Coleus bloom

Reproduction methods

Coleus Blume is the type of plant that can be easily grown from seeds. You can buy them in a specialized store. Sowing Coleus should be carried out in March, since a large amount of sunlight is observed at this time. The container with the sown material must be placed on a sunny windowsill.

Nettle is sown in a flat oblong container, while the soil should be moistened. After the sowing is over, it is worth covering the container with foil, thus creating a greenhouse effect. The flower grower must remember that the distance between the seeds must be at least 5 cm.

If there is not enough time for reproduction of Blume seeds, you can use another method. Propagation by cuttings is carried out by placing the plant in a pot filled with substrate, and then transferring it to a warm room. To increase the rooting rate, it is worth using the film covering the containers with cuttings.

Finished cuttings can also be placed in a glass of water, waiting for the roots to appear. When young Coleus is ready to root, it should be transplanted into soil. If you want to get a lush planting, you can plant several cuttings in one pot. Thus, growers get a mixture of colorful leaves in one container.

Popular varieties

The low and dwarf varieties of marigolds are among the most popular and are considered the best for flower beds. Also, such plants are planted on lawns and curbs and used as a living decoration of balconies and loggias. Let's consider the most popular varieties and get acquainted with their names.

"Mandarin". This variety got its name due to its bright orange color, similar to the color of the popular citrus fruit. The length of the "Mandarin" marigold bush reaches 30 centimeters, and by its nature it is a hybrid. "Mandarin" blooms in the warm season.

Thus, there is a huge variety of varieties of marigolds, so it will not be difficult for each homeowner to choose the one that suits individual needs and in accordance with personal preferences. Combinations of colors of different shades will look especially beautiful. For example, on a garden plot, you can create an unusual color palette: from white marigolds to flowers painted in rich orange shades.

Diseases and pests

Despite the fact that Coleus is considered an unpretentious plant, the grower may have the following difficulties when growing it.

• Attack of aphids, spider mites, if detected, it is worth using insecticides.
• The appearance of brown spots. This symptom indicates excessive dryness of the air in the room, which should be immediately eliminated.
• The fall of the lower foliage and the loss of brightness of the upper one indicate a lack of minerals, so the nettle should be fertilized regularly.
• Root decay is a consequence of using poor quality soil. To eliminate the problem, it is worth pruning and planting the surviving cuttings.

To grow a Coleus florist does not require much effort and knowledge. Subject to all the rules for caring for the plant, you can become the owner of a beautiful and original flower in a pot or in a garden.

You can find out how to transplant Coleus with cuttings below.

Peculiarities

Coleus Blume is a representative of bright ornamental plants, the main feature of which can be called the aesthetic value of leaves, not flowers. The foliage of the plant is characterized by velvety, it is painted in different color shades. This representative is considered an indoor dweller, but can feel great in the garden.

The perennial plant is classified as clear-flowered and labiate, it has a fleshy stem, which becomes woody over time. In height, the Blume Coleus can reach 0.1-0.8 meters. The dimensions of the flower are influenced by the peculiarities of caring for it. Each type of variety has a different foliage shape, which can be elongated, oval, cordate and have jagged edges. The color of the foliage of the shrub is different, it is brown, red-burgundy, dirty orange and even almost black.

The flowering period of the shrub falls on the spring-summer period, at which time lilac-lilac small flowers appear on the Coleus, having a two-lipped corolla and a spike-shaped inflorescence.Among the people, Blume is also called room nettle, thanks to the characteristic shape of the foliage.

Unimaginably rich palette of Coleus leaves

In the varieties of Coleus (Solenostemon), you can find the desired shade, if not in the main color, then in the details. The leaves are colored metallic silver and copper, bronze and gold, cold emerald, all shades of green (from almost black to aniseed) and even bright pink-fuchsia, lemon-yellow or orange, atypical for deciduous crops.

It is the rich color range that makes Coleus an ideal "textile" plant, allowing you to select green accents for the interior, the textures and fabrics presented in it. But the beauty of the velvety, wrinkled, surprisingly pleasant to the touch surface of the leaves should not be underestimated.

