Coleus cuttings
I was given a plant start from a coleus plant. It has green leaves with a magenta center, the more sun it gets the deeper magenta the leaves get. I was told this is an inside plant. Aren’t coleus plants usually grown outdoors? It’s an extremely fast growing plant and I would love to know how to best care for it indoors. I would also like to make new plants to plant outdoors.
Coleus plants grow better outdoors in the sun/shade during the summer. They do get more colorful with extra light. If the plant gets too leggy, you can pinch it back and it will develop side shoots making a nice bushy plant to suit your size. They are not cold tolerant and will die back in the winter.
How to winterover coleus
Here’s how to save your coleus over the winter: cut off a 4-6 inch tip with a node, remove any flower stalks and place it in water. It should root within a few weeks. Once rooted, plant the cuttings in individual pots in a sunny window.
Another way is to take the cutting, remove lower leaves and insert in a moist, very well-drained potting soil. You can also dip the bottom end in rooting hormone (optional). Place the container in a plastic bag away from direct sun. Check the soil periodically, so it stays moist. It should root within 10 days. To check if your plant has rooted, lightly tug on the plant.
Indoor care
The brilliantly colored coleus also makes a nice houseplant. When indoors, provide bright filtered light, well-drained, evenly moist soil and temperatures between 70-85F. For continued vegetative growth, remove any flower spikes it produces or the plant will go to seed and decline or die. Start fertilizing in the early spring when the plant begins to show signs of new growth. You can take cuttings from the mother plant in early spring to make more plants for outdoor planting. As with any houseplant, keep them away from heating vents/air conditioners. They are easy to care for.
I have an Rainbow Coleus and I had pinch it back , and propagate it . And replanted the coleus . And now the leaves are drooping. will the leaves perks backup and start to branch out. How long will it take to branch out?
I reported a coleus and all of its roots ripped out. It’s been about a week and is not looking good. This is for a grade in my class so I have to keep it alive. How can I save it!?
Hi my name is Peggy and I have 2 Coleus plants and both the plants leaves are being eating by something….
What is it and what can I do from it happening again????
Potbound coleus
I have a coleus that is about 8 years old and has always been inside. The plant is Medium size but requires a very large pot because of all of the roots. Should I re-pot it and is it possible to trim the large mass of roots. There are more roots than plant.
Coleus cuttings
Hi I grew some coleus in an aerogarden and it went nuts. Very big and strong. I took some clippings from the stems and replanted them in pots in soil. The bigger leaves on them are wilting. What can I do. Will this work? Thank you
Cut back too much?
I cut my coleus back to where there is just an inch or 2 inches above the soil. Will they grow or did I cut too much off?
Tea-increase color
I got a tip from my florist – the color of your coleus will become more intense, if your water it with cold tea…has anyone else heard of this? I can’t find anything about it on the internet, and I’m not sure I’m ready to risk the health of my beautiful plant if it’s not true…
Blooming coleus
hi, i have an indoor coleus and the leaves are wilting a bit at the ends and the colors that where previously really bright are now starting to turn white. I was wondering if this had anything to do with me letting the flowers grow? and if so, is there anything i can do so that it will live with the flowers? If not, what can i do to help the color return? (i’m also adding that its in full sun area)
I recently rooted a few coleus stems in water and have just transplanted them to soil. I noticed that a few leafs have small holes in them. The new plants are still indoors while the mother plant is outdoors. Do I have a case of mites? I’ve looked but I can’t see any mites on the plant. There’s no fungus or other insects either.
I keep different species of coleus together and some don’t seem to be affected yet. Should I get rid of the plants with small holes in them now, so that my other plants are not affected?
Here’s a picture of a hole starting: http://i1122.photobucket.com/albums/l523/j_nonny/hole.jpg
I have coleus plants that have developed shriveled deformed leaves when they come out, and bands of thick dark bumpy discoloring, about half an inch long on the stems. What is it? It infects even plants I have in water rooting.
