A comprehensive guide to Coleus plants

A change in every season brings a change of pots of beautiful foliage at my desk. As for summer, my first choice for my daily work desk is any kind of coleus plant although it requires daily watering for moist soil.

Coleus plants are one of the best plants to have clear impacts on health, they have been on the light to reduce anxiety, and one look at the plant calms down your pulse. They clean the air we inhale by filtering poisonous agents of air.

Coleus plants have a variety of colors and arrangements that they offer to us, making them an ideal plant for your home and your workspace.

Below we are going to discuss the Introduction of coleus plants, types of coleus plants, How to take care of coleus plants, pruning of coleus, How to propagate coleus plants, If coleus is an indoor or outdoor plant, Is coleus Sun or shade plant, and extraction of seeds of coleus plants.

Introduction to Coleus Plants

Coleus plants are known as Coleus blumei. They are getting fame because of the variety of their attractive colors. They have different types of stunning flowers in extraordinary colors like bright green, sharp yellow, burgundy, maroon, etc.

Coleus plants are a group of flowering plants which belong to the Lamiaceae family. It is native to Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Coleus needs soil moisture to grow, usually, 0.5–1 m in length, although some can grow up to 2 m.

Coleus is usually grown as ornamental plants. Several studies have shown that Coleus blumei brings relaxation and mood to humans.

Is coleus a sun or shade plant?

We have learned that Coleus is an ornamental plant that resists growing in frost season therefore many of us would be interested to know whether the coleus is a sunny or a shady plant.

Coleus needs regular little maintenance. This protects the soil from high pH but requires good drainage to do so. When planting coleus in an area where there is not much sun, do not exceed the water.

Coleus thrives in cool, moist, well-drained soil. Fertilizer is good, but excessive bacteria causes the roots to decompose. They can withstand heat, but in a warmer climate, they resist growing as compared to shade and the winter season.

Some modern Coleus varieties can survive all seasons, but most of them successfully produce minimally woven shade in direct sunlight. Too much sun or too much dryness will peel off leaves and fade the skin of leaves, too much dim light causes poor plant growth.

Balance is important for the beauty and health of the collar. Plants with darker leaves often withstand more sun, giving them more moisture.

Types of coleus plants

How would you know which variety of coleus plants would suit your place according to their bloom? Coleus plants come up with a variety of colors and types. Generally, there are 43 types of Coleus Plants, some of them are explained below:

• Wizard

Wizard arrangements are clean, colorful, and medium-sized plants. Coleus Wizard grows 12–14 inches tall and 10–12 inches wide. Wizards have shocking colors in concealed boundaries as well as in containers and can be developed inside a radiant windowsill. All wizard coleus will flourish in the evening or under sifted shade and soggy soil.

Wizard sunset, wizard coral dawn, wizard velvet red, and wizard brilliant are especially known for Coleus Wizard.

• Giant Exhibition

Extremely enormous leaves of Giant Exhibition expand to 6–7 inches long on a 20-inch tall plant. Grow coleus to a limited extent of the sun or dappled shade.

• Premium sun

A highly adaptable coleus arrangement. Premium sun coleus is bold, mounding, and very much expanded. These plants are dressed in splendid leaves in full sun (in environments with high mugginess) or light shade.

Premium sun arrangement coleus is not difficult to fill in borders or containers, and on the grounds, they sprout late, these plants stay prominent for quite a long time.

· Fairway

Super-flashy, extra small, uniform, and 8–10 inches tall plant. For your garden beds, containers, and hanging crates, the Fairway Coleus arrangement should be your ideal choice. Give evening sunlight or separated shade.

• Kong

The tremendous leaves of Kong arrangement coleus develop up to 6 inches wideband and are significantly stamped. Kong coleus is enthusiastic, solid, upstanding, spreading, rapidly and developing up to 2 feet tall.

Plants prefer filtered conceal — The colossal leaves could consume in the warm sun. The Kong series are some of the best coleuses to develop inside on a brilliant windowsill.

Tips to take care of coleus plants

We discussed coleus plants, their types and now we are going to talk about their preventive care and how to take care of them?

Clip off the newly grown buds to prevent branches of your coleus from falling into the pot. Simply press the corners of the trunk back with your fingers. This will encourage the formation of new Buds on both sides. Plant the coleus in a stable container that will not tip over if it grows up to 2 meters long.

Fill the pot with well-drained soil and fertilize it in half. However, be careful not to get chemical fertilizers, otherwise, your coleus plants in pots will lose their bright color. Water regularly and maintain soil moisture.

· Fertilizers Tips

Coleus requires a little fertilizer. Fertilize the plants every four weeks, starting in the summer, to encourage a good half of the summer. Fertilizers will be enough for the plants to grow every year, but long-term fertilization can be done until early autumn when the temperature cools.

Take out required proportions of fertilizer and mix it insolvent and Stir till the time comes e.g. Take N-P-K (Nitrogen-Phosphorus-Potassium) concentrated liquids of ratio 12:4:8 in 1 liter of water in a garden area of 20 square meters.

When re-fertilizing a plant, use the same concentrated liquid in the container. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of mixture in 1 liter of water and spread it in the pot instead of repeating the process.

How do we get seeds from coleus plants?

Coleus Plants are defined by their bright colors of burgundy, red, pink, yellow, green, and copper. Coleus plant sizes range from small varieties that grow up to 12 inches of height to exotic varieties that are 3 feet or more.

