emilycompost - Celebrating gardening, plants, and weeds

Emily (who we are)

emilycompost
Plants

Solenostemon scutellarioides
(KOH-lee-us)
Coleus, Painted Nettle
LAMIACEAE (mint family)

There are so many different coleus on the market now, there is one for everyone's taste.

Coleus It's probably one of the easiest annuals to grow. (It is actually a tender perennial coming from Java and a member of the mint family.) A fast grower, cuttings can be taken all summer long. Cuttings can be taken from the summer season to winter over as a houseplant and then returned for the next season.

Sun Coleus can tolerate full sun and that's what they are all about, but most coleus grow best in semi-shade.

All coleus need plenty of water.

It is grown primarily for the color of the leaves as the flower is very insignificant. In fact, it should be pinched to retain fullness. Letting the plant go to seed will shorten the life of the plant.

One can utilize this plant best in beds, borders, and containers. Great color can be added to the garden by mass planting coleus.

Look for varieties such as the 'jade wizard', the 'wizard velvet', the 'fairway rose', 'fairway mosaic', 'Big Red', 'Mr. Wonderful', 'Defrance', 'Duck Foot', 'Kiwi Fern', 'Inky Fingers', 'Lime Queen', 'Purple Emeror'.

Some questions from Emily's mailbox:

Q: I just bought three "Java Red" Coleus, I think. Anyway, I do not have a clue on how to care for them, other then not to plant them now outside and instead wait for spring, They are in containers in my home by the French doors and another window.
So what do you mean by "can be brought through the winter by cuttings" ?
I also need to know what "pinch" means.

A: Coleus cuttings can be taken now. It is getting a little iffy at this point (late fall) but cut and take stem cuttings. Place in a container of water or in a perlite or vermiculite medium. When the roots are formed (tug on the stem a little to see if there is some resistance ) and then repot in a larger pot.
By growing this cutting through the winter months in your home, you should have a pretty good plant by the spring time to recycle back into your garden.

Pinch back to keep bushy.

Q: It's great to learn of your site. I am a Coleus lover and wish I had more space to plant. Presently I have 27 varieties and I have an intense desire to purchase each time I see one that I do not have. I have ordered some from online sites and received some from friends. I am addicted to growing these plants.
I give them to my friends and enjoy sharing them with anyone who wants to learn how to grow them. I have one of each in a pot and others in beds around our home. I now want to start some in hanging baskets. Would love to have any tips you have to offer.

A: Yes, coleus are fun to grow, especially since they grow big for an annual and sometimes can be brought through the winter by cuttings. Right now, I only have 3 different ones... but am constantly trading and acquiring some for the garden.

Remember there are coleus for the sun and coleus for the shade as you probably know. The most recent ones are sun coleus.

They are very easy to grow from seed.

I trim the flowering heads off all the time, and this makes them bushier.

They respond well to fertilizing....I miss them in the winter.......Enjoy your gardening.

Q: I live in Kendallville, Indiana, USA. I bought my wife a coleus in early spring, and we transplanted it into our garden. Since then, this wonderful plant has really taken off. It started off as 6 little sprouts, but now they are about 1 foot high and about 1 1/2 feet around and we just love them. We were wondering how do we keep these over this winter so we could enjoy these next year. How to transplant and storage information would be helpful.

A: I assume you have bought a coleus which is an annual. They are wonderful plants.

My best suggestion to you is to take cutting and propagate them in vermiculite or water, or a very loose soil mixture. Keep in the shade in the house and slowly bring it to good bright light.

When there is a lot of root system transplant the cuttings in to a good soil mixture with good drainage and possibly in a clay pot.

These plants need good drainage.

I have brought them thru the winter this way.

Digging the entire plant will be too much of a shock.

Since they are annuals and have a very thin leaf, they probably will need a certain amount of water on a weekly basis.

I do not recommend fertilizing 'til the early months of spring.

When it is time to plant after the last frost date, take the entire winter grown pot and place in your garden.

Hope you have great luck

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