How to grow coleus (five-colored grass)? Master its growth habits and care precautions
Coleus is also called five-colored grass, foreign perilla, brocade purple, etc. Coleus is mostly used for landscaping and can also be planted in courtyards for ornamental purposes. Excellent coleus varieties can be grown as potted plants, placed on low tables and balconies for viewing.
Morphological characteristics of coleus:
Coleus is a perennial foliage herbaceous plant. The plant height is 40-90 cm. The stem is square and soft in texture. The leaves are opposite, broadly ovate or ovate-cordate. The edges have coarse serrations, and the underside of the leaves often has fine hairs. There are also colored markings such as purple, pink, red, pale yellow, and orange on a green background. The inflorescence is a panicle, the flowers are small, light blue or white, and the flowering period is generally from August to September each year.
Planting and care of coleus:
Coleus is native to the island of Java, Indonesia. There are many horticultural varieties, and it is widely cultivated in China. It likes a high-temperature, humid, sunny, and well-ventilated environment, is tolerant of partial shade, and should avoid direct strong light in summer. It is not very cold-resistant and should avoid waterlogging. The suitable growth temperature is 20-25°C. It has low requirements for soil, and loose fertile soil is best. For potted coleus, leaf mold or pond mud can be used for cultivation. Coleus has a relatively large evaporation rate and has high water requirements. However, the substrate should not remain too wet for a long time; excessive moisture easily causes leggy growth and poor plant resistance, while lack of water easily causes wilting and hinders growth. In hot weather seasons, water should often be sprayed on its leaves to maintain a certain surrounding air humidity and also to cool the temperature. Coleus has certain fertilizer requirements, and an appropriate amount of decomposed cake fertilizer water should be added regularly. Apply more phosphate fertilizer and less nitrogen to prevent the leaf color from becoming lighter. The propagation of coleus is generally carried out by methods such as sowing and cuttings. It is relatively simple.
