I had never heard of clipping the coleus but decided that with my limited options, I would give it a go. The rest of this article is available in the Growing for Market Archive of more than 1,500 articles published from 2001 to the present. You can use pruners, scissors, or pinch them between your fingernails. Skip to navigation Skip to content. October 2018 April 2016 Should I cut back my coleus? Still, thatâs an extra effort I prefer to avoid. Then make your cut where the middle piece will have a few sets of leaves. January 2020 Coleus is an easy to grow plant and will thrive indoors if cared for properly. This popular landscape plant is relatively easy to reproduce, and gardeners January 2019 April 2017 November 2020 Step 2 - Cut It Back. The foliage is bigger & much more chartreuse because of itâs shaded. These super-easy tips will help you grow a thicker, bushier plant with healthy and showy leaves for either your container gardens or your garden beds. May 2015 You can introduce a heavier, taller stake each time you repot your coleus. Do I go ahead a pinch back those flowers and will it stay alive. Question: Regarding Coleus plants, is it best to cut the long stems that grow up the top with little purple flowers? August 2014 Pinch off any leaves that develop disease or show symptoms of pest activity. Cut off flower spikes in late summer to extend the life of the plant and growth of new colorful leaves. Choose a spot that is protected from wind. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS From Shawna Coronado, learn how to pinch or trim leggy coleus plants in your garden. I own Becky's Greenhouse in Dougherty, Iowa. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in urban and regional studies. October 2019 The cuttings should be between 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm.). September 2019 February 2019 When the plant has back budded and developed some mature leaves near the ground, then you can cut it back to about 1/3 the height. Set plants out after all danger of frost is past. Make sure that there are no leaves touching the water. 1. Hereâs the process of rooting Coleus in water. September 2020 When the weather begins to drop, especially at night, cutting back the coleus flowers will help the plant conserve a lot of energy and food. Continue to pinch the new growth when you get about 4-6 pairs of leaves on a stem, this will keep it bushy. You can see that by careful pinching it can be forced to a ⦠Plant the rooted cuttings in small pots and keep near a sunny window for the winter. Welcome to the Krostrade Marketplace, please excuse our appearance, we are still under construction. April 2019 June 2020 Make the cut for the cutting just below a leaf node. November 2016 Whatever you call them, these are good-natured plants that are pretty hard to kill and quite easy to propagate. What do you do with yours? Did you know that you can learn how to propagate coleus plants using two methods? April 2020 Coleus is a tropical plant that will come back year after year if you live in USDA zones 10 or 11. May 2016 Although coleus plants are fairly low-maintenance and present few problems when planted in evenly moist sites with the correct amount of sun for the specific cultivar, they do require regular pinching back to maintain the desired form and vigor. March 2020 July 2019 Pinch through the coleus stem just above a node where two leaves meet the stem that has at least one axillary bud, using your thumb and the fingernail on your index finger. March 2016 Pinching off flowers before they bloom and go to seed saves the plant energy and encourages vegetative growth. Pinching off coleus flowers is a snap: just squeeze the spike between the thumb and forefinger until it comes free. Pinching back your coleus will encourage a fuller, more dense plant. You do not have to worry about hurting the plant too much if you cut it back too far. August 2017 Keep your coleus looking beautiful through its growing season by pinching back the stem tips periodically. May 2014. However, coleus plants are classed as tender perennials and are sensitive to frost. February 2018 August 2016 August 2018 October 2020 cuttings prior to cold weather by potting them up and moving them indoors. Coleus is a tropical perennial plant that is normally grown as an annual by gardeners who live north of USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11. Do not pinch off the flower spikes on a coleus if you wish to collect the seed for propagation in subsequent growing seasons. December 2020 I keep my Coleus healthy and going strong by topdressing it with an 1â³ or 2â³ of worm castings late every Winter. Use stretch tie or twine in a figure eight pattern to tie the stem of your coleus to the stake. To take cuttings, use a pair of scissors or garden clippers to cut off 4-6 inches of stem from healthy plants. Find an Apical Stem on a Mature Coleus Plant. October 2016 February 2017 Hi! Coleus Plant Overview. December 2019 December 2016 This Coleus âDipped in Wineâ was propagated in January & planted in March â itâs a baby. April 2015 Coleus flowers are light purple or blue and develop at the ends of shoots. January 2016 December 2017 March 2017 ... my coleus has done exceptionally well in office. Pruning or pinching coleus is easy! Answer: Although the purple flower most commonly grows in the summer months, removing the flower is totally up to you. September 2017 September 2018 publication date: Dec 1, 2006. Overwintering coleus is easy, and a terrific way to keep a favored annual going. May 2018 Remove the bottom â -½ of the leaves, and place the stems cut end down in jars of water. As you very well know, coleus is known for its. Pinch off the growing tips of the coleus selectively in areas of the plant where growth appears spindly or could become leggy. To get the pattern right, pass the twine all the way around the stake and create a crossing âXâ shape in between the stake and the plant. When selecting an apical stem from which to take a coleus cutting, pick one that is fairly long: Your cutting should be anywhere from 2 ⦠⦠May 2017 January 2017 First cut off the top section right above a leaf node as you have done before. Your comment will be posted after it is approved. December 2018 If desired, you can dip the ends in rooting hormone, but you donât have to since coleus plants root readily. November 2019 Pinching the growing tips of the coleus back regularly when it is young encourages branching and a bushy habit. These are one of the easiest plants to start from cuttings. Taking tip cuttings from vigorously growing shoots on the coleus also serves to cut back the plant and promotes bushiness. June 2014 As you very well know, coleus is known for its. Coleus