Overwintering Coleus Hydroponically - Success!

About a month and a half after starting some coleus cuttings in our (basement) hydroponics units, can say now it has been a huge success! Was hoping just to keep the cuttings alive & well until spring, but all have flourished beautifully
and have grown into large, nice sized plants. These are the pictures I took today; tomorrow I'm going to be lopping off at least 1/2 of all the tops of the plants (we have long fluorescent lighting that extends over several of the units, and the coleus are growing much faster than the greens in the other unit; if we raise the lights for the coleus, won't be close enough for the greens). Couldn't get the pictures quite as clear as I'd wanted (dark basement + fluorescent lighting just above the plants). There are nine "plugs" in each unit, with five "holes" each, I have approximately 30
coleus growing in the unit (as many as I could fit in).

Coleus #2

This message was edited Dec 19, 2010 4:49 PM

Coleus #3

Coleus #4

Great job! So glad it's working so very well for you.

can you give us info on your units.. brand.. cost .. cost of running them etc

Thanks, Pirl, it's been a lot of fun seeing how well they've done.

Onewish1, My DH is the expert on the units, he's just letting me use one this winter for my coleus. Will find out the information you requested, & post back with answers hopefully tomorrow.

Jolie yours are doing great too! I overwintered 100+ cuttings and they are growing beautifully under shoplights. They were all started in seed trays and yogurt cups and now are in 4"-6" pots. I put some of them on sunny windowsills and trying to make room for more. Coleus are not fussy at all and just need light and water! They are very colorful and getting big with no fertilizer. I am enjoying them and will post pictures soon!

Carol

What are hydrophonic units? (I assume something more than a vase of water?) The coleus look healthy and beautiful! I want to try it!

very nice collection.

here is a nice video on how to make a unit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yy5kJwdMv8

This message was edited Jan 4, 2011 6:12 AM

Those are nice!! Here are mine in the greenhouse

A few more.

looking good SC!

looking good

This is my hydroponical installation with 82 Coleus. Most of them are still alive but in weak condition because the heat output of the heat cables under them is less than I expected at low room temperatures. Need to revise that next winter if I still have some left :)

I know about the cold. Last spring I made the mistake of putting my coleus plants out in May. We had an unusually cold spring and most died after all winter in the greenhouse. Mother nature can trick you. So Sad for me. This year no cloeus will go out until we have warm nights consistently.

Those are so nice. Could you put some kind of frost cloth over them at night to keep the heat in. You know like the ones you see over gardens outside. Might work.

you can always do as I do.... plant them deeper when it's time to go out... at least they are alive!!!!

I've done that as well, Allison, and it even works for some that develop mealy bug by May. Guess they can't survive being buried.