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My Coleus

Gardening Reference » Gardening in 2005
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by Carly on March 05, 2005 08:42 AM
I did well with the coleus I was raising last summer - and this is the first time I've been successful raising it in the house over the winter . . .

Here's an update:

This pot seemed to be doing well . . . I put it together from other sprigs growing in other parts - that was in January.

During the past week it got a bit spindly - well, I'm wondering about that - I had been feeding it tea . . . I moved over to fertilizer a couple of weeks ago - an article in Canadian Gardening Magazine suggested that it's good to use a weakened fertilizer over the winter.

So I included that pot of coleus when I started that - maybe it just didn't like it.

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I have put it on the desk in the office - the other coleus have really done well in there.

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It will be going outside for a few hours each day - I'll be doing that around the beginning of April (if the weather's ok). Then at the end of April, it will be on the garden table outside my window.

I'll put sprigs of it around the front lot, of course.

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When sorting seeds, do not whistle.
by Jiffymouse on March 05, 2005 04:25 PM
ok, i'd be jealous if i were the jealous sort [Big Grin] [Big Grin]

i live in the "sunny south" and i couldn't do that if i tried (which i have)
by Sheri&Kiki on March 05, 2005 09:28 PM
I love coleus! They're one of the easiest plants to grow from seed and they root like crazy from cuttings, too. I've got several varieties, but I lost my favorite ones, thanks to the hurricanes last year. [tears] Have you seen the Black Dragon variety??? [wayey]

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I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
by Carly on March 06, 2005 12:24 AM
Yes, I've always loved the coleus - I'll keep going with it - it makes a wonderful filler in the summer and spreads like crazy.

The south? One would think you wouldn't even have to bring them inside but I guess you have to protect them from the storms the south gets in the fall.

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When sorting seeds, do not whistle.
by weezie13 on March 06, 2005 10:43 PM
Hi Carly,
How's it going!!!!

I love the coleus's...
Beautiful plants, I grew some from seed the first time last year and had some fun with them.
Gave some plants I'd had potted up to my neighbor down the street to over winter, she had a bunch of huge window's she needed filling up with something, and they don't overwinter outside here.

There's some beautiful one's out there now...
Have fun with them!!!!

Here's some more of those beauties to take a peak at..
200 varieties of Coleus's
Don't forget to click on the four bars at top for A-D, E~K, L~R, S~Z....

Weezie

P/S Have you seen these types of plants, I think you'd have alot of fun with these too..
They come in the winter too!
I thought you had one.. but here's some more.
Caladiums
Caladiums #2

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/
by Sheri&Kiki on March 07, 2005 07:25 AM
Weezie, that site just made my widdle heart go pitter patter! [grin] Thanks for that link! [wayey]

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I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
by weezie13 on March 08, 2005 03:40 AM
Sheri,
I found your Black Dragon Coleus/ From Stoke Seeds

Those are pretty!!!

Weezie

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/
by Carly on March 08, 2005 08:40 AM
Whoa! There sure is a lot of them, eh?

Does anybody know this? YOu know the ugly flowers that you're supposed to pick off the coleus?

Is that the seeds?

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When sorting seeds, do not whistle.
by Sheri&Kiki on March 08, 2005 09:03 AM
Yes, they are. How and when to collect? I'm clueless because I always cut them off! [Big Grin] I had no idea there were that many varieties of coleus. And don't you know, there was the Black Dragon, my favorite, which I no longer have, thanks to Charley, Frances, and Jeanne. [tears] Think maybe I'll try that voodoo dance and shaking the chicken next time a hurricane comes through...maybe the plants won't uproot...??? [grin] [grin] [nutz]

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I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
by Cricket on March 08, 2005 09:30 AM
Oh yeah, Sheri, the voodoo dance/chicken shake works really well - just ask my gardenia! [Big Grin]
by Sheri&Kiki on March 08, 2005 10:03 AM
Was that chicken cooked or raw? Perhaps a string of feathers tied to the gardenia will help? [grin] My gardenias are looking like...well, you know...but think it might work for preventing plant uprooting from BIG BIG WIND?? [Big Grin] [grin]

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I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.
by Carly on March 08, 2005 02:56 PM
Oh good - I've just buried those little bitty flowers right back in the soil - so maybe that's why I've got more coleus - ha ha!

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When sorting seeds, do not whistle.
by suzydaze on March 08, 2005 04:22 PM
I am jealous. [Eek!] I planted mine like 3 monthds ago, they are like an inche tall and just now putting on they're second set of leaves. At least at this rate I shouldn't have to worry about them getting leggy. I had about 6 seeds in the pack and two came up.

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I try to take one day at a time -- but sometimes several days attack me at once.
-Jennifer Unlimited-
by weezie13 on March 08, 2005 05:08 PM
Belinda,
Even if they get leggy, pinch the tall part
off, stick that in water, *it'll get roots in
a couple of days/weeks* and it will help the one
that's planted start to put out side leaves/branches... and make it bushier!!!!

Weezie

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/
by njoynit on March 09, 2005 01:39 AM
I bought a 6 pack of black dragon.I just loved the colors.My overwintering one did fine till I forgot to cover,but everything else was fine& have some seeds for a black,but is listed as a perieneial and is in cloeus family I have to start the seed still cause lost where placed it so tore the whole hutch apart searching its guts.It should be a nice one.the seeds were about $4 and detailed instructions included and they packed a piece of some type of cotton stuff to germinate it on.
I grew some wizard fromseed last year and got some for this year also.

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I will age ungracefully until I become an old woman in a small garden..doing whatever the Hell I want!

http://community.webshots.com/user/njoynit03
http://community.webshots.com/user/njoynit
http://photos.yahoo.com/njoynit03
by Carly on March 12, 2005 07:52 PM
Stokes list coleus as an 'annual', yet I've kept mine going all winter - will it not last?

I realize I couldn't keep it outside all winter and have it come up again.

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When sorting seeds, do not whistle.
by weezie13 on March 12, 2005 09:04 PM
Carly,
I think the defination of an "annual" is......
In places like you and I live in,
it will not live or survive...
And must be brought inside to continue to live...

Also once an annual, makes seeds, it knows it's done it's job by living, by having flowers and then creating seeds to live on for the following generation.. and therefor, expires.....

But can and will live... as long as it is kept
in it's proper growing stage...
Like, water right on schedule, some type of fertilizer or organic food... and NOT allowed to complete it's seed making cycle..

And is considered some type of a perennial in some growing zones, 10~12....where it can stay growing for several seasons, as long as it's seed production is minimal.

Weezie

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

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http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/
by Sheri&Kiki on March 13, 2005 03:03 AM
You're right on, Weezie! Some of my coleus plants are about 3 years old, but they've always been cut back when they started developing seeds. You have to be careful, though, as I've found seeds trying to start from more than 1 branch on coleus. I usually cut them back a few inches once they start, or they'll seed again in no time.

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I used to have a handle on life, but it broke.

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