look for a way to economize those gorgeous coleus plants you ’ve been growing in pots and container all summertime long ?
Coleus is one of those plants that just explode with involvement and colour . Although their flowers are in reality quite dainty and small , their variegated leaf figure are nothing little of exquisite . With sheer shades of light-green , red , imperial , salmon , violet , red-hot pink , black-market and more , coleus brings life to wherever it grows with its flashy , neon - like colors .
We practice coleus all around the farm in great deal and containers . It really does add full season interest group from spring until fall . And even better , the cervid that seem to love our farm leave it alone !
With its bright and colorful foliage, coleus brings big beauty wherever it grows. And you can easily save that beauty over the winter to grow again without having to buy new plants!
But if there is one drawback to this amazing plant life , it ’s that it ca n’t deal moth-eaten weather . Not only is flame nettle an annual , it is quite the ship’s boat one at that . In fact , it is often one of the first annuals to die off with even the slightest of light hoar . specially when growing in pots and hang baskets .
But here is the in force news , although it produce as an yearbook in most mood – coleus is actually a perennial . And that means as long as you protect it from rime and freeze , it can continue to thrive year after year .
And the best news of all ? flame nettle plants are easy to save over the winter indoors ! Whether by taking a cutting from an existing plant and root it in water system or soil – or by bring the entire flora indoors to maturate as a houseplant .
Although you can save an entire coleus planters as a houseplant, sometimes it’s hard to find the room for them. That is exactly where taking a cutting from the plant is the perfect answer!
How To Save Coleus – Keeping Your Coleus Plants Alive Over Winter
As you will see later on in the article , if you have a room indoors that receives a bit of natural light via window , it ’s quite easy to save an intact potted plant of coleus with little bother . But for many , their coleus plant simply arise too large to bring indoors . But do n’t despair – you could still save those plants to grow again too !
With too large plants , it ’s commonly far easier to hold open your plant by taking press clipping . turn off are exactly as they sound . You plainly snip off a stem turn with a few leaves , and then place it into soil or water to let it to uprise new roots . And when it does , it becomes a stigma new identical plant !
Not only do press cutting permit you to save up plants and space , they also give you the opportunity to multiply your works . The more cutting you take from an exist plant , the more plants you will have next year .
Best of all , cuttings can be grown in lowly pot which take up little elbow room . Not only do they grow into beautiful little houseplant over the wintertime , but they can then be transplant next year to fill basketball hoop , containers , and even flowerbeds with full-grown colouration next spring – all for destitute !
Coleus is one of the easiest plants of all to get to root . Unlike roses and other finicky perennials , you do n’t have to apply take root internal secretion to aid it grow new roots . In fact , the only affair you need for it to root is water – or filth !
To take a cutting , commence by selecting a intelligent stem with healthy leaves . ensure to take base that have a few low buds at top of the last set of leaves . These buds are a signal that the root is mature enough to acquire its own root structure .
Coleus is one of the easiest of all perennials to root in water or soil. Within three to four weeks, you can have new plants growing with little effort.
Once you have the stem select , geld it back to the base . Next , remove the first few set of leaves at the bottom , but leave the upper leaf in piazza . Now all that is left is to coif the industrial plant in water or filth .
Of the two , placing the theme in water is the loose and faster method for root . With plenty of wet , roots normally begin to appear within three week . And , of course of instruction , when root in utter water , moisture is never a problem .
When using the weewee technique , always be indisputable to practice untreated water . Municipal water or water system that goes through a softener often contains chemicals and SALT that veto rooting . typeset the cut down in so the bottom of the prow is a few inches under body of water .
After the solution have appeared and grown for a few weeks , you’re able to then remove them from the body of water and transplant directly into soil . Simply fill a belittled container with good potting soil , and then set the roots down in the stain and cover . Just like that – you have new flame nettle plants!Product Link : Organic Potting Soil
you could also institute your stalk now into potting soil . This is still highly effective and successful , but it will take a few weeks longer than when starting them in water . To root in grunge , cut the stems the same way and grade the cutting end down an column inch or two in the soil .
When rootle in soil , always check that the soil remains damp for the roots to coiffe . If the dirt is too wry , the cutting will shrink and pass off . Once your coleus works take , keep them in a warm room that gets a fair amount of natural sunlight . At this dot , keep them watered as require , much like a regular houseplant .
With cuttings, you can create a whole slew of new plants for free. And as small plants, they are easy to overwinter indoors.
If you do have room and want to get an integral coleus works indoors , the secret to succeeder is to get them inside early . As mentioned prior in the article , once a flame nettle flora is hit with a light frost , the plant ordinarily dies off quickly .
When institute muckle of coleus indoors , start by washing down the plant a scrap and stop for insects or bugs . The last thing you require to do is bring pest indoors for the winter !
Locate your plants in a well light room . A room that has a southern lining window is honorable for natural light . endeavor to make indisputable your plant are getting at least four to six hr of natural igniter each day for best results . If heyday begin to form indoors , write out them off . They simply take too much energy and it is near to conserve that zip while overwintering .
Finally , when carry through as a houseplant , you may need to give your plants a bit of fertilizer every few calendar month . A Jane Goodall purpose , dull acquittance fertilizerapplied at about 1/4 of the normal charge per unit is more than sufficient to keep them looking expert all wintertime long .
Here is to keep your coleus plant this year – and to having more plants than ever next spring ! felicitous Gardening – Jim and Mary .
Jim and Mary Competti have been writing gardening , DIY and formula articles and books for over 15 years from their 46 acre Ohio farm . The two are frequent speakers on all thing garden and love to travel in their spare time .
