Sick coleus-can you help

Hi all,

This is a last ditch plea really to see if I can get any help to rescue a Coleus Second Street that has taken a dive over the last week or so. I brought it and the other coleus (alligator alley) you can see in the photo in from outside a couple of months ago for winter. It was fine up until very recently when the leaves just started to flop and it's losing lots. I've treated these the same so I dont understand the difference in the health between them. They're on a south facing window during the day then moved away at night except when I've forgotten a few times. I thought maybe I've over watered it as didn't really cut back when I brought them in. Any advice for rescuing or propagating at this stage. Thanks for the help

 

It looks to have died, cant say why but overwatering is a fairly common problem at this time of the year.

 

I've grown them many times over the years - always from seed but I've never overwintered one.
Usually by around the end of October mine are all dead.
They're tender perennials that are treated as annuals in the UK, as they need a warm bright environment all the time to survive.

 

I see, ok well you live and learn. I wonder if the extension where it is might be a bit cold, it's an unheated extension halfway so will get down to some of the lowest temps in the house. Wouldn't surprise me if it hits 9-10C. Maybe I should move the other one out while it still looks good. Just surprised me the difference between the two. Seems so wasteful to replace them every year. Thanks

 

Closer to 15c minimum would be my guess.

 

The stems are so filled with fluid, unless they are actively growing they do what yours have done, just stop growing then start to rot then die.
I've no idea if it'll work but you could consider cutting one right back so there are just a couple of leaves on each stem then keep the plant cool and fairly dry. That may preserve whatever life is left in them.
They are quite easy from seed and given decent weather get to nice bushy plants about 2ft in summer.
Once they flower, they will die, so remove any flower spikes you see.
Good luck

 

We have one growing slowly indoors but the temperature is quiet even and not on a window cill which can so quickly go from hot to cold.

For the one thats looking good, suggest you take some cuttings and root them in water , keeping them somewhere evenly warm, so if the mother plant goes off like the others you have some backups.

 

Ok thanks I might try that

 

Yes thank you that's a good idea. I had thought taking cuttings was time of year dependent

 

They seem to root readily in water for us any time of year, think the key is an even temperature.
We just use those plastic party tumblers and put some foil over the top to hold them in place.

We always add a couple of drops of fertiliser like Baby Bio to the water.

 

Yes good plan/backup plan! Thanks

 

They are perrenials but only short lived, like basil, I believe dying around 4 years if you keep cutting the flowers. Yours looks like instant mush though.

I believe they are super tropicals native to indonesia so they may just melt on contact with cold air like my poinsettias and snakeplants do. My gran had a poinsettia that died after a month of around 8c, well above frost.

maybe replace it with seed. its fairly easy to grow but youll need somewhere very sunny or it grows dwindly. Coleus Seed - Large Range Online UK

 

Coleus Chocolate Covered Cherry - from seed

 

gorgeous. not many plants like that.