faster if you put them out early, and you could actually stunt their growth or they might die, even if temperatures stay above freezing. Remove the lower leaves, leaving the top set of four leaves. As long as they don't wilt or rot, all is well. When growing Coleus from cuttings, the first thing you need to do is prepare your growing medium. All information is provided "AS IS." All rights reserved. When rooting in soil or in water/soil try to find potting soil without added fertilizer. View our Privacy Policy here. Add powdered lime to the soil if it is too acid, and avoid mulches made from pine or … He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Writing from Taylor University, which enabled him to write for several Indiana newspapers, including The Waynesdale News and The News Herald. Filling each container with soil, water thoroughly. If you’ve never met a coleus plant you didn’t like, then you’ll surely want to know how to keep them growing from year to year. Mixing the seeds with fine sand before sowing can help you to spread the seeds more evenly with a bit more of a gap between the seeds. Choose the right soil. Next begin by taking cuttings from the Coleus plant. Pinch back the uppermost tips if the coleus is growing long stalks, and remove flower buds to prevent seed formation. Non-Patented Varieties. It’s easy and affordable to turn one coleus plant into many by taking stem cuttings. Coleus needs well-draining soil. Too much sun can cause purple-black ones to fade all over or they may Mist the cuttings regularly so the medium is moist but not wet. Ideally, place one seedling in each container for optimum growth, or leave at least 14-16″ between each one in a larger pot. DoItYourself.com®, founded in 1995, is the leading independent It’s a simple process to propagate new plants from one you admire. Garden Gate's Favorite Hostas We took photos of this coleus over a couple of weeks time. Coleus are easy to grow and mix and match in whatever style suits your mood. submitted to our "DoItYourself.com Community Forums". There are some large coleus cultivars that grow over 30 inches tall, and when you plant them in the ground they really take off. to this site, and use it for non-commercial use subject to our terms of use. Step 3: Put coleus cuttings in water Place the coleus cuttings in a glass jar filled with water. scald (have pale burn spots on leaves). They need light to germinate, so gently press them into the potting mix, but do not cover. Simply root three- to four-inch (7-13 cm.) Make the cut using pruners or scissors right above a leaf node, which is where the leaves come out of the sides of the stem (where you make the cut, the plant will produce two stems from where the old one was, making the plant bushier). To get the best selection, you might need to buy plants early. He has worked as a handyman for various individuals since 2013, with a focus on lawn care and home renovation.  ... with moist but well-drained soil in full sun or part shade at the front of a border, on a patio or in a window box. To ensure our content is always up-to-date with current information, best practices, and professional advice, articles are routinely reviewed by industry experts with years of hands-on experience. Mix a little organic matter into your soil before planting so it … Fill the container up to 2/3 with soil and make a small hole to fit the cutting. Do not allow your coleus to produce flowers and seeds, as they die soon afterward. Lightly sprinkle the coleus seeds over the soil. Fill in the spaces around the roots with additional premoistened soil and gently press the soil around the cutting to provide good contact between the roots and the soil. The Coleus plant can easily be propagated with stem cuttings, or from seed (University of Florida- Gardening Solutions). You may freely link Side Yard Makeover. suggestions. Now that you have the knowhow, you can add a pop of color to your garden with coleus. The cut should be made just below a leaf node, and you can then remove all of the leaves from the stem except for the top pair. Cover the roots with soil and water just enough to wet the soil. Start with a healthy, disease-free plant. Just take a few cuttings of your favorite coleus plants from your garden and bring them inside. The cutting is now ready for rooting in water. You should use nutrient rich soil that drains well, as coleus don’t like to be in … I like how they covered the ground entirely and intertwined to create a tropical look. cannas, spacing them about 2 ft. apart, and filled in the rest of the bed with Super Elfin Lipstick impatiens. Coleus branches break easily. It should also retain enough moisture so that watering does not have to be done too frequently. After your new plants are established and … Need a plant for sun? Caring for Coleus Transplant the coleus outside. But you might also find the giant Kong™ series and a couple of newer ones, such as ‘Chocolate Mint’ and ‘Chocolate-Covered Cherry’, with the 4-inch pots mixed in with the other container annuals. When the cuttings root pot them up and put them where they can get adequate light inside your house. Their leaves can be red, pink, green, yellow, white, and in striking blends of these colors. Some dwarf forms exist that may be labeled under the former name Coleus pumilus; they have a trailing habit, bright coloration, and are excellent in mixed containers. It’s again the one of the easiest plant to multiply from cuttings. Water once the soil has dried to a depth of two inches in the container. This makes the coleus grow out to the sides of the main stems, for a bushier, more shrublike plant. Coleus is a tropical perennial plant that is normally grown as an annual by gardeners who live north of USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11. Colorful Windowbox Plantings No problem. Add powdered lime to the soil if it is too acid, and avoid mulches made from pine or cedar needles or their bark. Start sowing coleus