In this plant, even the shape resembling nettle leaves is not at all a necessary feature. Coleus leaves are lanceolate, heart-shaped, oval, large and small (from 2 to 20 cm both in length and in diameter), wrinkled and smooth, embossed, with varying degrees of jagged edges (from serrated to crenate, serrated, deeply cut, wavy and scalloped) and even with lobed and feathery variations.

Hundreds of different variations of leaf shapes and colors are the main thing that attracts both gardeners and florists to Coleus. None of the dozens of varieties that can be found in flower shops and garden centers can be called purely indoor or intended only for outdoor cultivation. Amazing plasticity, the ability to look equally good in pots, and in flower girls, and in soil, makes Coleus even more unique and desirable.

Features of the content

Caring for any variety of Coleus is almost always the same. For the successful growth and development of a plant, the following recommendations should be followed.

1. When watering, it is necessary to monitor the moisture content of the upper soil layer. At high temperatures, insufficient air humidity, it is worth additionally spraying Coleus leaves.
2. The temperature of the room in which the Coleus is located should not exceed + 16 ° C.
3. Fertilize the plant half a month after transplanting. During active reproduction, it is recommended to feed the flower every 1.5-2 weeks.
4. It is necessary to prune the plant every year with the onset of the warm season. The only rule for this process is to trim the shoots up to 6-7 cm in height.

Thus, we can say that among the varieties of Coleus, everyone can find something that is pleasing to the eye. In addition to the single use of coleus, they can be combined with other plants: shade them or, conversely, play in contrast, using other flowers as a background.

See the features of sowing Coleus in different ways in the following video.

Reproduction

Coleus can be propagated by cuttings or grown from seeds.

When composing seedlings on your own, remember that herbaceous cuttings are harvested from mother plants that have overwintered preferably in a greenhouse (plenty of light) with a temperature of 15-18 ° C. An increase in temperature in February-March to 20-23 ° C stimulates the growth of new shoots. The secret to fast rooting is to cut the apical cuttings in the middle of the internode. Since the plant is cut just above the knot, the bottom should be cut, not less than a centimeter below the knot. Rooted in a mixture of 70% perlite, the rest is peat. Given the looseness of the substrate, it is recommended to plant in one container. Only after the roots appear, remove the substrate from the container, and put the cuttings with intact roots in the pots. Rooting in perlite has a plus in comparison with rooting in water - plants do not need to adapt from an aquatic environment to a soil environment, it lasts several days, unprotected plants easily die. After hardening, coleuses are planted in beds, flower beds or containers in the second half of May. Coleuses tend to branch, pinching cuttings or seedlings enhances the process.

Conditions without which bright coleus cannot be grown

No matter how undemanding this plant may seem, without suitable conditions and regular care, it will not be possible to fully reveal the full potential of the variety and enjoy the beauty of its leaves. In order not to be disappointed in extravagant Coleuses, it is worth remembering a few basic requirements:

1. Coleus of the brightest varieties are more light-loving than their less original counterparts, they need to provide diffused but bright lighting - without the risk of getting sunburn in the height of summer, but also without strong shading, in which patterns and textures will disappear.
2. In the garden, Coleus will prefer cool places, in the rooms - cool and stable. But do not abuse the plant's endurance - stable temperatures, protection from drafts and cold winds will allow the greenery to become even more beautiful.
3. The soil for Coleus should be loose, breathable and nutritious.
4. After planting, the coleus are fed every 2-3 weeks with fertilizers for decorative deciduous plants. For indoor plants, long-acting fertilizers can be used.
5. Coleus do not like droughts and dampness, they water the plants often, but without frills, allowing the soil to dry out.
6. The leaves of the plants should not get wet, unnecessary spraying and showering will destroy the Coleus.

For any wheel, we must not forget about pruning. To enjoy the beauty of the leaves, you need to prevent flowering, pinch the tops in time to thicken and keep the bushes in shape all the time, preventing the shoots from stretching and accumulating dry and damaged leaves. Coleus can easily endure even a strong haircut. Constant cleaning and careful hygiene are the best preventive measures to keep Coleus healthy.

