Has anyone else done this & found most of the seedlings seem to be the same variety?? I was hoping for a "rainbow" and out of several dozen seedlings, it appears one is solid green, one has a fuschia streak and the rest are all red w/green edges.
This was my 1st time growing from seed, would Wizard have been better choice for variety? Or is it just a matter of the producer of the seeds?
They're pretty far along, have been planted into Bloom Master planters & been pinched several times for fullness.
Rainbow Coleus from seed packets?
I like carefree and wizard the best. Wizard has some nice red ones, and carefree ones are all pretty frilly shaped leaves. I havn't grown them from seed myself, but have bought seedlings with those names on them.
Denise, I gave up on seed varieties a long time ago. We used to be among the top five Forums for having post here at DG. We used to send each other cuttings and or plants.
Now, mostly folks who can only grow in the summer are here. Weloves, Happy_1 and you and a few more can grow year around.
Stay in touch and when I recover I'll bring or send you some coleus cuttings.
I recovering from a broken back, but doing great.
Sidney
Hi Sidney,
I'm so sorry to hear about your back! I was a member back in 2009 and recently resubscribed. You were one of those that got me started on my addiction to coleus. Aside from the physical pain, it must be "painful" for an avid gardener such as yourself to get herself sidelined. ;) Hope you heal quickly!
I'd really like to "pick your mind" re: coleus, so will send you a d-mail soon with some questions!
Thanks!
Thanks Denise.
I may go coleus shopping this afternoon.
Since I drive back and forth to Okee, it's only another 35 miles to come thru Ocala.
I have a great helper who got a lot of weeds out of my beds this morning.
I solicited an angel from Jupiter to go over and get a van full of plants from my deck back in April. She is here too. aka Welovesourgarden.
Sidney
Hi Sidney thinking of you ! Say the word and I will start your coleus and brug cuttings, prego onion and such :) I also have all your green pots in my garage. Come shopping in my yard when you get better. Every spring I would notice little 1/2 inch seedling growing around my coleus so I thought I would nurture them this year. What a surprise ! Some of them are very pretty. I have them growing in a strawberry pot. They look the same when small..... but soon change . Fun !
I'm not good with seeds, so just snap a bit here and there where I see them ;)
Rooting them is sooooo much easier!
Sidney, hope your back is doing much better! I had surgery last month, and am now getting around better, but hesitant to have them do any more.
:)
MerryMary - I usually do cuttings, but back in Feb. felt the need to get my hands dirty, hence my 1st (and last) attempt at sowing seeds indoors, lol.
Hope everyone recovers soon!
I'm still looking for Grape Expectations, so when I see that baby, I'm grabbing a stem! :D Going for the rooting, and not the seeds! Everytime I look at those itty bitty seeds, I just can't imagine they will ever become a plant!
One thing that holds true, coleus seed don't come true to seed. Weloves may have a new variety or two in her strawberry jar.
I bought the cheapo rainbow coleus seeds. They are the ones you can get 3 for $1 or 4 for $1 packets in Walgreens or the Dollar store. They are not the super attractive ones I've seen, but they are colorful.
I can't believe you got them to grow! I sprinkle a pack or 2 every year, and never get a single seedling.
MerryMary I started them in a peat starter pot first. They did grow. The first ones I attempted to plant got eaten by the slugs. The second ones had time to get bigger and they are doing fine.
I dumped an entire pkg into a cake pan & I think every one sprouted. Later thinned out about 2 dozen of the largest into cell packs to transplant into my Bloom Master to get a "ball of color" and that's when they all started to look alike. Maybe the largest/strongest were all the same type? In any event, I'm slowly shoving in cuttings of my more colorful plants to see if I can salvage it. ;)
Even when you buy " named" plants from RD and Gebheart little seeding sprout up in March for me ! Some were weak and didn't make it. But others are doing great ! I use to just weed them out, but not anymore. I call them my mutts.
Denise, I was wondering how your seedlings are doing. The reason I am asking is that I notice the difference between the young coleus leaves and those of the mature plant can be so different. Also, there are gross differences in the same plant due to lighting and temperature conditions. I figured that by now they should be established enough to see differences.
Marcia
Marcia, all in all, they were disappointing. Here's a picture showing them in my BloomMaster planter in the back (the front two little planters are Chocolate Mint from seed - they're more true to type & getting bushier). 95% of the Rainbow were the green/dark maroon coloring, with a few that had splotches of pink. They also ended up being really leggy, even when I pinched them back (maybe they needed more light). I finally gave up on them. Maybe the Wizards are better, but I think I'll stick to plants/cuttings from here on out. ;)
