Coleus are foliage stars in the garden
I have a thing for flame nettle plants . I just have intercourse those sick color combination and leaf design that go with almost anything . take a plant for sun ? No job . How about one for shade ? Gotcha cover . True , they do n’t get very splashy flowers , but do n’t let that stop you . With all the coloring , sizes and growing use , there ’s a flame nettle for much every situation . Here are some of my pet tips and ideas to help you choose and grow the good flame nettle every yr .
Coleus plants can grow in sun or shade
Most of the coleus plant life you find at your garden center these mean solar day look best with sun nearly all day . These are the newer varieties that have been propagated by cuttings . But the semen - grown varieties are more refinement - liberal . The always - pop Wizard serial above is one example . You ’ll commonly bump these plants in flat tire with the bedding annual . But you might also find the elephantine Kong ™ serial and a twosome of newer one , such as ‘ Chocolate Mint ’ and ‘ Chocolate - Covered Cherry ’ , with the 4 - inch pots mix in with the other container yearbook . All industrial plant can have color variation depending on adulthood , fertilizer , temperature and light .
Light can affect leaf color on coleus plants
For the most part , flame nettle with crimson and orange leaves put up all - day full sun . Too much sun can do purple - black ace to languish all over or they may scald ( have pale burn spots on leaves ) . And for any colouring , too much wraith can keep all the colors from coming out .
Coleus plants shrug off most problems
This is another ground why coleus are so popular . Keeping them healthy mostly depends on making sure the soil is equally moist . antecedent putrefaction and leaf cliff can occur under prolonged nerveless , fuddled conditions . Conversely , plants will wilt and have less vibrant people of color if you let them dry out often .
Watch out for cold snaps!
To get the beneficial selection , you might require to buy plants too soon . Keep them indoors in a gay windowpane , and wait to move them outside until nighttime temperature stay in the 50s . Coleus wo n’t grow any faster if you put them out ahead of time , and you could in reality stunt their growing or they might die , even if temperatures abide above freezing . If you want to preserve your plant overwinter see how topropagate your coleus with foliage cutting .
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Design ideas for coleus plants
Of course flame nettle have always made greatcontainer flora , but there ’s more to flame nettle than your traditional approaching . examine set them in a garden bottom , or challenge yourself with a jazz band or one of the creative containers I ’ll show you here . All of the coleus used in these photos and observe in the tilt below are sun - tolerant hybrids unless specified .
Try a big coleus as a fast-growing hedge
There are some large coleus cultivars that grow over 30 inches tall , and when you plant them in the ground they really take off . The more space you give them to spread out their ascendant , the larger they grow . SuperSun ‘ Plum Parfait ’ above grows up to 3 foot marvelous and creates a nice hedge to back up other plants .
Some coleus plants make great ground covers
The creeping or trailing varieties are very versatile . If you prefer to establish flame nettle in container , these creepers can also be used as the “ spiller ” in a combo or alongside ivy geranium ( Pelargoniumhybrids ) and ‘ Limelight ’ Glycyrrhiza glabra plant ( Helichrysum petiolare ) inhanging baskets . crimp works a few column inch every now and then will keep them from getting tall-growing .
In the margin above , I implant ‘ Garnet Robe ’ coleus at the pedestal of a words of canna , spacing them about 2 foot . apart , and fill in the residue of the bottom with Super Elfin Lipstick impatiens . I like how they covered the ground entirely and intertwined to create a tropical expression . This coleus is very fertile and needed a picayune supernumerary pruning for give the impatiens enough room to show their efflorescence .
Coleus plants mix well with other plants
gardener have been planting coleus as edging for geezerhood . Go retro and bring back this old - school trend . flame nettle plants also summate a pop of color all season long if planted here and there in aperennial delimitation . Their bold leaf add texture and drama to a garden adornment , like the jet above , or can echo and get out out the semblance of your favorite flowers .
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Appreciate coleus plants’ wild side
Many flame nettle plant look as if someone used craft scissors on them in thegreenhouse . The Under the Sea series has several wacky people of colour and shapes . One summer I determine to showcase a few of the cultivar in this series ( and one more — ‘ Apple Pie ’ ) instead of hide out them in a combination , check out the four containers above . When their habits are opened up with pruning , they almost expect like littlebonsai . Some coleus develop this way on their own , or you’re able to prune them into almost any form you require . They look good both ways !
Try a standard coleus
One way for adventurous gardeners to grow coleus is to train it as a topiary on a single stem , also called a measure . Like the tone but not the workplace ? fall nursery mess fill with coleus into magniloquent piston chamber container like the unity above .
Coleus are well-to-do to grow and mix and equal in whatever style suits your mood . There ’s a flame nettle for everyone , and at the rate works breeder are going , there are believably several coleus for everyone . Cruise through your local garden center to get hold one or two fresh ones to try this year !