Coleus are very volatile. No matter how hard you try to create optimal conditions, you should be prepared for the fact that the Coleus will differ from the “ideal” - a sample of the characteristics of the variety. The thing is that even small changes in temperatures, humidity and lighting change both saturation and shades. Each varietal Coleus is not only unique, but also always different in different rooms and places. Two bushes can differ even on the same windowsill!

Coleus "Superfine Rainbow Multicolor"

Coleus "Superfine Rainbow Multicolor" is a unique variety with chaotic patches of salmon pink, bright yellow, grass green and dark red, reminiscent of camouflage, mixed on each leaf in different extravagant combinations. Other varieties with multicolor ripples:

• Giant Exhibition Marble;
• Tickled Pickle;
• Fairway Mosaic;
• Stormy Weather;
• Victoria;
• Paisley Shawl;
• "Anna" (Anna).

Coleus 'Superfine Rainbow Multicolor'. Ludvig

Notes (edit)

Coleus Blume is suitable for shaping a tree

It does not matter whether to start forming with small seedlings or later. You can start with a plant selected for wintering to get cuttings for the next year.

In any case, you need to decide and choose one fairly simple escape. From the old plant, the lower leaves and side shoots are simply removed to the required height, highlighting the cuttings used for seedlings, the lower leaves are removed from the cuttings, if necessary, transplanted into a larger pot. When forming an older plant, like seedlings, a bamboo stick is installed, placing the support closer to the trunk. In an older plant, we attach a support moderately freely, in several places, in seedlings, as the shoot grows, systematically removing the lower leaves, possibly lateral shoots.

When the coleus grows 80-90 cm in height, you must either transplant or put the pot in a large container to maintain balance. Leave a trunk height of about 60 cm, cut off all the time, gradually growing shoots. Then cut off all side shoots and the main shoot. The emerging shoots are cut off again after the second pair of leaves. Shoots do not grow too evenly, cut to maintain the shape of the crown of the tree.During the entire time, everything is removed from the trunk, up to complete lumber. A formed tree can live for several years under favorable storage conditions, or choose another specimen for formation in February-March.

Growing and care

Before planting Coleus in the soil, it is necessary to create the most favorable conditions for it. In the open ground, the plant should be planted in April - at this time there is still no strong heat, but the weather is quite warm.

Caring for a room Blume does not mean anything complicated. Since the plant loves good lighting, it should be spotted on any window, with the exception of the northern one. The correct lighting determines the uniqueness of the leaf color, as well as the splendor of the dwarf shrub. Lack of lighting will lead to faded foliage and excessive elongation of the plant.

The optimal temperature for indoor nettle is 23-25 ​​degrees Celsius.

When it's hot outside, the stems and leaves of the coleus should not be allowed to dry out. That is why in hot summer, in addition to regular and abundant watering, it is also worth spraying. It is worth noting that a lack or excess of moisture can lead to drying out and foliage falling off. In winter, watering should be done once a week, but the best option would be constant monitoring of the condition of the soil.

In the winter months, you need to feed Coleus once every 30 days. In the warm season, namely in spring, summer, autumn, it is worth fertilizing the shrub once a week. Nettles need nitrogen to grow properly. The best option for a plant is a complex feeding, which is sold in stores.

Coleus "Premium San Chocolat Coverd Cherry"

Coleus "Premium Sun Chocolate Covered Cherry" is a unique late-flowering variety that retains its decorative effect for a very long time with a raspberry-pink feather in the center of the leaves, accentuated by an uneven dark cherry border and thin, affecting only the rounded teeth at the edges, with bright green border. The wavy edges spoil the heart-shaped shape somewhat, but the bushes branch densely, they are compact, suitable for borders and containers. Other varieties of Coleus with a play of pink, cherry and bright green:

• Prince Bishop;
• Bleeding Heart;
• "Habreike" (Heartbreaker);
• Superfine Rainbow Color Pride;
• Watermelon;
• Kong Rose.