Shovel or hand trowel. Your Coleus should be planted in a light, quick draining, commercial potting soil. Coleus is certainly one of the most beautiful leaf plants to grow at home. The three things you’ll have to worry about the most are lighting, water and houseplant pests. Coleus is ridiculously cheerful, its multitude of forms like vegetable clowns in crazy reds, yellows, greens, purple-bronzes, dark pinks and browns. Varieties have changed little since then and we're still working with essentially Victorian material. Keep the soil slightly moist when the plant is actively growing, but drier conditions in winter months. However these are hard to find in Britain because of the need for winter warmth. 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! Pruning shears. It can be grown in the garden during summertime, and also indoors over winter: it adapts perfectly. Yes, this was in India. The best coleus are named varieties maintained by cuttings. They will survive down to 10C (50F) but only if kept dry. Fill the pot with well-draining soil and transplant the coleus from their garden-bought container into your selected pot. Name – Coleus Family – Labiaceae Type – perennial, indoor plant Exposure – shaded Soil – ordinary, well drained, soil mix. Share your garden joys & woes! Your email address will not be published. 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. A good range of leaf colours are available, with variegated markings and/or zonal markings. These plants should be never planted in winter. Coleus plant care indoors: Provide bright indirect sunlight, temperatures of 65-75°F, and moderate to high humidity levels. The best coleus are named varieties maintained by cuttings. Coleus is an aromatic plant, which smells like camphor plant. One plant fetched 59 guineas, which would make it expensive now and in those days was an enormous sum. It also hinders the healthy growth of the plant. Pinching back growing tips regularly helps prevent this problem and promotes attractive, bushy growth by stimulating lots of branching. 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". Growing a Coleus as a House Plant Coleus make nice house plants as long as they receive sufficient light and food. Planting Flowers Propagating Plants Overwintering Indoor Plants Container Gardening Outdoor Plants Plants Winter Plants Autumn Garden. Plant covering. Coleus is tough, somewhat drought tolerant and grows in most soils. Collect and prepare the cuttings in spring or summer, with 4 inch (10 cm) long stems that have at least two nodes or pairs of leaves. Winter Care. Although a tender perennial, it is usually grown outside in the UK as a half hardy annual. Coleus branches break easily. Seven years later the RHS organised a promotional auction of new hybrids. How to Grow and Care for Coleus in Containers. Soil. Whitefly is generally the worst pest, although coleus can also suffer from red spider, mealy bug and scale insect. As a tropical, it is acclimated to having most direct sun blocked by trees up above. 4. However these are hard to find in Britain because of the need for winter warmth. 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 . Coleus plants are pretty easy to grow indoors, but do require a bit of extra care to get them through the winter. It actually fits right in on any terrace or balcony in summer or indoors in winter. Coleus needs well-draining soil. If temperature exceeds 65 degrees, place the plant on pot or tray covered … Summary of Coleus facts. Coleus turns to mush with the first freezing temperatures. Snails and slugs show signs of interest in moist weather. 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. Pick a spot that is partly shaded over, with a bit of sun in the morning or passing rays in the afternoon. This tended to breed out the genes for the most dramatic colours, patterns and leaf shapes, which are recessive. In summer, however, refrain from placing your coleus near a window facing south, because the sunlight would burn the plant. Put the seed compost in the tray, leaving a … A packet of coleus seeds; Seed tray; Seed compost; Polythene bag; How to grow. When grown indoors, winter is often the season when this little plant joins the household. Seeds Mr Fothergill's Seeds, Kentford, Suffolk, CB8 7QB (01638 552512; www.mr-fothergills.co.uk). They need plenty of water and moderate fertility. Caring for coleus is just as easy. Your email address will not be published. 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. Lane, Ipswich, Suffolk IP8 3BU ( 01473 coleus winter care uk ; www.thompson-morgan.com ) it your., inconspicuous flowers during spring and summer a window facing south, because it fears the cold when temperatures below. Planting either in a light, quick draining, commercial potting soil while it is acclimated having! ’ s ready for planting either in a garden box or in the soil always stays somewhat moist especially... Grow food, flowers & medicine bright colourful leaves rather than its current container new. 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