coleus swapping

Last year was the first year I really put effort into sowing seeds to produce a colourful summer bedding display. One of the plants I grew was coleus (standard rainbow mix seeds) and I have to admit im now a big fan.

Im now trying to grow 8 varieties, including my trusty rainbow mix from last year. I hope to keep my collection going through next winter by taking cuttings (a piece of cake, it really is) and was wondering if anyone else shared a liking for coleus, and wished to share cuttings (or even seeds) of the different types of coleus available.

Certain coleus are quite difficult to get hold of, so propogation by cuttings is the best method.

I know im jumping ahead of myself here, but Im intrigued to find out if there would be any interest?

- Luke -

 

This is a plant I've not grown for quite a few years, I used to grow quite a lot for summer bedding.
They are nice plants and give a good display.

One thing I always found was that once the plants started to flower they tended to look a bit passed their best.
I found cuttings always flowered much faster than seed grown plants.

I think at one time there was a large amount of named varieties available.
Would be interesting to know if any still exist.

 

Hi Luke

I am a fan of Coleus but not grown any for many years ..I started work as an apprentice in a Parks dept and we grew many named varieties of Coleus for public conservatories...There are a few specialist nurseries still growing them ..

However overwintering the cuttings requires a fair amount of heat.and as Pete mentioned they do look tied once flowers start. May try a few seed this year ..

Dave

 

Sorry I can't help but... I bought a packet of supposedly mixed coleus seeds last year, I grew many of the seeds but they all ended up looking to same! Can you suggest a brand of "mixed" coleus that are actually a coloured mix? Mine seemed to all end up the same colour green with deep reddy burgundy on the inner part, I thought I'd get all different kinds of colours, like a red coleus, a green coleus, an orange coleus etc.

I like the flowers but the petals are many and tiny and get all over the place Once mine started flowering it didn't seem to want to stop, it grew side shoots that I could have used for cuttings and they flowered too.

 

After taking cuttings, the plant seems to throw many flowers off in an attempt to set seed (survival mode)

I used sutton seeds last year and had a nice selection (did around 20), however opted to use a cheaper brand this year and theyre looking to be mostly green and red, as you described!

 

Thank you lukenotts, if I attempt to grow them again maybe I'll try Suttons mix instead!

 

No Problems... they are a little more expensive, and to be honest, I dont usually buy suttons, but they were the first pack I found for coleus so picked them up. Germination rate was excellent. The only reason I didnt use the saved seeds from last years pack, is because I lost them :DOH:

 

I grow about 50 Coleus every year from seed at work, (Dave, some of us still work for Parks Depts)
I tend to grow Wizard Mixed for display work as by August they can get to 2ft high or more.

 

I might be tempted to try a few again I think they are a wonderful plant ..
( Hi Strongy, I enjoyed my time with the Parks Dept I worked there about 20yrs and the training I got was tremendous and stood me well the rest of my working career)

Dave

 

I like coleus, but have never grown any. I always assumed (possibly incorrectly) that because so many are sold as house plants that they can't stand the cold we can get up north. However, nottinghamshire is not much south of here, and being inland it can get colder there than it usually does here, so maybe I might give them a go.

I'm all too familiar with that problem. Every year at about this time I always go to the seed box to see what I've got, and always find about 3 lots of seed when I always seem to remember I had a lot more. The wife is handy in that situation though. She is skilled at finding stuff I've lost. Just yesterday she found some pea seeds that I knew I had but weren't 'where I know I left them':D

 

Quite the opposite in my case It was probably the missus that took the seeds... she has a habit of taking a packet of say 1000 seeds, which I have planted around 20 to get a few plants for a pot... then she will sow the remaining 980 :DOH: and manage to kill them all :DOH: :DOH:

 

I always found if you grow "mixed" seed types, you have to make sure you pot on some of the weaker seedlings.
In a "mix" you usually get some types that are much more vigorous than others, and if you only select the strong seedlings you will probably end up with plants all looking very similar.

 

Thats an interesting point you have raised Pete. I have heard somewhere that when thinning out seedlings (in general) you should go for the shorter ones, rather than the large ones... so what you say makes sense, as they could be varied in rates of growth.

 

i know this is an old thread but have just bought some seeds and could do with some advice before I even attempt to open the packet (if its worthwhile me even opening them haha)
I have only ever tried to keep coleus as a houseplant in the past, having never had a garden before, but its one of those plants that i just cant 'do' .. they always seem to die on me .. along with yukka, casteroil plant, dracaena and mother in laws tongue .. hell i even kill cacti!! .. but thats a whole other story!! ..
anyway, back to the point .. is there anything special i should be doing with these ? .. do you reckon in the packet of 100 seeds i have a chance of at least 1 plant making it through the summer ? lol .. i hope so as the picture on the packet is gorgeous (they are flame dancers) .. wonder if i should just put the picture on a pot and pop that in the garden!! lolol

 

They had two sorts on Leicester market today, £1 each.

They were really trendy plants in the 70s then everyone got bored with them. But I think there's a bit of a resurgence. I'd buy a couple of plants rather than seeds, pillage them for cuttings - in a few weeks you will have about a dozen and can swap them for other varieties. Or plant them en masse which looks better even if it's less interesting from the plant collecting point of view.