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Guide to Growing Painted Nettles
Coleus blumei
February 12, 2000
Coleus plants are durable and easy to grow. They are best known for their
bright colors, and variety of foliage forms. Although they are technically
a "tender perennial" (even the slightest frost will cause them to die),
they are most often considered to be an annual plant by growers and seed
producers.
Coleus plants may be grown in the garden in bright, indirect light, or in
partial shade. The lower growing dwarf varieties (6-12 inch) will create
a colorful border, or you can use the taller (three foot) types as
a dramatic background planting. Most Coleus plants will survive full sun exposure.
The foliage color however is often enhanced when they are grown in the shade.
Coleus are also quite striking when they are planted in a container, and grown
as a house plant. By removing the flower spikes as they develop, and keeping
the plant pinched back, the Coleus can be kept in a perennial state
for several seasons.
Although these plants are a member of the nettle family, they are a
mint. They do not have the stinging properties of the nettle.
Coleus plants are widely available in a variety of sizes ranging from bedding
plant "six packs" to massive specimen sized hanging house plants.
The small starter plants may seem bland and fairly colorless when compared
to the larger specimens, leading you to grab for the big, fancy one. Even
though you may think that your new thirty dollar plant "has" to be the most
colorful and beautiful Coleus ever, never underestimate the potential
of a Coleus seedling! Once the seedlings reach a certain point in their growth,
they will develop additional coloring and foliage characteristics. The intensity
of light which the plant receives will also have a direct bearing on the intensity
of the foliage coloring. Some varieties may produce their best color in light
shade, while others look best in bright lighting. Florescent "grow' lights
seem to bring out even more intense and vibrant coloring. Unless you have
an immediate need for a BIG house plant, you will be better off to
choose a variety of the smaller ones, and watch them grow and develop.
Coleus as a house plant
A Coleus will make a nice house plant as long as it receives sufficient light
and food.
Your Coleus should be planted in a light, quick draining, commercial potting
soil. 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 plants will adapt to a wide range of temperatures
above 55 degrees, but will grow best when they are kept between 70 and 85
degrees. Keep the soil evenly moist, but never soggy. Feed your Coleus plants
monthly, with a diluted (50% mix) liquid house plant fertilizer. Flower buds
must be pinched off as soon as they develop to prevent the plant from producing
seeds. (The flower spikes are very insignificant.) Once a Coleus is
allowed to go to seed, it has completed it's life objective, and it will usually
die. Pinching may also be necessary to prevent leggy growth. Any time that
the tip growth is removed, the plant's energy will be diverted to the lateral
side growth, creating a much bushier plant. Coleus are very durable, so you
can cut your plant back severely if needed (almost back to the soil level).
Coleus in the garden
Coleus plants should not be set into the landscape until the minimum outdoor
temperature is 50 degrees F. Although Coleus plants will usually survive in
full sun, the foliage color tends to intensify in light shade when they are
grown outdoors. Plant them twelve inches apart in rich, moist, well-drained
soil with a neutral
or slightly alkaline pH. Feed monthly with a liquid all
purpose (10-10-10) fertilizer. Pinch the center stems out when
the plants are 4 to 6 inches tall to induce bushier growth, and be sure to
pick off the flower spikes as they form.
If the soil is allowed to dry out, the foliage will wilt, but normally will
recover quickly when additional water is provided. Water your plants thoroughly
at planting time, and then mulch the entire bed to conserve moisture. The
mulch will also help to heat up, and retain the heat in the soil, thereby
helping your plants to get established in their new home.
Watch out for mealy
bugs, aphids and whitefly, as well as slugs
and snails.
Coleus propagation
Expanding your Coleus collection is quite easy.
Seeds are inexpensive, readily available and can be sprouted and showing
their first colors in as little as two weeks. Another advantage to growing
your Coleus this way, is that each packet of seeds will contain many different
colors of plants. From this variety you can choose your favorites to clone
for the future, by taking cuttings.
If your intent is to grow your Coleus as a house plant, the seed
may be sown indoors, at any time of the year. If the seedlings are destined
for a garden location, they should be started indoors, at least 10 weeks before
your last expected frost, so that the plants will be well developed when it
is time to plant them outdoors.
Coleus seeds are very small. They should be sown onto a layer of moistened,
sterile potting soil in a shallow tray, and then covered with a thin layer
of fine soil. The tray should be covered with a pane of glass or sheet of
plastic to retain moisture, until the seeds have sprouted. Keep the tray in
a warm (65-75 degree F.), bright (NOT full sun) place. When
the seedlings are large enough to handle easily, they should be thinned out
and transplanted
into individual pots. (Seedlings should always be held by a leaf, never
by the stem!) When all danger of frost is past the plants may be set out
in the garden.
Propagating
your Coleus by cuttings is equally as easy. You can create a clone
of your favorite Coleus by taking softwood stem cuttings at any time of the
year. Use a sharp clean knife to cut the stem just below a leaf node. Remove
the lowest leaves, dip the cut end into a rooting hormone and insert it into
some fresh, sterile potting soil. These cuttings will be ready to use as a
bright garden accent by early June. They will also root quickly when set in
moist sand or vermiculite, or even in a glass of room temperature tap water.
Take cuttings in the fall, prior to a killing frost, and grow your Coleus
as a house plant to brighten the winter months. In February or March, again
take several cuttings and cultivate them for transplant into the garden when
the weather warms.
Older plants tend to become leggy, and the foliage color will begin to
fade. Propagation by cuttings will do a lot toward renewing most older
plants, but the "cloned" baby will quickly become the better plant.
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