How tall can a coleus get? I have some that are 3’7″ including the sprout of little flowers. And why am I reading I should cut those off? They are pretty. Also, can I cut some of these and put in water to root and try to get some going inside for the winter so I dont have to buy new ones in the spring? Once they root can I put all the different kinds in one pot? Not a lot of room by a window. Thanks!!!!!!!!!
Coleus oedema or leaf spot
I have several gorgeous coleus plants, grown from cuttings of a healthy mother plant. Now my coleus (all of them) have brown bumpy looking dots all over the stems! I am freaking out since I planned to use these as indoor plants over winter. I live in Zone 5, and they would die back. I have them in pots on my deck. Please advise, I would hate to toss them but I won’t risk infecting the rest of my healthy houseplants. I will try anything.
Hi!
As a part of my Biology II project, we were given coleus cuttings in test tubes. We recieved them about two weeks ago. All of the plants were infested with mealy worms when we recieved them, but the infestation has been controlled. However, all of the plants are wilting. Few of them have any signs of roots, and they are kept in a plant chamber in the classroom, receiveing 12 hours of artifical sunlight. Is there any particular reason that they are wilting? If so, how do we fix it?
My coleus plants are huge and now stalky in their big outdoor containers. Is it too late to cut them back? They are about 30 inches tall. Also, do you just keep cuttings in water all winter?
thanks.
i put some cuttings in water today. wondering…..what kind of light do i set them in? i’m going to be out of town for the next two weeks and want to put them where they will thrive and start to root.
i have a coleus kong salmon in a pot on my shaded back patio that has gotten HUGE. is it possible to divide it (and make the other a houseplant)? is there a correct way to do it? i’m a newbie to this whole thing and don’t want to destroy it 🙂 thanks!
Hi, i just bought a kong coleus a couple of weeks ago. It has disgusting mold in it and the leaves are dying and are limp. For the mold, i sprayed fungicide on it, thinking it could get better. I dont know if it would help. I stripped all of the brown dying leaves off that had white stems and kept the little living ones on that are starting to grow. Is the mold killing it??? What should i do??? Was it okay to strip parts of the plant???
Hi- This year I bought quite a few coleus and have them pottd up into containers with good potting soil. We have been having terrible weather– much rain, for almost 3 weeks, and my coleus have holes in them and many leaves are torn. One Kong is absolutely shredded. The plants are on the deck, not on the ground. I have put slug bait into the pots, but I have seen no slugs on the coleus themselves. The inner, bottom leaves are not eaten, either, which is usually what I see with slugs. Any ideas? I’m bringing in as many as I can at night, but that’s not practical. And, I’m not totally sure the damage is always caused at night– just when I am not looking!
I took some Coleus cuttings last year when the season was over. I brought them into the house and put them in water and rooted them. I then planted them in little containers of soil until they were about 2 inches high. I now have them in a tray and am putting them outside in the morning to get them acclimated to the weather. The leaves are turning white where they should be reddish. Does anyone know why?
Is it possible that they are getting too much sun? Are the whte area turning brown?
The ends are dying off and the leaves where the reddish area should be are turning grayish, almost white looking. Any suggestions? Thanks.
can you tell me if there is an insecticide available that I can add to the soil to combat those green caterpillars that thrive on my coleus? i have been using ortho orthenex insect & disease control but seem to be constantly spraying them and it’s costing a fortune.
I have a 2′ x 12′ bed that is next to a garage and a walkway. I’d like to plant coleus there for the summer (upstate NY) Is it possible for me to just seed the plot rather than starting the plants indoors? I have very limited indoor sunlight and few windows, so am hesitant to start them inside. Just wondering if I was to wait for the temperature to increase and plant outdoors, when would I get to a full plant? And is that space between a structure and a paved walkway not going to provide adequate drainage? It has partial sun in the area.
I appreciate any advice you could offer, since I’m slightly off topic. Thanks!
Can root pruning affect how the Coleus blumei grows? Will it help or hinder? I am doing an experiment and would like to get some back-up data. Does root pruning affect anything besides the amount of growth?
