Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Growing Coleus from cuttings...advice needed for a newbie please

solidliquiduksolidliquiduk Posts: 12
in Plants
Hi All,

In the process of buying loads of plants for our garden border on the weekend, we purchased 3 x Coleus without checking that they were annuals rather than perennials and they were quite large specimens and therefore quite expensive so it struck me that I may be able to dip my toe into propagating them for next spring but I have a) no idea what I'm doing, b) no greenhouse and no real interest in getting one.

Can anyone advise the process of when we should take the cuttings, potting them on and when they can be planted outside please?

Thanks
Daz 

Posts

  • arneilarneil Posts: 313
    I’ve only ever used them as house plants , I don’t let them flower , and if I like the colour of a particular plant I take off a bit and root it in a glass of water and pot up when it grows roots 
    perhaps you could root bits of yours like that and keep them on a bright windowsill to plant out in summer ? But I’m sure someone else will have better advice£
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited June 2023
    I've tried plain water.  It works.  Take cuttings any time.  They need to be inside in the winter.so regard them as houseplants 
     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I often grow them for the summer. I grow them from seed and treat them as annuals.
    It's vital to pinch off the flower spikes as they appear. If you let them flower, they will promptly die - it's just the way such plants work.

    I've never planted them in a border as their stems are so very delicate - they snap very easily and their foliage is easily damage by other plants and animals that visit at night.

    I agree that cuttings are easy - water is easy and probably the best method.

    They're quite easy to grow from from seed too and will grow into decent size plants.

    Chocolate Covered Cherry-


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    In addition to what @Pete.8 and @arneil have said re propagating, you can certainly put them outside in summer, but as they aren't hardy plants, you need to make sure you wait until the weather is suitable - no frosts or cold, rough weather when you start acclimatising them.
    You can also propagate them by cutting the foliage and laying them sideways in pots/trays, if I recall correctly.  They often do a segment on Beechgrove so you may be able to find that online, or just an online site generally. I'm sure there will be quite a few of those. Not something I've done though.  :)

    You'll have to keep them potted and bring them back in again later in the year, and when you do that will depend on your location and climate. If in doubt, err on the cautious side   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Sign In or Register to comment.