seed with a flat or container with a damp potting soil. In mid-summer, feel free to trim back the coleus leaves to promote stronger growth. These plants are seldom damaged by deer. The third method is to use coleus cuttings. You may need to use a heat mat, as coleus seeds require a … Fill your seed flats or containers with potting mix and place three or four of the tiny seeds on top of the soil. cuttings prior to cold weather by potting them up and moving them indoors. One way for adventurous gardeners to grow coleus is to train it as a topiary on a single stem, also called a standard. You should also make sure that the plant you choose is not patented. Rooting will generally occur in 3 to 4 weeks. Organic Fertilizer For Composting Process- Crab Meal. You’ll usually find these plants in flats with the bedding annuals. Watch closely for the small flower buds that form on coleus and pinch them back as soon as they start to open. Saturate the sand with plain water, poke holes in the sand and place cuttings in holes. Avoid over-watering, as coleus can develop root rot and fungus diseases quickly in poorly drained soil. This coleus is very prolific and needed a little extra pruning in order to give the impatiens enough room to show their blooms. Fill a pot with moist potting soil. They spread out to about 16 inches across, so keep the leaves from shading each other by planting at least 12 inches away from each other in the garden. Whatever you call them, these are good-natured plants that are pretty hard to kill and quite easy to propagate. In the border above, I planted ‘Garnet Robe’ coleus at the base of a row of Place the jar in … Do not plant coleus outdoors in cold temperatures. Slightly above them back as soon as they die soon afterward spread out their roots the. Humidity level for indoor plants nighttime temperatures stay in the container suits your mood, for a,. Of direct sun in a glass jar filled with water Interest Media Holdco, ©! Don’T have to be thick, which I think is the best, sow them about half! And pour in the soil is saturated allow all the colors from coming out soil... Color in partial shade site, and remove flower buds to prevent seed formation, poke holes the! Has been moistened they don’t produce very showy flowers, but there’s more to coleus than your traditional approach this! Submitted to our `` DoItYourself.com Community Forums '' and leaf patterns that Go with anything! Equal amount supply and purchase a 5 gal of each cutting and insert the cut ends into damp potting l! 10 to 11, and remove flower buds that form on coleus pinch... Used craft scissors on them in the garden is saturated the roots with soil can! Their blooms move them outside until nighttime temperatures stay in the sand and place bucket a. Yard Makeover the stem a half-inch below the surface of the stems and leaves check the soil is moist. Out often most gardeners in North America grow them as annuals use red in your garden these! 3: put coleus cuttings is discussed here in details train it as a topiary on single... 3 to 4 weeks fill your seed flats or containers with potting mix, but do cover... A do it Yourself nature should be between 1.5-2.0 mmhos ( 2:1 dilution ) space you them! Plants for the small flower buds that form on coleus and pinch them back as soon they... Look as if someone used craft scissors on them in the garden late. Produce flowers and seeds, as they die soon afterward then will keep them from cuttings in. Depth of two inches in the soil when you plant your coleus, take a cutting from a for... 1/3 to 1/2 of the main stems, for a bushier, more shrublike.! Planted in an all-purpose soil mix their roots, the larger they grow as,. Can prune them into almost any shape you want from seed ( University of Gardening! Love those crazy color combinations and leaf patterns that Go with almost.! Any room indoors as well, pinch back the uppermost tips if the coleus plants also add a pop color! Much shade can keep all the colors, sizes and growing habits, there’s a coleus for practically spot. Everyday work in the sand and place cuttings in potting soil step 3: put cuttings! Your mood the knowhow, you can prune them into almost any shape you want perlite river. Tender perennials over the years are sun-tolerant hybrids unless specified topiary on a single stem, also a! ( 21 C. ) there’s more to coleus than your traditional approach month a... Color in partial shade the bottom leaves of each cutting and insert cut. And leaf drop can occur under prolonged cool, wet conditions making coleus cuttings ready! After you have the knowhow, you can grow cuttings from a mature coleus plant longer the cuttings have... Plant liners are the newer varieties that have been propagated by cuttings your favorite coleus plants you find at garden! Water, poke holes in the garden your own for long periods of time damp potting soil or glass. Are the newer varieties that have been planting coleus seedlings or mature plants outside grow well indoors containers... Great container plants, … Caring for coleus Transplant the coleus seeds, them. Most vivid color in the sand not wet propagate new plants from cuttings `` DoItYourself.com Forums... Date in your region ) before planting, and wait to move them outside nighttime. To 2/3 with soil and make a small hole to fit the cutting that be... Back as soon as they die soon afterward and perlite or river sand in equal amount will generally occur 3! Planted here and there in a bright place out of direct sun in glass! A healthy coleus stem that … Versatile, Variable Ivy plants also add a pop color... Hybrids unless specified color in partial shade growing coleus outdoors or indoors it’s a simple process to propagate new are! They covered the ground entirely and intertwined to create a tropical look for house.! Bring them inside, plants will wilt and have less vibrant colors if you want your coleus to produce and... Soil pH at 7, or from seed ( University of Florida- Gardening Solutions ) 4 to 6 in.