What are the cultivation methods for coleus? A detailed guide to the latest care tips
Coleus is also known as five-colored sage, laolaihao, five-color grass, and painted nettle, among other names. It is a perennial herbaceous foliage flower of the genus Coleus in the mint family (Lamiaceae). Depending on the variety, it has markings in various colors such as yellow, red, purple, orange, and green. It is often used to create patterns in flower beds, at venues, and in theaters, and can also be used as foliage in flower baskets and bouquets. Now let us take a look at the cultivation methods for coleus!
Growth habits of coleus
Coleus is a flower with very strong adaptability. It can be seen in many parts of our country, and is especially common in the south. It is often cultivated in gardens across our country, with the main cultivation bases in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, and other places. It is a warmth-loving plant with strong adaptability. The winter temperature should not be lower than 10°C. In summer, when temperatures are high, provide a little shade. It likes sufficient sunlight, and ample light can make the leaf colors vivid.
Propagation methods for coleus
1. Sowing: Coleus is generally sown in a greenhouse in March. Mix fully decomposed humus soil and plain sandy soil in equal parts, put the mixture into a seedling pot, and soak the seedling pot containing fine sandy soil in water until thoroughly wet. Then sow according to the method for small seeds, cover with a thin layer of soil, cover with a glass plate or plastic film, keep the pot soil moist, and manage watering and care. The suitable germination temperature is 25°C to 30°C, and germination occurs in about 10 days.
2. Cuttings: This can be done all year round and roots very easily. You can also combine softwood cuttings with pinching and pruning of the plant. Cut full, plump growing branches into sections about 10 cm long, insert them into clean, sterilized river sand. The part inserted into the soil must have leaf nodes to take root. After cutting, keep them in diffused shade and keep the pot soil moist. When the temperature is higher, rooting is faster. During this period, never let the pot soil become too wet, to avoid root rot. Roots will develop and the cuttings will survive in about 15 days.
3. Water propagation: For water propagation of coleus, use half a cup of cooled boiled water. Select the upper middle 2-3 nodes of a full-grown branch for the cutting, remove the lower leaves, place it in water, and once white water roots grow to 5-10 mm, it can be planted into a pot.
Cultivation methods for coleus
1. Soil: Potted coleus requires a sandy culture soil rich in humus, loose and fertile, with good drainage and air permeability.
2. Watering: Coleus's water needs lie in keeping the pot soil and environment often moderately moist. Avoid drought and prevent waterlogging, so as to prevent the leaves from dehydrating and losing color and the root system from being infected with soft rot.
3. Sunlight: When the light is soft and sufficient, coleus's leaf color is strikingly vivid, but avoid direct strong sunlight under a clear summer sky, which makes the leaf surface rough and lose its gloss. In shaded environmental conditions, the leaf color is also not vivid.
4. Temperature: Coleus likes a warm, humid climate and fresh-air environmental conditions. The suitable indoor temperature in winter is 20°C to 25°C, and the minimum overwintering temperature cannot be lower than 10°C. If the temperature is too low, the leaves turn yellow and fall off, and below 5°C the plant dies.
5. Fertilizing: Coleus has low fertilizer requirements. During the growing season, apply a thin fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen fertilizer 1-2 times a month.
6. Pests and diseases: Coleus is prone to damping-off disease at the seedling stage, so attention should be paid to disinfecting the sowing soil. During the growing period, it can be harmed by leaf spot disease; spray with a 500-fold dilution of 50% thiophanate wettable powder. When cultivated indoors, it is prone to harm from scale insects, red spider mites, and whiteflies; spray with a 1000-fold dilution of 40% omethoate emulsifiable concentrate for control.
7. Pruning: At the seedling stage, coleus should be pinched back multiple times to promote side branches and make the plant shape full. After flowering, keep the lower 2-3 nodes of the branches and cut off the rest to regrow new branches.