usually roots quickly on its own, but rooting hormones from a gardening supply stores can be used to speed up their development. Neutral master bedroom with red coleus and purple hyrdrangeas I threw in some sprigs of a little purple ground cover, also in a pot with some other flower that had long said goodbye to summer, and fell in love with how it turned out. Numerous cultivars of coleus (Coleus x hybridus or Solenostemon spp. If you take cuttings in the fall, prior to a killing frost, and grow your Coleus as a house plant to brighten the winter months. Coleus as a cut flower? Just cut the stem and place it in water like a cutflower. February 2020 Even if you can't see evidence of new leaf growth leaves will eventually sprout from the node. ⦠June 2018 May 2019 Tie the stem of the coleus loosely. The roots will appear in a matter of days. August 2020 Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service: Coleus, Cornell University: Growing Guide - Coleus, University of Vermont: Solenostemon (Coleus), Washington State University Extension: Coleus Revival, How to Set Up Artificial Lights for a Venus Flytrap. Make the cut near a node (where the "branches" join the stem). I then put a couple of inches of compost over that. Or cut it off with pruning shears. August 2019 Pinch Back and Prune Without regular pruning, coleus plants can get "leggy" and unattractive. June 2017 I have noticed some of my coleus are setting flower seeds, so I have looked up what to do with them. Coleus needs well-draining soil. Starting with the first piece, cut off the side leaves, leaving an exposed stem. July 2018 The cut should be made just below a leaf node, and you can then remove all of the leaves from the stem except for the top pair. The following information covers all of the different aspects of caring for this beautiful houseplant. Remove the bottom leaves of each cutting and insert the cut ends into damp potting soi l, peat moss, or sand. You can either place these in water to root or in potting soil. As a member of the mint family, coleus is rarely bothered by pests and diseases although mealybugs, aphids, scales and whiteflies may present occasionally problems. At this point, if you wish, you can dip the cut end in rooting hormone. Coleus is the traditional name for a genus of popular landscape plants that have now been reassigned to the genera Plectranthus and Solenostemon. So what do you do keep the flower on the coleus or cut it off. Clean pair of scissors or shears, cut off as many coleus cuttings as desired. Coleus plants (genera Plectranthus and Solenostemon) are flowering evergreen perennials. June 2016 October 2014 Pinch the stem back to a leaf node where at least one axillary bud is present, as these buds will ideally grow out to form new shoots. Older Coleus plants tend ⦠Although they are quite sturdy, they can become leggy in appearance and will benefit from being cut back. I like to cut them off and the reason is in the article. My name is Becky and I am a master gardener. February 2016 Coleus branches break easily. Apical stems have a bud at the end of them. Simply root three- to four-inch (7-13 cm.) In February or March take several cuttings and cultivate them for transplant into the garden when the weather warms. This can be done with your fingers or a pair of gardening scissors. As long as you prune and cut them back faithfully, your coleus should stay bushy and handsome. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. Coleus roots readily from cuttings. Coleus will readily root in a cup of water. The bottom section will only have the two sets of leaves left. Transitioning the coleus cuttings from water directly to soil can be a shock to the plant sometimes and you may not get the best results. If the coleus already has a bloom or a bud simply back down the stem to the first node with a set of leaves and trim just above them. February 2015 April 2018 Remove the growth just above a node where two leaves are growing from the stem. Answer: In about a month or so, you can have more coleus transplants for the landscape. July 2017 March 2019 Water the plant thoroughly after planting. Knowing how to overwinter coleus is extremely important if you want to admire its beauty it all-year-round. Pinch through the coleus stem just above a node where two leaves meet the stem that has at least one axillary bud, using your thumb and the fingernail on your index finger. In cool regions, take cuttings from your plants before the first frost in the fall and place them in water to root. If you decide to go this route, follow the instructions on the label to prepare the hormone solution, then dip the cut end of the cutting into it briefly. Dip the cut end in rooting hormone (optional). It may seem counterproductive to cut back a plant that you want more of, but pinching many annual and tender perennial plantsâlike coleusâencourages branching and full, bushy growth. Angela Ryczkowski is a professional writer who has served as a greenhouse manager and certified wildland firefighter. Next, remove all of the leaves from the lower half of the cutting. May 2020 To grow a new Coleus, take a stem cutting from the mother plant of around five inches in length. So my Coleus is an indoor plant I’ve had it since May, it has started flowering and I’ve read that a sign it will soon die. Coleus is a very hardy plant and can handle the cutting. Winterizing Coleus Cuttings Knowing that the coleus wonât survive a cold winter, you can snip cuttings and root them for replanting. Coleus can easily be started from seed indoors about 10 weeks before the last frost date in your region. November 2018 {{gwi:3272}} These were cuttings from an upright Coleus. If coleus (Solenostemon) is not the easiest plant cutting to root, then it must be ranked at the top of the plant propagatorâs list right next to the willows. September 2016 March 2015 It only takes a second. Coleus is one of those happy plants that roots easily from cuttings. October 2017 Watch this video to learn how to pinch annuals and tropical perennials. Which Varieties to Save? July 2016 January 2018 July 2020 March 2018 ), also known as flame nettle, are members of the mint family, prized for their colorful and frequently variegated foliage and multiple growth habits. June 2019 Some coleus are tall enough to be used in bouquets and floral designs, but vase life is an issue. November 2017 Cut a four- to six-inch section of stem with clean pruning shears, and remove the leaves from the bottom three-quarters of the cutting. Water the coleus as needed to maintain evenly moist but not excessively wet soil around the coleus to encourage fast recovery following the pinching. 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