Well, my outdoor season is just about over. All that's left is digging the tender bulbs/tubers/corms, then plant the spring bulbs, wait for the ground to freeze and get it all mulched and cozy.
We had such fun in the "How's your Coleus Doing" thread...obviously we had fun, it has over 250 posts in it as I type...I just wanted to give us another thread to 'show & tell' what we're doing.
I'm going to try wintering over a couple of mature coleus, and then there's the myriad of cuttings I've taken and ALL the wonderful stuff I've received from new friends made in the thread mentioned above.
Are you going to let winter take your coleus plants? Or are you going to try a few cuttings for yourself so you don't have to re-spend money on the same varieties next year? I'd love to hear from ALL of our coleus addicts out there...and hopefully we'll "hook" a few new ones! :-)
I have some pictures of my "cuttings" shelf that I'll post here a bit later.
~julie~
Coleus Addicts Arise!! UNITE!! (I mean ADMIT!! :-D)
Just today I was potting up the coleus cuttings I received from cbrandenburg and some I had taken from the ones I had outside over summer and thinking what a great plant they are. Used to not like them, but there are so many lovely ones now that I'm rapidly becoming a collector. Will be growing them over winter on a plant stand in my dining area. Still expecting a few more cuttings from other DG members, but for know these are the ones I have and hopefully will have cutting available for next spring:
Freckles,
Stainglass Works Copper
Black Dragon
Inky Fingers
Kewi Fern
Saturn
Solar Eclipse
Magenta Frills ??
plus an unknown
Here is a photo of what I think is Magenta Frills. Anyone know for certain? Looks like the photo on the Coleus Finder to me.
Why don't we all list the ones we are overwintering so we can plan trades for next spring.
Susan
Here's a leaf from the unknown I am growing. cbrandenburg sent it to me and I like the unusual shape of the leaf. More rounded than most . Anyone know it?
Susan
Susan...I really like that Magenta Frills...but I've told you that already. Cathy sent me a piece of it too...and I feel in love. I would also like to know its name.
I really like your idea about listing the varieties we're overwintering and posting pictures of them as well. One thing I'd like to know is if others are noticing a difference in the ease of rooting certain varieties over others...and if some cultivars seem more difficult to grow for some of us. I had a very big surprise recently, my Super Duckfoot showed me it's very touchy. It didn't like getting cold at all, while one very similar to Batique Fetish went crazy when the weather got cooler.
~julie~
I found Freckles and Stainglass Workd Copper both very slow to root. Magenta Frills rooted in just a few days.
Accckkk.....Susan Kiwi Fern is one that I had rooting for you. I got them all ready to go earlier this morning (DH out of town and older kids were at their Dad's overnight). I'm going to go ahead and send Kiwi Fern since I've got it all packaged to go. Hope that's ok.
Brenda
I'm a new addict, thanks to JRush's generosity! She gave me cuttings from six or seven varieties, including the fabulous Inky Fingers - I am totally in awe that anything can be so uniquely beautiful as the coleus family! They've certainly brightened up my sunroom!
That's ok Brenda...I'm sure Susan will take an extra Kiwi Fern. That way she can grow it and get cuttings for me to have later! hehehe I got one from Susan, and another from CBrandenburg...(I think...ARGHHHHHH...trying to keep my cuttings straight is impossible!!! :-D) No matter WHERE I got it...I LOVE that coleus. And it's growing like crazy! (For a little guy, that is!)
And Janice...Mwaaaahahahahaha...just WAIT until you get those sweet potato vines and polka dot plant from me. (EVIL grin, here!) LOL You just *think* you're an addict now. ;-)
(Boy! will I be glad when I 've got all my chores DONE!! I have so many thing I want to do here on DG. :-D :-D :-D)
~julie~
Hey guys! I am a coleus person myself! I have only 'Black Dragon' this year which I started from purchased seed. Maybe one of you can answer this question. I am new to seed saving (doing it to trade here!LOL) but have saved my 'Black Dragon' seeds. Will they come true? They are so easy to start...
ncgardenaddict (You need to shorten that name..LOL) If it was me, once I had the plant I wanted, especially growing it from see, I'd propagate it by cuttings. It's *EASY*! Taking cuttings from Coleus is what turned me into a complete gardening NUT case!
