I have several jugs of coleus, also. I didn't WS many annuals this year but couldn't pass up coleus, which is just such a cool plant. I would like to see some photos of the sprouts as they grow. The few I have right now are tiny.

Neil, I believe it was Karen, known here as kqcrna who posted photos of all the coleus she grew in front of her house last year. She showed us some really gorgeous pictures.

Mary

Yes, it was Karen. I saw my other thread last night. I had few questions about it. Hopefully she'll see this thread. Or I'll look for our email exchange last year.

Thanks Mary!

Looking for me, Neil? What's your question?

Coleus from seed are Slooooowww growing. I've only tried WSing them once, and they didn't look like much until late summer. I've had better luck doing them inside under lights. I've pretty much given up on seed grown ones though, because
1. slow growing
2. they flower and go to seed way to fast
3. not tolerant at all of our hot sun here. I tried the Versa series last year, touted to be the first sun-tolerant coleus from seed. They fried in sun here.

I mostly grow the vegetatively grown ones now. I buy some each year, have traded cuttings for some, and I propagate them from cuttings under lights through winter. Many are very sun tolerant, love our hot, humid summers, and, best of all, thrive on my neglect. They're pretty hard to kill!

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Propagating cuttings
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Karen

They are pretty! I put up a post about them. Karen, is right they don't WS well. Unlessen, you live in a hot zone.

I believe either Terrene, or Morz, they order from a nurseries who specializes in coleus.

I order most of mine from Rosy Dawn Gardens.They carry coleus exclusively. They are wonderful, healthy plants, well packed for shipping. I even have my picture on their website (KQ, Ohio, here):
http://www.rosydawngardens.com/Customer_Gallery.aspx

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Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: Rosy Dawn

Karen, you helped me on my sad, sad looking coleus and I'm happy to report they look MUCH better!
Looking at you your pics.... The coleus under lights grow to be the size in your pots on your porch in 1 season? Or do you leave those pots inside as houseplants too?

I did buy some seed off eBay and start indoors under lights. They were more of a specialty, named coleus. My germination is about 80% but they are SLOW as mentioned already..... For whatever reason the Fairway orange I think it's called, I only got 2 out of 5!!!! :(. I was really hoping for some orange! Oh well, 2 is better than 0 and if I get it to be full size I can always take cuttings.... I do have more seed to try again.

Karen, you are the "Coleus Queen". :P. You have the fairest coleus in the land..... Tehee

Thank you, Jodie.

And yes, they can grow huge in one year. Some are tiny little plants with delicate little leaves, like Flume, in the center front here
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Others are huge, like "Henna" pictured here in the back, to the right of my lobelia. It was probably 2.5' tall
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If you look at the RD website, at individual plants, it describes a pretty accurate idea of untimate plant size.

Karen

Thanks Karen for replying. :)

I should have asked you first before buying the Versa seed series. I bought two, and another non-versa.

By the way, I don't understand what you mean by this
I mostly grow the vegetatively grown ones now.

How do you propagate the cuttings? Do you just put it on water or potting mix?

Hi, Neil.

Vegetatively propagated = grown from cuttings, not from seed. Most of these don't flower so they don't produce seeds. If they do flower, it's very late. I just pinch off the blossoms and start a new cutting. I root them in potting soil under a humidity dome. I posted a picture in this thread, a few posts above. I don't have much success rooting them in water. I usually forget about them and they rot :-) If I start them right in potting mix, I rarely have a failure.

The Versas were pretty when I tried them last year. They didn't tolerate my sun at all though- they fried, like any of the other seed-grown ones would. Don't you live farther north? Chicago area? They might take sun better in your zone. In mostly shade they did better for me, but did start flowering very early, and I'm not sure any survived all summer.
Versa seedlings, March
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Versas in the center pot, in June.
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I belong to a couple of coleus forums on another website. If you're interested, email me and I'll give you a link. GW won't let me post it here.

Karen

Oh yes, Karen is the Coleus Queen in my eyes too!

After reading a post of hers a few months ago and seeing her lush flower bed pictures, it pushed me into ordering something like 16-18 different varieties from Rosy Dawn Gardens. I potted them up until they could be planted out, which I'll be doing today. I just wish they weren't annuals!!

Em

Hi Em, and thank you.

Coleus aren't annuals, but they don't survive winters in our zone. That's why I start cuttings in fall. They are perennials in very warm zones. I've seen pictures of some growing in places like Florida for years at a time, and they're beautiful. Huge!

I'm so glad you are trying RD coleus, I think you will be pleased. Weren't they nice and healthy on arrival?

Really, I'm not affiliated with RD, except as a well satisfied customer. What's not to love?
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Karen

I got so interested when you said humidity dome. How do I make one? The indoor shelf garden I made is open. Some of the plants I started though wilted in my basement. It's cold in there.

The seeds I ordered haven't arrived yet. Looks like I will not use them this year.

Sure please, send me the link.

Love your pictures!!! :D

Thanks!

Humidity dome greatly increases success in rooting cuttings. You can use plastic bags, but keep them off the leaves.

In my picture above (of lighted shelving) you can see my tall humidity domes. Commercial domes are cheap and easier than using plastic bags IMO. There are different heights available, and some have built in adjustable air vents.

I'll email you links to a few coleus forums.

Here is a link that might be useful: short domes

KAREN, HELP!!!

