Sowing coleus

Hi I’m thinking of having a go at growing some coleus from seed for planting out next year. Would the plants be of decent size next year if I sow seed end of jan with a view to planting out end of March?
Also any recommendations for sowing and planting alongside at the same time as I have some big beds to fill!!
Thanks
Craig

 

Craig. Coleus are very easy to grow from seed. Simply follow the directions on the packet. I have grown hundreds of them in the past, especially for interior decoration.

Perhaps I can offer some tips. For outdoor plantings, coleus are usually considered as being a single season plant. However as the season is coming to an end, suitable plants can be lifted and potted up. These can be used in the home and or overwintered in a greenhous or out building with minimum heat and light.

Coleus once above a few inches tall, will grow fast and automatically branch out. Pinching out is a personal choice and for some colours can prove beneficial. Especially the richer stronger colours. Propagation is also easy and selecting what you consider to be the best or most attractive, a large collection can soon be achieved. If whilst in storage, so to speak, some weakness develops then simply snip such parts off. Cutting whenever taken will grow fast and you will soon find yourself taking cuttings from cuttings.

Come planting out time to beds and borders. Your potted overwintered plants will be way ahead. These can be used as dot plants etc. Come the end of another season and the process can be repeated. In the past. I have used and reused so to speak plants that are four plus years old. Many by this time having become woody and representing themselves more us colourful decorative shrubs.

I wish you all the best.

 

Only thing I would add is as they grow very fast don't sow until March as you can't plant out until may or early June. If you want them for indoor use you can sow earlier but most seedlings go very leggy if sown too early.

 

That’s really helpful thanks very much. Can you recommend any other plants to sow with nice foliage and colours alongside for planting next year.
I’m thinking heuchera and some nice ornamental grasses, I am hoping to plant a lot of trailing surfinia or super pertunia also around the garden and baskets/containers.
Would this be something I could achieve?
Thanks
Craig

 

Tradescantia always put on a good show and trail well. They are really a house plant but some will survive outside over a mild winter. You can get lots of plants by taking cuttings (root very easily) Heres one variety alongside coleus that were sown that year

 

Iresine herbstii, growing with Plectranthus mona lavender.
The plectranthus has the green leaves and does look good in flower also, but it didn't flower for me last summer, nice foliage though.

 

Very impressed with the tradescantia @andrews .
Remember them as house plants growing, or more like surviving, in hanging pots indoors..

It looks really happy outside in the summer, does it prefer shade?

 

Ours are all in a bit of shade. Some have a 4ft wooden fence shading sun from the south and the ones in that planter are partially shaded under a canvas canopy.
When bits break off we stick the broken bit in the tub and it roots. I have a purple one against a grey tub which looks stunning - will try and find a pic

 

Iresine looks great @pete do you grow from seed or take cuttings inside over winter ?

 

I've always taken cuttings and over wintered them.
Never tried it from seed .

 

Seeds have been hit and miss with me. Cuttings always work, provided they are not in the cold

 

Pete and Andrews. We forgot to mention. Pinch out the flowers. Not worth growing.

 

Agreed. Ours only tend to flower when we bring plants in for the winter and they make a mess over the windowsill

 

Coleus from seed, when I grew them years ago, were always flowering towards the end of the summer, and pinching them out just made the plant produce another couple of leaves before going on the flowering yet again.

Iresine has never flowered for me in the last 10 yrs or so.