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There ’s a reason that coleus works have been popular since the nineteenth 100 — after all , how often are decorative plant life also humiliated - maintenance ? If you ’re wait for aplant that anyone can grow well , turn over adding colorful coleus to your garden .
get coleus is a breeze , even for beginner gardener . No matter if you use them in garden beds or plant them in container , flame nettle may be one of the most visually rewarding plus to your garden . Unlike many other type of flora , flame nettle is turn for its colorful foliage instead of its bloom .
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Press on to learn more about flame nettle care and what thesebeautiful plantsneed from you so they can thrive .
Growing Coleus at a Glance
vulgar Name : Coleus , paint nettleScientific Name : Coleus spp . Hardiness Zone : Cold hardy in Zones 10 through 11Soil : Well - draining , pH 6 to 7Light : Shade , partial spectre , or full sunWater : MediumFood : General - purpose fertilizerPropagation : Seeds or cuttingsSafety : Some species are a mild irritant , and some are toxic to beast
ColeusCharacteristics
TheColeusgenus contains many species and varieties , therefore you may come across flame nettle that are upright annuals orherbaceous perennials . These arresting plants light into the Lamiaceae ( mint ) house , though coleus foliation is n’t especially aromatic .
Growing between 6 and 36 inches marvellous , these square - stemmed beauties are often as wide as they are tall . What stands out the most on coleus are the textured leaves , which have teeth or lob and show off atypical patterns . They also present exceptional people of color combination of yellow , pink , purples , magenta , or super acid — flame nettle colors cover up essentially the integral spectrum , all except for dependable blue . Coleus plants also grow small amobarbital sodium to white nettle - like blossom , but some gardeners opt to remove them .
Native to the tropics of Southeast Asia and northern Australia , coleus plants have been hybridize to suit many types of environments . With around 300 coleus species and over 1,500 different variety available , there ’s likely a flame nettle that ’s just correct for your garden . Many change areshade - tolerant , while others thrive infull Dominicus . Be trusted to choose ones that are suited to your area and the lighting conditions they ’ll arise under .
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RecommendedColeusVarieties
Because there are so many flame nettle varieties out there , it can be a act of a inquiry delegation to find a favorite . Likewise , their botanical names can be confusing . For years , experts categorise flame nettle underPlectranthus(and about 70 species remain in that genus ) , but most were later returned to the flame nettle name . Choose a coleus variety that accommodate the grow conditions of your backyard and local climate . Here are some of our ducky :
PlantingColeus
flame nettle steals the show in agarden seam , and the works grows well in container gardens , too . As these plant life originate in tropic conditions , they ’re definitely not lover of cold atmospheric condition . If you ’re in a colder region , your flame nettle plant may not survive , even with the best care . They survive as yearbook in all butUSDA Zones 10 and 11 , so they often decorate muckle or garden beds just for the summer .
If you hold out in a hotter part and you desire a coleus to last through wintertime , be certain to research the motley you want to imbed , or double - check mark at the baby’s room about varieties that suit your climate before poke a trap and plopping them in the ground .
Providing that your timing is right , and you implant your coleus in suitable dirt , these easygoing plants are likely to fare very well in warm zones . Coleus plants like moist , loose soil with apH of 6 to 7and a eminent organic matter mental object . The soil demand to be well - draining , which you’re able to encourage byadding compostor George Sand into a sound soil .
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In the right environment , flame nettle plant life can live for several long time , and you’re able to habituate them as starters for new coleus plants . register on to learn more about flame nettle flora maintenance — namely , how and when to plant coleus in your garden .
When is the best time to plant coleus?
Since coleus is aboriginal to tropical climates , gardeners must be aware of icing day of the month in their region . set out flame nettle plants from seeds indoors approximately 8 to 10 weeks before yourlast Robert Frost date . Once out-of-door soil temperature are systematically above 60 degrees Fahrenheit and the risk of hoarfrost has conk , you are in the clear to move your starters out of doors to a container or garden bed .
Where can coleus grow?
In this plant family unit of many cultivar , you could find a coleus that can grow in arena of shade , partial shade , or full sun . Coleus light requirements vary ; cognise how to care for coleus in term of light or tone number with knowing a specific miscellany ’s contingent . Luckily , this information can be get in online description or on plant rag . Keep in creative thinker that these plant may droop in full sun or become leggy in full nuance if they ’re not stand for for those conditions . Another thing to note is that establish a coleus garden in a locating with morning sun and dappled good afternoon shade will help oneself the plants offer their best leaf colors .
As a worldwide formula , coleus cultivars with darker leave tend to pull off sunlight better than those with lighter colored leave of absence . Be indisputable to choose an domain for your flame nettle that ’s protected from the wind , as their stems are prone to breakage .
How do you plant coleus?
Coleus grows from seeded player or cutting , or you may buy an established plant from a nursery .
Can you grow coleus in containers?
Coleus plants develop just as well in containers as they do in garden beds , making them an excellent industrial plant for balconies , decks , or patios . flame nettle in pots can stay in the same container year round , and they are prosperous to bring in indoors over the wintertime . Select a mint or container that ’s just a few inches orotund than the root ball , and it will make itself a happy home . As for materials , ceramic or plastic containersare best , as porous materials like terracotta may cause soil to dry out faster .