:-D
All you have to do is snip a piece of the stem and put it water...OR you could use various soil/soiless mixtures. I just use water and it's worked exceptionally well for me. The best part is that by using the cutting method, the plant is always identical to the parent.
I'm not familiar with saving seeds, especially from Coleus. But I'll be joining you with that Black Dragon cultivar sometime soon. I hope you're right about coleus being easy to start from seed. I have a mess of seed to sow and that's one I'm really looking forward to.
~julie~
Coleus is one of the first plants I ever grew from seed! I have taken cuttings and planted out but they don't seem to like being in the house so I don't know if they would last all winter.. Do yours make it all Winter?
You can call me Nicole!
I don't know if different varieties are considered hybrids either I wonder if my seed will even look the same?
Nicole - if you can get them in a bright window, they should do fine. They might/could get leggy, but that's just more cuttings. I've got Freckles, Careless Love and Inky Fingers growing indoors since last summer. I've taken so many cuttings from them, it's almost shameful. Just sheared them again the other day.
As far as I know, coleus grown from saved seed most likely will not come true. I like to grow them from seed too (so easy!), and a couple of years ago I saved seed from a particular one that I liked - the original seed was from a mix, Fairway, I think. The one that I saved seed from was a tricolor - green, yellow, magenta. The babies looked absolutely nothing like their parent. The colors were there, but they combined in totally different ways; even got some solids. But they were all beauts!
Susan - your unusual leaf looks like it might be "Tilt-a-Whirl" ....
http://ugatrial.hort.uga.edu/ClassicCtyAwd/ClassicCtyAwdA03.asp?Name=Coleus%20'Stained%20Glassworks%20Tilt%20a%20Whirl'
Whaddaya think?
PV
That's interesting Pvick! I will save some cuttings from 'Black Dragon' AND sew from seed this Spring to see what I get. Kind of cool to get a surprise.
Hi 'Nicole'...pleased to make your acquaintance! :-D I'm really anxious to see what you get from the saved seed. I think named coleus are cool...but that's only because when someone makes a comment about a specific plant we know what they're talking about. But for outrageous beauty, I think they are ALL fantastic!
PVick...I had to laugh when I read your comment about how many times you've harvested cuttings from your plants. :-D I have one no-name plant (looks like Batique Fetish in the coleus finder) that has grown so well for me...even the plants made from cuttings have been harvested again and again. (You can't help but love those kinds of plants!)
I have the 'Freckles' and 'Inky Fingers' but I've never seen 'Careless Love.' With my tendency of buying plants with interesting or memory evoking names, it's definitely one I want to see. :-D
~julie~
Pvick, Tilt-a-Whirl that's it. It looks just like the plant that I took cutting off of. I will get a picture and post it later today. Thanks for giving this coleus a name. Cathy
Julie, I do have to admitt that I am a coleus addict!! I have 100 cutting rooting as of today. 4 flats of 25 plants in each flat. Here is the list
Freckles,
Stainglass Works Copper
Black Dragon
Inky Fingers
Kewi Fern
Saturn
Solar Eclipse
Magenta Frills ??
Batique Fetish
Tilt-a-whirl
Wild Lime
Alabama Sunset
Super Ducks Foot
Defiance
Several unknowns, maybe some can ID them. Here is a picture of my Tilt-a-whirl plant.
Unknow #1
Coleus #2 unknown
Coleus #3 unknown
Julie ID this plant as Palisandra, and I do believe that's what it is. Saw it today in a Thompson and Morgan seeds catalog.