My coleus were looking SOOOOOO great! I trimmed them like you said to help make them multi branching and bushy. They really were looking great and I was excited to harden off and plant out soon. Well, then I got busy outside with my ws'ing planting and checked on them yesterday for their weekly watering and they were COVERED in spider mites! All in a week! I had to google the white egg shape things and came up with spider mites. How did that happen??? I bought some organic soap spray and took them outside and SOAKED them! I'm so bummed. I hope they recover. I did lose a couple already. I'm gonna leave them outside cause I don't want them to spread to my other baby coleus or other plants. May be too late already.....

Should I do anything else? Sorry, don't mean to hijack the thread.....

Sounds like you're on track Jodie. Once you start putting them outside, the bugs can get them.

I have a lot of spider mites here, but I've never had them kill a plant. They might make them look awful but the plants usually survive.

When I bring my plants into the house over winter, I use Bonide systemic insect control. It controls a lot of bugs.

Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: systemic insect control

Last night, was the first night I brought my coleus, hyacinth and other plants outside(harden off). I wasn't aware that there was a thunderstorm forecast the next day.

Left work, took the train and reached our train station. I was shocked to see some parts of the parking area were 4 inch deep flooded. I got home and I saw my plants drowning since they were still in the 72 cell black tray. Glad I didn't see any stem break. However, the hyacinth vines were flat on the ground. Hopefully the main trunk didn't break too. :(

LOVE the post!! Thanks for asking and thanks for the answers!!

I'll be taking cuttings in the fall of any coleus that I obtain this year!!

Karen - again - I LOVE your gardens!!

Just an example of Rosy Dawn's coleus:

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I wish I could overwinter cuttings the way Karen does!

PV

I planted some from seed. One was fairway and other was versa.
One so far is starting to flower already. I also take cutting in the
fall and keep them in my sunroom until late spring. All of these
I started from seed inside under lights. The ones I like I will take
cuttings in fall.

This one is starting to go to seed already. I will be pinching it off.
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I have versa seeds. Can I put my covered cell tray outside and start the coleus seeds? I know it's late. I just want to do cuttings by end of this season.

I don't know Neil, it's awfully late. And coleus are slow growing. On the other hand, they do need heat to sprout and weather is warm, so they'd probably germinate pretty fast.

Are you speaking of using a regular cell flat with a regular humidity dome? Is it vented? You'd need vents now, weather is warm and the sun is hot. I've used cell flats inside but never outside. I'd worry about drying and, most of all, blowing away in these storms! Where do you live? aren't you around Chicago?

Your seedlings might stay pretty small 'till fall, but you would have something to over winter. If you're willing to risk your seeds, what the heck... But if I were you, I'd just go buy some pretty coleus and enjoy them for the summer, then use them for cuttings in fall. You could save your seeds for next year.

And speaking of storms, we're under yet another tornado watch. The night before last a storm went thru that literally blew ALL the leaves off of one of my wintersown tomatoes (which were planted in a garden bed at the time). It's now just a stick.

Karen

The storm has been beating up my hyacinth vine :( It's going down to mid 40s tonight. I hope it doesn't kill them. I also transplanted coleus plants I grew from inside at the same pots where hyacinths were transplanted. The height is 3" tall. LOL. I am not sure if it's going to reach at least 12-14". I hope it does.

I'll save the seeds then. I'll visit few nursuries this coming weekend.

Thanks Karen!

I did a search on Coleus and found this post. Thought I would ask.... How are everyones Coleus doing?

I purchased a few this year they are hard to find locally and the ones I do find are usually not very pretty, I have never had much luck wintering them but I will try this year again.

My favorite is kiwi fern. I had looked for it for years and found one sitting in a corner at Lowes. I grabbed that baby fast, fast. I hope I can save it this winter.

Mine are doing great. I took these pics a couple of days ago. (None of these are seed type, they're all cutting grown).
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Here are a couple of shots in my back beds. I stuck a few leftover coleus in here to fill holes. They've tolerated this extremely hot, dry summer better than any of the other plants.
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Front, side of house
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Karen

Karen ~ WOW! Absolutely gorgeous!! I love the array of colors and leaf styles. Definitely eye candy on the Rosy Dawn site! Yet one (LOTS) more varieties going on my wish list! :)

First, I bow down to you karen, very nice "eye candy" coleus you have.

Unfortunately, here in Ottawa, ON, Canada, I cannot find any nurseries that sell mail order coleus like RosyDawn.

I have few cuttings found around ottawa gardens: Henna, Kiwi Fern or Kiwi Herman, and some Velvet Limes from seeds. My only option is seeds, or wait for another spring hoping to score other varieties.

I sow some ebay seeds last Nov. 2011, and they are now well big. Maybe because it is farm mix. One Velvet lime look alike has big leaves as wide as 4 inches. Maybe this is from Giant Exhibition Series mixed up?

I am sowing more seeds, since random houseplants with coleus in a flat randomly come by.

I find them fast growing though, compared to any houseplants. My fall cutting is growing up to one foot now, and need staking. LOL, I do not need a coleus tree in my kitchen window sill and spring is....well maybe a month or two.

Here are some picture of my coleus from seeds. I have documented some of my efforts to grow coleus from seeds indoors. I posted a link to my blog, hope that is allowed.

if anyone know where we can get mail order coleus here in Canada, please let me know.
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Anyone near Ottawa who can share cuttings on known variety is greatly appreciated. Thanks. Angie

Here is a link that might be useful: Angelina - Ottawa Gardener Zone 5B

Angie, very pretty!

Have you asked on the Canadian forums? You might find someone there with cuttings to offer, or suggestions for good reputable places to buy them.

Karen

Here is a link that might be useful: Canadian forums