The soil requirements for container flame nettle rest the same , and you must ensure that your coleus has well - draining soil and drain gob at the bottom of the container toprevent overwatering .
Watering Coleus
Being a tropical plant , coleus ask regular lacrimation to be well-chosen . The morning is the good clock time to water them , as it starts their day hydrate and equips them to easily superintend through the hotness of the day . While nerveless water is fine for outdoor plants , indoor flame nettle prefers room temperature water .
Coleus often requiredaily watering , but their penury dissent calculate on their surround . For example , container plants will need water more frequently than those in garden beds . When in doubt , add water when the top in or two of soil is dry . If this stain is still damp , restrain off on adding more weewee .
FertilizingColeus
Coleus plant love regular fertilizing and grow best in a rich territory . When you set coleus semen , clipping , or flora , use a granular cosmopolitan - role fertiliser that has equal parts nitrogen , atomic number 15 , and potassium .
Each calendar month after planting , gardener need to summate some more fertilizer or alimental - copious compost to encourage leafage outgrowth . Some gardener opt to employ awater - soluble or liquid fertilizerfor their monthly fecundation , which can make the plant more profuse and rich in colouring . Container coleus industrial plant may need to be supplemented more often with urine - soluble fertilizer , nearer to every 2 calendar week .
PruningColeus
flame nettle plants do flower at times , but many nurseryman trim back or remove coleus flower stalks , since the flora ’s farewell are middle - get enough on their own . Clipping the spike preclude the plant from knock off vigour creating flowers . you could cut these blossom spikes as they look , orpinch off the flush themselves . This aid extend the lifetime of the coleus and encourage the growth of more colorful foliage .
Regardless of whether you let your coleus ’s flowers raise or rationalize them off , these plant ask to be crop by mid - summer when grown as perennials . If provide to overgrow , arm can snap under the system of weights of the plant ’s foliage . gardener can safely clip flame nettle at any smear where two stems or two leaves are grow from the plant .
PropagatingColeus
flame nettle plants have so many coinage and varieties that there are options for growing more plants from seed or from cuttings . Propagating flame nettle via cuttings takes only 2 to 3 weeks , and it ’s quite wide-eyed — just ensure you take your cuttings before your first frost particular date .
edit out 4 to 6 inch off the top of a mature flora , and remove the leaves growing from the bottom half of the newspaper clipping . Take the cutting and place it in a container of water that ’s full enough to cover where the leaves were remove . Once you see roots seem on the cutting , you could transpose the propagated plants to small good deal , and keep them near asunny windowthrough the wintertime .
Safety Considerations
For the most part , there ’s not much to interest about with flame nettle plant . That say , some species of coleus moderate shadow amounts of mildly toxic elements , including a chemical compound called diterpene coleonol , in the crude oil and sap . flame nettle amboinicusis a mixed bag that ’s more commonly assort with toxic reactions . These toxin are n’t a major risk of exposure we have to worry about as humans ; the most vulgar issue would be mild or minor skin irritation from vulnerability to or consumption of the plant .
The toxin present in some species are more of a threat to our fauna friends . When dogs , guy , and other animals get flame nettle poisoning , it can cause irritation and more severe symptoms , include emesis , looseness of the bowels , weakness , and more .
Potential Pests and Diseases
Coleus care is incredibly easy , and an extra perk of this plant is thatgarden pestsand diseases are n’t usually an issue . One potential problem that may occur is stem decompose if the grunge is too wet . This can be easily bypass by attain certain the soil drains well and that containers holding any coleus plants have play drainage holes .
As for pests , there is the potential foraphids , wanderer soupcon , mealybugs , andwhiteflies . If you see these insects on a coleus plant , you could dip a cotton ball in scratch alcohol and wipe the bugs away .
Overwintering Coleus
Be aware of your upcoming first freeze date and work your coleus indoors before the temperature dim too low , usually about 45 degrees Fahrenheit . Due to their tropical nature , coleus plants are quite cold - sensitive , and they ’ll be one of your first garden plants affect by frosty weather condition .
With enough prison term to prepare , nurseryman can salvage the coleus from their garden beds , take cuttings for next year ’s garden , or bring their coleus plant containers at bottom for overwintering . Some gardeners might opt to keep their coleus ashouseplantsafter they bring them in for the wintertime .
If gardeners pick out to leave alone their flame nettle works out of doors — specially in cooler mood — it ’s highly likely they will not live on the wintertime , and will expect startle from scratch again next year with new seeds or plants . Coleus can pull through outside in warmer climates , but they need attending through the wintertime ; they must be mulched and watered through these cooler calendar month .
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When is the best time to bring coleus indoors?
Due to its tender nature , flame nettle plants must be bring indoors well before yourfirst frost of the class . Research your area ’s first frost date and give yourself a moment of time beforehand to bring your flame nettle at bottom , just in case the cold weather hits a trivial to begin with than expected . When you wreak a coleus indoors , it demand to align to the temperature and brightness level , so do n’t be surprised if and when leaves start to drop . This should only be temporary until the coleus flora produce customary to the new environment .
How do you overwinter coleus?
organize your coleus tomove indoors for the winteris jolly simple , but it must be done before the cold weather motility in if you hope to keep the plant for next year ’s garden . Here ’s how to overwinter your flame nettle plant :
Looking for more low - maintenance plants ? Check out our guide on growinghibiscus , peas , andmilkweed .
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