This message was edited Oct 10, 2004 7:34 PM
Coleus #4 unknown
Last of the unknow coleus cuttings. #5
Coleus cuttings first 3 flats
4th flat, Susan I can't remember if I emailed you that your cuttings arrived. They are all doing great and are in there own little pots for winter. Thanks for sharing your cuttings with me. Here is a picture of the flat that your cuttings are in. A couple of days ago I spilled coffee on my keyboard and had to replace it. Thank God there cheap. Cathy
Cathy I really like your Coleus. I like your tilt -a -whirl, and #4
You have over 100 and I just started with 3. Got a ways to go to get bit that bad.LOL
Cathy...YIPPPPEEEE!!!! Now we know "Tilt-a-WHIRL" !!! My cutting is doing FANTASTIC!!! And that's one plant I don't *ever* want to lose. I love the colors and the shape is so cool! Thanks for the name PVick!!
Could your #3 Unknown be Palisandra? (That's only 'black' variety I know the name of...hehehe) I like that one a LOT!
I'm going to warn you right now...that Batique Fetish is going to grow you out of house and home in a *very* short time! LOL I've never seen a coleus SO hardy in terms of stem strength, branching, and ability to take a great deal of afternoon sun. Oh, it'll fade but it turns a great shade of yellow. Not bad at all...expecially with the deep purple/red stems and veining. I love that one!
TAR...LOL...trust me,. you'll get there! Only problem is if you get cuttings from this group you're going to to doubles on *everything*!!! :-D (You know, that's not a bad way to get someone started, after all. ;-))
~julie~
Cathy - your tilt-a-whirl is beautiful - nice shot!
I must be a total dunce, because I cannot get them to root! I've had them in water for over 3 weeks now and they're just looking wiltier and wiltier. One of the brugs I'm trying to root is not only NOT rooting, but it also lost most of it's leaves! (I'm the same person who could grow mint this year ~:-(
TAR, I can send you some unrooted cuttings if you want any. I cut this plant back about a month ago and now the stems have grown enough to take more cuttings. If anyone would like some for postage just email me. It's the only one that didn't get frosted, I brought the pot into the greenhouse but the others didn't make it outside. I also have cuttings of Perilla Magilla if anyone wants any of that. It's beautiful can grow in the shade or sun. Sequee, just give them some time, or just put them in soil and keep it moist. Julie, I'll look up Palisandra and see if it's that. Here is a picture of perilla magilla. Cathy
Hey TAR...I wasn't thinking when I made my last reply...Oh DUH!!! I have LOTS of the Batique Fetish (the name is questionable) and several others as well. If you'd like some for postage, just speak up! LOL
Sequee...it's not unusual for coleus to take a while to make roots. One thing I learned, however, is to keep the water clean. I try to remember to change the water in my cuttings at least once a week if not more. Maybe, if you're on 'city water', it might be worth a try to use bottled water. OR you might want to try rooting your cuttings in perlite or 1/2 perlite 1/2 peat moss. Some people have much better luck with 'soil'...I just happen to like water. :-) (Oh the Brug! Maybe you need to toss it outdoors in the cold overnight. ~giggle~ I forgot about my cutting, left it in a puddle of water, and the next day it was PERKY! :-D I actually *did* that...but I'm *NOT* recommending it as a real solution. ;-))
~julie~
I must admit, I've never been very interested in coloured leaves on a plant which doesn't bloom, since SWMBO always wanted flowers, although I have seen many photos of these plants, I haven't taken much heed of them ... until now, that is.
Now you have me interested, as I'm a lazy brute (for want of another word), and before I go in search of these plants, please answer me a couple of wee questions:
1: Are they winterhard ?
2. Are they Wintermoor hard?
3. Forget question 2 !!!
4. Are they evergreen?
5. Are they as bright and colourful as blooms from a perrenial, or should I use them as a front or back-up for other plants?