How does root pruning help in the growth of new foliage? Please explain.
I HAVE COLEUS IN THE GARDEN DO I HAVE TO REMOVE THE WHOLE PLANT FROM THE GROUND FOR THE WINTER, AND POT INDOORS OR DO I CLIP TO A CERTAIN POINT AND LEAVE THE ROOTS OUTSIDE IN THE GROUND FOR THE WINTER ?
when I suggested adding cider vinegar or foodgrade3% hydrogen peroxide to plants, I must emphasize that it must always be diluted, say, half teaspoon hydrogen peroxide3%foodgrade to a cup of water, or one teaspoonful of cider vinegar to a cup of water, one or the other for ailing plants, or continued health
What caused my leaves to have holes in them and distorted new ones? These plants have been in the house during the winter and out in the warm season and never had this problem before. Should I change the soil, spray with soap and water spray….I don’t see any mites and the ground doesn’t show any mold or fungus….HELP!!!!
my coleus cuttings are showing small fronds of roots, how big do they have to be to put into the plant pots?
Julles
hi after putting my coleus cutings in water for about 3 weeks, they havent rooted yet, and are going brown at base of stem, is that ok?
julles
Hi
After placing the cuttings from the main plant, which is now much better, after 2 weeks or so, the base of the stems still hasn’t got roots showing, should I have split the bottom of the stems with a knife, or is it too late?, the cuttings look pretty healthy
Jules
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hi again, the main plant is showing sign of improvement now, it is in a roughly ten-inch high pot, and before the shock of re-potting was on the window -ledge indoors, and grew up nearly to the top of the window it still stands at about two and a half feet, should I leave it in this pot, and take more cuttings in the spring, as dont want to cause it more shock – thanks alot again, and where is the best position in the room for it
julles
Hi again
Ihave now taken 3 cuttings from the main coleus plant, and put them standing in water separately.
how often do you change the water theyre in?
julles
thankyou for previous answers, once you have taken cuttings from the main wilting plant, which I have done, and they look much better, how often do you change the water they are re-rooting in, as I know you have to change the water in bought flowers
every couple of days, does that apply also to the water the cuttings are in.
A tip of mine as you have helped me..a little cider vinegar added to plant water can keep away insects, and perk them up, also a drop or two of foodgrade hydrogen peroxide is good, one or the other is fine
thanks
how long do you leave the cuttings in water, do they get a root whilst they are in water, or can you repot the cuttings into soil after a couple of days?
Help! on advice I repotted my large previously healthy and strong-looking coleus into a larger pot from the window sill to a table, it didnt look too good so,after a couple of days I repotted it back to its original pot and back to the window-sill, it has seriously wilted, I dont want it to die, or the smaller ones in the pot, so urgent help needed, thnaks – julles
i was wondering how much water i should give my coleus each day and how many seeds per pot is needed?
my coleus plant has a white mildewish looking stuff on the stems. what could that be from. Also the leaves are looking rather spottish in color and something is eating the leaves. I need help with this asap. hopefully you can reply and help with this soon! thank you
Why does my coleus soil smell like puke? Then my other plant has mold on the soil.
Can I plant snapdragons and other flowers in the same garden as my herbs?
Once a coleus cutting has taken root in water and planted in a six inch diameter pot of potting soil is 5 oz of fertlized water a week adequate to promote optimum root growth ?
What causes the white fuzzy mold looking stuff on the soil of a plant ? Also I have a coleus that looking like it is wilting and dying and the soil smells sour, is it better to try to change the soil or just snip and reroot the leaves ??? thanks again for the help.
Leslie (Scooby) Newell Harvey’s Lake, PA.
Hi, I am doing a Science Fair project on the propagation of Coleus nodal cuttings. I am using two hormones, Rootone 10 and Hermex. What is the best way to proagate these cuttings using the hormones listed above? Also would constructing a wooden box with a heating cable help the cutting devlop more?