Re: coleus cuttings

In a message dated 10/14/02 12:18:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
karen.tiede@eds.com writes:


> A knowledgeable neighbor told me that coleus do WAY better when you take the
> cuttings in late summer, 


The coleus will at some time during the late summer, if one of the reluctant 
bloomers- not seed grown- convert every single stalk to a flowering stalk.  
Nothing you can do will stop these stalks from flowering, even the side 
shoots try to flower.

Since you do not want the flowers, the time to take the cutting is before any 
flower stalk appears.  They root easily in any medium and then are potted for 
the winter.  You would want to keep the soil somewhat infertile and give cool 
light (not cold).  The plant will hang on most of the winter coming to life 
in spring.  Then you can keep this plant or force it into many new shoots to 
roots for a really full container.

For some reason when the coleus decides to bloom, it will bloom top, sides 
and everywhere no matter how much it it pinched.  The bloomstalk cuttings are 
harder to root but can be rooted in optimum conditions.  That would be well 
drained with some humidity and might take some time.

A lot of the old cultivars now on the market do not begin the bloom cycle 
until well into late summer or early fall so that gives you time to get a few 
new ones started.

I have one that I like a lot this year so am going to mow it down to one inch 
and store it with the sleeping bulbs.  I have not tried this before so cannot 
say it will work.  If a large container, they take a lot of room in the 
winter plant spaces so several new cuttings are probably a better idea.  Last 
year the Setcreasa pallida "Purpleheart" made it through the winter in the 
cellar with no light and kept perfectly dry.  Petunia integrifolia will also 
respond to this treatment. I have the Petunia in a deep purple form and want 
to preserve it.

If the plant is around 1.98 in the spring you may not want to store it as it 
is not cost
effective.   All of grey plants beloved in containers are now in nurseries 
for a small price so I no longer keep them.  Bulbs that are pricey and hard 
to find are a better choice for your keeping space.  Another plant that can 
kept over is a tender perennial, Nicotiana alata, which forms carrot like 
roots.  It will recover in early spring and being fragrant bloom by the end 
of May.  Seedling of this Nicotiana do not bloom here until late summer.  A 
plant established in a pot is very tough.

Claire Peplowski
NYS z4

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