6. When, that means in which month, do they show their best colouring?
7. These are serious questions !!
8. No joke :-)
Winterested
Hi Wintermoor...welcome!
1: Are they winterhard ?
I'm not sure what the temperatures are that the coleus would be hardy in. I live in zone 4b...and it's really cold here. This is the first year I've been able to garden seriously for 40 years. I knew that coleus were good to grow in shady area where little else would grow. My problem was I didn't have any idea of how they would *grow* on me! :-)
2. Are they Wintermoor hard? Hope someone can answer that question for you.
3. Forget question 2 !!! OK ;-)
4. Are they evergreen? I can't answer that one either... :-))
5. Are they as bright and colourful as blooms from a perrenial, or should I use them as a front or back-up for other plants Coleus are beautiful in any location you would choose to use them in. This past summer I grew all of mine in containers, so I was able to see them in a variety of different settings. YES! They *are* as colorful and perennial blooms...and YES! They make a great background for other plants. In one of my 'accidental' favorite spots, around the edges of my patio, I had pots filled with colored caladiums, coleus, and red & white impatiens. To me, that area looked really lush and colorful.
6. When, that means in which month, do they show their best colouring? When it comes down to the best color for coleus, it's not the month that makes the colors spectacular...it's the location of the plant. It's the amount of light and/or shade it needs that makes the difference. The same cultivar can appear completely different when placed in strong or low light situations.
7. These are serious questions !! I know they are serious...and I'm glad you asked them.
8. No joke :-) Cool! :-)
I hope I helped a little bit.
~julie~
This message was edited Oct 9, 2004 8:30 PM
That helped me a lot, I'll be looking forward to next spring to get a few.
Thank you Julie :-)
Hopefulmoor
You're *very* welcome...and I'm glad I could turn "Winterested" into "Hopefulmoor" :-D
I just hope you won't wait until next spring to join us again.
~julie~
I'll be back!
That's a threat ... not a promise :-p
Expectmemoor
I'll "expectYOUmoor"!! :-D
~julie~
Cathy, your coleus unknown #2 sure looks like Freckles to me. So glad Tilt a Whirl has a name now. I was out walking my dog yesterday and noticed that one of my neighbors is also growing it. Sure is a unique one. Brenda, I would love more Kewi Fern. It is such a nice one! I am rooting up more of the Magenta Frills if anyone wants some for postage or exchange for any I don't have. I may go get some more of it before it freezes. The hospital where I work had 2 large mass plantings of it along with some Journeys End canna that looked great all summer.
Susan
Julie and Cathy you talked me into it. Was not hard though.LOL Just finished my first Coleus cutting that took. Put it in potting soil in a self watering pot I made out of DVD containers with a dome. It grew roots below and above the soil line up the stem about an inch. Looks like it grows in a swamp. LOL
Cathy - your #4 looks like it might be "Black Magic". I thought "Freckles" too when I saw #2, but the color on yours seems to be more magenta-ish (?). My Freckles is a very bright orange. But you already have identified cuttings of Freckles .... ?
Julie - I posted a picture of "Careless Love" on the other coleus post. I'll find it and post again. The name seems quite appropriate for the variations you can get on this one.
PV
Gosh lost you guys for a while!!!
I thought Freckles too on Cathy's pic, but I know there is another one that is VERY similar to Freckles. I'll go looking a bit later tonight perhaps. And I do think Julie is right on Palisandra.
Cathy - I gotta get some of that Tilt-A-Whirl from you if you have enough. If not, how about next Spring?
Ted - I'm taking new cuttings this weekend as the ones for Susan got sent off on Friday. I can't remember which ones I sent you this summer? If you remind me then I'll get some new ones to you in a few weeks after they get rooted.
Julie - I'll get some Black Dragon cuttings started for you. Mine is outta control. Actually all of mine are except Texas Parking Lot and are in need of a whack job. LOL
Brenda