Comments on: Coleus cuttings

By: bainvillewendy

bainvillewendy — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:58:13 +0000

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.

Hi
One possibility is distorted new leaves can be caused by insects (aphids, mites) which infest the plant with a virus. The insect is gone but the virus is in the plant and any cuttings that you have taken from the original plant. I would recommend starting with new healthy plants for next year.

By: Judy T

Judy T — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 21:00:48 +0000

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!!!!!!!!!

Hi Judy
Yes, you can take cuttings and root them. Choose cuttings that are not blooming. Make sure the pot is large enough to accomodate all your cuttings. Once they reach a certain size, they will have to be separated or they will compete with each other. I would recommend 4-5 cuttings per 6″ pot.

By: kimberly pitts

kimberly pitts — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:46:28 +0000

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 Kimberly
It sounds as if your coleus has Oedema-corky blister on the surface of the leaves. This is occurs when the roots get more water than the leaves can use. Reduce watering, provide more air circulation and perhaps a bit more sun.
Coleus also get leaf-spot disease which is caused by a fungus.

By: Stacia

Stacia — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 00:00:25 +0000

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?

HI Stacia
Sometimes a cutting will wilt because it has too many leaves and the stem cannot supply enough moisture to them, that’s why you eliminate some of the leaves. New cuttings need high humidity in order to maintain moisture in the leaves. Too much light will also cause them to wilt.

By: weski

weski — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 18:59:27 +0000

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?

Hi Weski
Depending on where you live, it may not be too late to cut your coleus back. They usually show new growth within 2 weeks. If you do- root the cuttings in water and once the roots are formed plant them in soil. They will not grow well in water all winter. Another way is to plant the cuttings directly in soil. Keep the soil moist and maintain humid conditions until they show new growth.

By: jennifer

jennifer — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 02:58:21 +0000

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.

Hi Jennifer,
Keep the cutting in a shaded-to filtered light-no direct sun.

By: jennifer

jennifer — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:18:46 +0000

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 Jennifer
You can take cuttings from the younger more vigorous shoots on the plant and root it just like a regular coleus. Because the leaves are so large you may have to cut off 1/2 of the leaf to reduce the size.

By: Ashley

Ashley — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 04:24:12 +0000

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 Ashley
The mold is most likely a sign that the soil was kept too wet and the plant may have root rot. Make sure you let the soil dry out. Hopefully, you Kong coleus will recover. Removing the diseased leaves was ok, it will keep the mold from spreading.

By: SUSI

SUSI — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 19:06:05 +0000

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!

Hi Susi
Do you have earwigs in your area? They may also be eating your coleus. Wind and rain can shred the leaves on coleus, especially the Kong variety.

By: Donaldo

Donaldo — Thu, 14 May 2009 23:07:40 +0000

The ends are dying off and the leaves where the reddish area should be are turning grayish, almost white looking. Any suggestions? Thanks.

You may be exposing them to too much light. There is a significant difference between indoor light and outdoors. Keep your coleus in a shaded area until they get used to the light change. Keep the plants moist but not wet-carefull not to overwater. Let the first 1″ dry before watering again. Protect them from strong winds and finally, make sure its warm enough before you set them outdoors, they are warm weather plants.