Varieties have changed little since then and we're still working with essentially Victorian material. Too much feeding, however, particularly with high nitrogen fertilisers, encourages soft growth and poorer quality foliage. When grown indoors, winter is often the season when this little plant joins the household. Although its leaves are very similar to those of stinging nettles, there’s nothing to worry about because it is neither invasive nor urticant. Choose a sheltered spot outdoors, 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 . Pinching back growing tips regularly helps prevent this problem and promotes attractive, bushy growth by stimulating lots of branching. Coleus plant leaves come in shades of red, green, white and yellow. Step 5: The low light levels of mid-to-late winter are tough on coleus. livingsta from United Kingdom on May 18, 2013: Hi Jill, it's the mealybugs I guess. Article by Get Busy Gardening! Repotting in a pot of a slightly larger size is recommended at the. It can be grown underneath other taller container plants, such as a small tree in a container. 4. Not everyone was impressed: leading writer Shirley Hibberd denounced them as "fashionable weeds, which in a few years hence will probably be utterly valueless and perhaps unknown". In a flower bed, mix garden soil with planting soil mix. From mid-May onwards, the plant can be brought outdoors. Read new articles immediately and get great deals delivered right to your email inbox, Easy gardening, grow food, flowers & medicine. Your email address will not be published. Keep the soil mix at a constant moisture and ensure the plant stays at temperatures of 65 to 68°F (18 to 20°C). Ensure that the pot has a drainage hole though, as coleus is susceptible to root-rot. In summer, however, refrain from placing your coleus near a window facing south, because the sunlight would burn the plant. They need plenty of water and moderate fertility. Given its exotic origins, solenostemon is a tender perennial, but is most typically grown as an annual in the UK in borders or containers. Place it where it will receive several hours of bright light (south window) each day, or provide artificial "grow" lighting for best leaf color, and fullest plant. Coleus is tough, somewhat drought tolerant and grows in most soils. Coleus turns to mush with the first freezing temperatures. Bring the garden boxes inside before the weather gets cold. With just a few simple hints, anyone can grow this ornamental! Mail order available - catalogue free. Coleus plants need an excellent light source without scorching sun to retain the markings and because the leaf markings are the sole point to this attractive plant, it's essential that you get the light requirements correct. You can grow it as a houseplant or put it with your other seedlings until next season. Meanwhile Bull had bred about 150 varieties, of which he was marketing the best 18, cannily timing new releases to coincide with mentions of the plant in the gardening press. Foliage – evergreen Flowering – June to September. When the plant reaches the desired height, pinch out the top shoot and keep removing lead shoots. Coleus can be overwintered indoors as cuttings or houseplants, which means you can save your favorite varieties to grow in your gardens again next summer! If you want to save plants for next season, you have a couple of options. Quality did fall towards the end of the century because so many plants were grown from seed, which was cheaper than over-wintering them in heated glasshouses. To do this, pinch out side-shoots and support the growing stem with a 3ft cane. Seeds Mr Fothergill's Seeds, Kentford, Suffolk, CB8 7QB (01638 552512; www.mr-fothergills.co.uk). Don't fertilize coleus plants in winter. The best coleus are named varieties maintained by cuttings. In February or March, again take several cuttings and cultivate them for transplant into the garden when the weather warms to insure well established plants by midsummer. Fortunately some very reliable and spectacular seed varieties are available. Simply root three- to four-inch (7-13 cm.) Two species were in cultivation here by the 1860s, C. verschaftelti and C. blumei, and the first coloured-leaf variety appeared at a Royal Horticultural Society show in June 1861, introduced by William Bull, a nurseryman of King's Road, Chelsea. ). Mail order available - please send four 1st-class stamps for a catalogue; Dibley's Nurseries, Llanelidan, Ruthin, Denbighshire LL15 2LG (01978 790677; www.dibleys.com). An ornamental member of the mint family, it originally came from Indonesia and arrived in Europe in the mid-19th century. While it is considered a tender perennial, most gardeners treat coleus as an annual. Plant