Go to http://www.coleusfinder.org -- it's got pictures of nearly 800 different coleus!

Go to http://www.coleusfinder.org -- it's got pictures of nearly 800 different coleus!

Go to http://www.coleusfinder.org -- it's got pictures of nearly 800 different coleus!

Without a photo it's impossible to say. With a photo somebody who really knows their coleus MIGHT be able to identify it, especially if it's one of the really common and distinctive ones. There are hundreds of named coleus that are propagated from cuttings, and hundreds more that are propagated from named and unnamed seed mixes.

Well, I went to McDonald's last night, and asked if I could take a slip of their coleus. I got one, and took most of the bottom leaves off, and stuck it in water. You've said to use root hormone. I have a powdered one. Do you add it to the water? If so, how much, to how much water? Hate to keep asking the same question over and over, but need an answer.
Leslie

Hi Leslie.
Go to www.glasshouseworks.com and see if you find a picture
of your coleus there. They sell a large number of coleus.
You shouldn't need any rooting hormones for rooting coleus
in water. It could be used if you were rooting in a medium
of some kind, but I think it's unnecessary for coleus since
they are among the fastest and easiest plants of all to root. I would recommend using soilless ingredients to make
up a rooting/growing mix, which includes perlite, vermiculite, peat moss, etc. These are relatively sterile.
I'd stay away from the very heavy, 'dirt' type so called
'potting soils' for containers. It's OK as a small portion added to a much lighter mix.
Good luck, keep those questions coming!!
Russ.

I'll have a number 3 with cheese and a coleus cutting to go please. he he

hello!
dumb question:
these plants will die every year right?
Courtney

Courtney
I think before they die cuttings can be taken and rooted indoors and I read somewhere the coleus that have flowers are annuals ..
Sue

The greatest enemy of Coleus is cold weather.

Coleus, whether they flower or not, are not annuals. They are tropical tender perennials. They will only die if left outside in cold weather.

Today many hybrids are cultivated not to flower in order to save the owner from having to constantly pinch back the flower spikes -- otherwise the plant puts all its energy into the not-so-interesting flowers instead of into branching and producing more beautiful foliage.

The hybrids that tend not to bloom are propagated vegetatively (through cuttings). They also tend to be generally hardier than the common varieties that start producing blooms as soon as they are mature. There are many reasons why one might think that heavily flowering coleus will die at the end of the growing season. The main one is that they are not valued by their owners, whereas people who invest in named hybrids may be more likely to learn more about them and overwinter them, or at least take small cuttings of them in order to have them for the next growing season.

Regarding rooting the coleus in water, many coleus will root easily in water. Many will not produce roots at all in water, and, instead, they rot. Actually, a good percentage of the ones that will root in water also rot.

Those that do not rot in water, will grow very weak roots that do not prepare them for being planted in soil. So the water to soil transition is likely to be a traumatic one. Some believe that a water-rooted coleus will never be as hardy as a soil-rooted one.

Putting rooting hormone on a coleus stem, them putting it in water will accelerate rotting.

I recommend using a rooting hormone and planting the cutting in a light potting mix. Keep the mix moist. Mist the leaves at least twice a day and more often if they wilt. Some will stay wilted, but don't stop misting regularly. Until they have formed roots, they need to absorb water through other parts of the plant.

If the cutting starts curling, you can stake it to help prevent the capillaries from collapsing while it is rooting. You may also want to seal it in a plastic bag for a day or two to keep the entire plant (and container) in a humid environment, so that it can absorb water from the moist air through all surfaces of the plant.

Some people are stuck on water-rooting coleus because the roots come quickly. If you want to take advantage of that, then put the stem in water only until you see the first root nodes forming on the surface of the stem. Then dip it in hormone and put it in your growing mix. (Or skip the hormone at that point, since you know the roots are coming.)

Someone suggested a mix of sterile ingredients that do not include soil. I believe that roots produced in such media are not much better than those rooted in water. Those ingredients are fine as long as there is also some soil or other organic ingredients in with them to provide some nutrients for the roots once they start growing. Adding the non-soil ingredients (perlite, vermiculite, etc.) is useful to keep the soil aerated because the new roots need air as well as humidity to be healthy.

If you want to look at coleus galleries to try to identify your plant, there is a list of online coleus galleries (including Variations Greenhouse) on my trading page.