How to propagate coleus by water cuttings? Stem cutting method illustrated

Coleus is an excellent foliage plant, suitable for potted display, can also be arranged in flower beds, and its branches and leaves can be used as cut flower material, with high ornamental value. Coleus is an herbaceous flowering plant with strong reproductive capacity. As an ornamental flower, we can grow coleus in water on our own office desks. When propagating it yourself, you can try the water cutting propagation technique for coleus.

Stem cutting method/steps:

1. Take a strong branch as the cutting slip, it needs two nodes, and cut off the flower bud part.

2. First place it in clean water, put it outdoors away from direct sunlight or in a bright indoor spot.

3. Roots will grow in about one week.

4. After two weeks it can be transplanted into a suitable pot. When transplanting, you can apply fertilizer and carry out the first pinching.

Coleus likes warmth, and propagation can use the cutting method. For water cutting, use half a cup of cooled boiled water. Select the middle-to-upper 2-3 nodes of a well-grown branch for the cutting slip, remove the lower leaves, place it in water, and when white water roots grow to 5-10 mm, it can be planted in a pot. In spring and autumn it takes 5-7 days, while in summer it generally takes only one day to root.

Detailed water cutting technique:

1. Prepare the container

The container for coleus cuttings can be a wide-mouth bottle, or you can cut off the upper part of a beverage bottle and use the lower part, filling it with clean water for later use. The container must be clean, and the water must also be clean. It is best to additionally store water in a large cola bottle for more than one day, for use in cutting and subsequent management. Never use tap water that has just been run.

2. Cut the cutting slips

When the main branch of the coleus or a side branch after pinching has 4 nodes or is about 10 cm long, choose one with a thick stem, keep only 1 to 2 nodes of opposite leaves at the base, and cut off the upper part. The cut should be smooth, without a crushed or torn wound. Then, cut off the lowest pair of leaves of the cutting slip, and gather every 3 to 5 cutting slips neatly at the base, loosely tie them together with white thread, and set them aside for water cutting.

3. Water cutting management

Generally, it is best for the cutting slip to enter the water 3 cm to 4 cm from the bottle mouth. After that, place it in a spot with diffused light, pay attention to changing the clean water once every 2 to 3 days (use the stored water), and be sure to top up the water level in the bottle daily to make up for the drop caused by evaporation. Coleus generally under conditions of 18°C to 25°C will show white roots in 7 to 10 days.

4. Transplanting into pots

After 7 to 10 days, you can move the coleus plant with white roots into a pretty glass bottle or pot it up. When multiple adventitious roots of 1 cm to 2 cm have grown at the base of the cutting slip, it can be potted or planted out in time. Note that the operation should be done carefully, do not damage the root system. Generally, after caring for it in a shaded spot for about another 10 days, it can enter normal management.

The daily management of coleus is relatively simple. You only need to pay attention to timely pinching to promote new branches, form a full spherical shape, and grow into a bushy plant. Once flower spikes form, they should be removed to avoid affecting the leaf ornamental effect.