covering. You should use nutrient rich soil that drains well, as coleus don’t like to be in muddy conditions. And the plants flowered earlier, which also resulted in inferior foliage. But feel free to also include a few specimens in the middle of your flower beds, you’ll notice that it interestingly catches the eye. Although a tender perennial, it is usually grown outside in the UK as a half hardy annual. They are in clusters all over the stems and mostly under the leaves. Coleus care is super-easy, and gardeners far and wide love it. The three things you’ll have to worry about the most are lighting, water and houseplant pests. Caring For Coleus. Today we will look into some important care tips and Dos and Donts on one of the most beautiful and colourful plants – the Coleus plant. Light. Full sunlight is vital. Seven years later the RHS organised a promotional auction of new hybrids. It actually fits right in on any terrace or balcony in summer or indoors in winter. The following coleus care instructions will tell you why. To ensure that this magnificent coloration stays true, the coleus plant requires sunlight, while avoiding situations that would scorch it. The "Kong Rose" is a … Flowering – June to September. Coleus is only grown outdoors in summer for temperate climates, because it fears the cold when temperatures drop below 50°F (10°C). Soil – ordinary, well drained, soil mix, Foliage – evergreen One plant fetched 59 guineas, which would make it expensive now and in those days was an enormous sum. When you purchase your coleus in a pot, it’s ready for planting either in a garden box or in the ground. Tips For Coleus Plant Care Indoors. For a bushy plant, pinch out new shoots to stimulate the production of side-shoots, then pinch these out too. A good range of leaf colours are available, with variegated markings and/or zonal markings. They will survive down to 10C (50F) but only if kept dry. Timely gardening advice from Crocus.co.uk - How to overwinter tender perennials ... Coleus. Coleus (Solenostemon scutellarioides) is one of the easiest summer plants to grow. Outdoors, coleus requires sun but abhors excessively warm situations that could actually kill it off. In common with many tender (and flamboyant) plants its popularity seems to go through phases: after several years in the wilderness, it is making a comeback, rechristened as solenostemon. Coleus is very easily propagated with cuttings from stems that aren’t bearing flowers. Coleus is a magnificent tropical plant, noted for the beauty of its colorful, mottled foliage. Anything below 25 degrees will kill the plant. Required fields are marked *. Eliminate flowers as soon as they appear, as they’re not even worth the bloom and tend to drain the coleus of all its energy. Learn How to grow Coleus in a pot, Growing coleus plant, Propagate Coleus by cutting, pest problem plectranthus scutellarioides, coleus care in this article. Coleus plant. Coleus are in danger of cold damage once the temperature drops to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Coleus plants grow well in warm conditions, above 60ºF, 65ºF is the ideal temperature. However, being a warm weather loving plant, it will not survive a harsh, cold winter. Mix a light application of a balanced organic fertiliser into the soil prior to planting. The breeding and propagation of sports was so frenetic that Gardener's Chronicle of 1869 dubbed it "coleus fever". Coleus seed can be sown at any time of the year if you are growing it as a house plant. The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. Winterizing Coleus Cuttings Knowing that the coleus won’t survive a cold winter, you can snip cuttings and root them for replanting. Type – perennial, indoor plant, Exposure – shaded Coleus is the traditional name for a genus of popular landscape plants that have now been reassigned to the genera Plectranthus and Solenostemon. Coleus care indoors in winter is a bit different than growing coleus outdoors during the summer. Coleus plants are pretty easy to grow indoors, but do require a bit of extra care to get them through the winter. A coleus plant is hardy, able to survive in both a container indoors and in the soil outside. Ensure that the soil always stays somewhat moist, because all types of coleus hate drought. It also hinders the healthy growth of the plant. Although it’s not required, the plants can be given a boost of half-strength liquid fertilizer during their active growth in spring and summer. You can lift and pot up the whole plant and bring it indoors. Read on to find out just how easy it is. Keep the soil slightly moist when the plant is actively growing, but drier conditions in winter months. Plant pot. Coleus needs well-draining