help!! I've got several coleus that are growing taller but the bottom leaves keep falling off
they turn brown on the ends and then drop off
any ideas???
this is an old pic, the plant is twice this tall now, but "leggy" with no bottom leaves
someone said not enough light---true??or not
here's another--
new bottom leaves are starting to grow
Mola- thanks so much-thats exactly whats happening
I've got a 10x20 greenhouse with about 75 plants in it and they're all packed very close together
I'll have to make a third shelf and spread them out more
this pic is 3 months old and they're all a lot bigger now
another pic
Very nice, indeed!!!
I just got a e-mail from Mr. Gebhart up in Indiana--
He says my problem is too much water and not enough light--
also getting too cold-anything below 60 down here in central fla., and the leaves will drop, soooo-
I put another shelf in today and spread them out, also added another row of full spectrum lights---
and keep an eye on the temp...........
I have the same problem on a few of my coleus.. its a water issue.. too wet, not enough light. I have them in my livingroom...
That answers the question for me.Thanks for the Gebhardt answer.
My water has issues.. its so hard it can stand up by itself...
Gebhart said, in the winter re-pot with a 50% perlite-50% soil so the water drains really well, drier is better
He said He waters his 6" pots of coleus with about a 1/3 cup of water maybe once or twice a week
wait till the plant just starts to droop-not a full wilt, and they will do o.k. through the winter
they dont grow much without much light or in cooler temps, so they dont need that much water
mine are looking better already----
He also said if the bottom leaves fall off, don't panic, new ones will grow back and when they get about an inch long, cut the plant back by 1/3 and make more!!!
Oh, one more thing- He said some varieties will lose most of their leaves in the winter, but that was normal................
I was not involved with the questions but appreciate the answers. I need to check the temp where my cuttings are located. I am just about ready to report with the 50/50 mix I think my mix is to heavy. However, the majority are doing fine so maybe I should just leave them alone. My major problem has been to wet. I think it is drainage.
I'm still pretty new to growing coleus but finding them to be about the easiest plants to grow. But I am finding that they do a lot better kept on the drier side. They're in pots about 3 or 4" square and I water about once a week.
I am only overwintering one tray of trailers and try to pinch the biggest ones every time I water. Even doing that I took another tray of small cuttings from them a few weeks ago and every one rooted and is doing well. They seem to do best with a little benign neglect, the best kind of plant for me.
Karen
Precisely, Karen - benign neglect works for them. I water when they begin to droop and not before that.
I have relocated many of my parent plants,too cool and needed more sun.
I pretty much do the dry to the touch soil finger poking.. if its dry, I water...I clean off dead debris when I see it.
me too
My peppers in the house just went through a major shed... but they are also gettign new growth.. some of those leaves are pretty old!
I swear the houseplants can be worse than a puppy... the pots leak every where when you water, they shed, you have to constantly clean up after them and look for the "fleas"! LOL!
this is my little collection 6 months ago.............
this is it today..........
yes, they are doing much better now that I let them droop just a little before watering, and then just water a little
also keep them above 60 degrees
Awesome, I am sooo jealous for big windows, but up here it would be heat insufficient in the winter.
One day, hope to get the big hoop going, but time will tell. LP is so gastly.
Well, did some coleus cuttings today, but nothing to offer, its still too cold to mail.
looking good otherwise
also sowed some Rainbow mix yesterday...just finsihed watering all the coleus. I cannot beleive how fast they comt back after a "haircut!"
Heres Kong again last year in the garden