soil. Put the seed compost in the tray, leaving a … Plants Oakland Nurseries, 147 Melton Road, Burton-on-the-Wolds, Loughborough, Leics LE12 5TQ (01509 880646; www.oaklandnurseries.co.uk). Coleus branches break easily. Caring for coleus is just as easy. Follow these easy steps for overwintering coleus plants or cuttings, and get tons of winter care tips for growing coleus indoors (including watering, light requirements and pest control! Losses to rot and fungal diseases such as grey mould (botrytis) are very high if the plants are allowed to get cold and damp. Name – Coleus Thompson & Morgan's `Dragon Sunset and Volcano' offers a range of red, gold and pink `Fantasia' types, with twisted or deeply incised, almost divided, leaves. Follow these step-by-step instructions to overwinter coleus plants, and learn how to care for coleus indoors over the winter. How to Grow and Care for Coleus in Containers. Keeping plants healthy with regular watering and feeding helps to reduce the likelihood of these problems developing. It can be grown in the garden during summertime, and also indoors over winter: it adapts perfectly. Coleus likes a warm and slightly shady spot to grow. Join the RHS today and get 12 months for the price of 9 Whatever you call them, these are good-natured plants that are pretty hard to kill and quite easy to propagate. Summary of Coleus facts. In midsummer, drench plants with a liquid plant food to stimulate new growth. Coleus is an aromatic plant, which smells like camphor plant. It didn't look like they ate them, but the plants lost their health with the leaves all weirdly curled up in a terrible way. Grown for its bright colourful leaves rather than its tiny insignificant flowers. 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. Coleus eventually produce woody stems and you can train them as standards. 4 Repot the coleus plant into a pot one size larger than its current container when new growth starts. The best coleus are named varieties maintained by cuttings. These plants should be never planted in winter. Coleus can survive in sun or shade, but dif… Alternatively, you can learn how to keep coleus through winter by taking cuttings. Whitish masses colonize leaves. Snails and slugs show signs of interest in moist weather. It isn’t mandatory to repot your coleus immediately after purchase, unless the roots show that they’re feeling squeezed. Your email address will not be published. As a tropical, it is acclimated to having most direct sun blocked by trees up above. Coleus is certainly one of the most beautiful leaf plants to grow at home. ... Get plants through the winter by keeping them somewhere the temperature doesn't fall below 5°C. Pruning shears. With such bright colors, this amazingly easy plant to care for is ideal for pots or garden boxes. Best in pots as house plants, or in the warmer conservatory, coleus can also be grown in containers or windowboxes alongside other temporary summer planting. Loosen your soil well before planting so that the coleus can stretch their roots and expand as needed beneath the soil. Since coleus prefer moist conditions, consider using a plastic pot or line a terra cotta plant with plastic to keep moisture levels high. This shows that the soil has become too poor. What You'll Need. Coleus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae. Add to Basket (1) Coleus are having a resurgence of popularity with new and exciting varieties that have been bred and trialled in recent years and although native to the warmer tropical climes of Asia, Coleus have proved to be versatile summer bedding plants in UK temperatures, especially in … In colder zones, they are grown as annuals or as houseplants. A packet of coleus seeds; Seed tray; Seed compost; Polythene bag; How to grow. This tended to breed out the genes for the most dramatic colours, patterns and leaf shapes, which are recessive. You either love or hate these colourful foliage plants. About coleus plants. They long for the tropics, where the sun shines 12 hours a day. Eliminate the lower leaves, keeping only the one pair at the top, and thrust the cutting in soil mix (cutting soil mix preferably). Pick a spot that is partly shaded over, with a bit of sun in the morning or passing rays in the afternoon. A planting mix stirred into the soil (or organic matter or compost) can help enrich the soil as well. As the intensity of the sun will be lower during winter months, keep your coleus exposed to artificial light for a longer amount of time. Coleus is ridiculously cheerful, its multitude of forms like vegetable clowns in crazy reds, yellows, greens, purple-bronzes, dark pinks and browns. Coleus Care Guide Light. 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