Although the stingy flowers that appear in fall are not very attractive, you can collect the seeds from a flower and keep them until the following spring, it is difficult to collect seeds from a sensitive plant like coleus therefore I have sorted out tips for the collection of seeds with the best of my knowledge:

1. Wrap the string or string around one or two items for convenience. When the plants begin to die in the fall, you will know which plant is a strong one.
2. Collect the seeds when the petals have fallen from the flower and the remaining seed kernels are healthy, dry, and brown.
3. Cut the seed pods with scissors and put the pods in a bag.
4. Place the bag in a cool, dry place. Shake the bag daily to prevent the seeds from clinging together.
5. Let the seeds dry for at least two weeks or until the seeds are completely dry. Use a fingernail to check, if the seed doesn’t cracks or break then check after a week. If seeds aren’t dried they will disintegrate eventually.
6. Pour the contents of the bag into a plate or bowl and pick the leaves out.
7. Place the seeds in an envelope. Write the date and type of seed on the envelope.
8. Keep the envelope in a cool, dry, and dark place until spring.

Is the coleus plant toxic to humans or animals?

It is necessary to determine the toxicity of coleus plants before planting. Coleus plants don’t cause serious health damage to humans but a mild concussion. But in some cases, it can also cause extremely low blood pressure. If drops of coleus flowers are used as eye drops can cause burning too.

If eaten by some animal-like pet dogs, cats or birds may lead to some harmful effect like burning sensation or skin irritation and without proper treatment can also become lethal to health.

So because of the toxicity of these ornamental plants, every individual must determine precautions according to their surrounding.

How long do coleus plants live?

If your region is slightly cold, coleus can live for several years with a little bit more care in pruning, pruning is a process of cutting the long parts of coleus that becomes too long-legged and unattractive, pruning is also a technique used to make them alive with productive fertility.

Coleus is one of the easiest plants to grow and reproduce. It can also produce seeds 8 to 10 weeks before spring. We are going to discuss their life cycle in more detail according to indoor and outdoor planting.

Are coleus plants for Indoors?

· Indoor

Growing Coleus plants in an indoor environment can be difficult, but under certain conditions of light and temperature, it can be really easy. Coleus likes light but beware of bright sunlight. Look for places where the sunlight is strong early in the morning, but not direct. You may need additional lighting in the winter.

Observe the plants. If the leaves fade, the plant needs more sunlight. But if the plant is weak and losing its leaves, try to make it more fertile again.

Coleus is an indoor plant that can work well at 60 and 75 F. Winter temperatures could be colder, but try to keep the plant’s temperature from dropping below 50 F.

Are coleus plants for Outdoor?

· Outdoor

Coleus has been viewed as a plant that blooms in shadows. However, they flourish well to a limited extent under shade.

It has been seen their best leaf hue is accomplished with morning sun and some level of evening masked shades. For diversity search for arrangements such as given below these will do great in both shady and non-shady areas:

• Kong
• Superfine Rainbow
• ColorBlaze
• Fairway
• Main Street

How to propagate Coleus plants?

One of the many joys of having coleus is how easy it is to propagate.

If you have a unique design that you want to enjoy every year, cut it in the autumn. Cut a 3–4 inch piece of stem with at least two layers of leaves. Place the stem in a glass of water, you can also put multiple stems in one container and extract them anytime.

After around a month rooting will be done. When roots are 1 inch or longer place the rooting in the pot. Fill it when it dries out and make sure to use fresh and clean water. Now your cut is ready to be enjoyed outdoors.

How to prune coleus plant?

If you are a beginner and don’t know much about gardening don’t worry we got you covered because I am going to tell you everything you need to know on pruning:

· Start with a good Coleus root. Choose one that has a lot of space, unless you want to create a small tree. Many large tree shoots grow faster than small trees.

· Remove all branches with pruning shears and cut them next to the new stem. Also, remove the leaves from the base of the stem and leave the stem clear.

· Place a stick of the desired height (For instance 75 cm) in the pan.

· Attach the skirt with the straps to the strap.

· As the plant grows, continue to attach the stem cuttings and remove the lower branches and lower leaves, leaving only upper leaves together on the stem. As a result, the leafless stem will gradually grow.

· When the coleus reaches approximately the desired height, resize and press the rise point (cut it) to keep the branches at the top.

· This will lead to more tumors at the top. Also, tighten them when they are 7.5 inches long. Also, squeeze the growing tip of the new stem that appears after the previous bud. The more you click on the tops of the stems, the thicker and more beautiful the foliage will be at the top of your mini-tree.

· Sometimes move the straps so that they do not sink at the bottom.

· Over time, the main stem will grow (become harder) and will become a strong stem. However, the trunk of a Coleus tree can never be strong enough to support itself without breaking, given the variety of options, so it must always be satisfied.

Are coleus plants perennials?

If you are thinking about gardening beautiful plants that you want to take care of during the growing season, you should consider seasonal plant arrangements but if you take my suggestion, coleus should be your first choice. Coleus Plants have different sizes and shapes of leaves, which helps make them a great choice. Coleus plants are tender perennials, which means they can not be grown in every season, but they can grow well under certain conditions of light and heat. They would need extra care in winters but their colorful foliage is worth it, you would say yourself. These soft perennials usually grow in annuals outdoors, due to their native Asia.

In what Containers coleus should be kept?

Coleus grown in containers can be placed indoors as well as outdoors. You should keep your coleus in strong containers for indoors especially. If your plants are outdoor you should well-fertilize all of your plants especially plants like coleus because they are highly sensitive for their maintenance.

Coleus contained in a 12-inch container can easily grow to 3 feet tall with normal care of watering and fertilization. On the other hand, your plant might not have colorful foliage.

Coleus or any other plant grows faster if more room is available for roots to grow. They grow slower in a container than in a garden bed. If you are growing a log cabin, place the Coleus in a warm place with proper light and water it regularly.

In Conclusion

If you are a person who works all day long from 9 to 5 and returns home with a hectic and stressed mood then it is suggested for you to have a coleus plant at your home so with its bright and life-giving gestures your soul and body will be relaxed from every negative feel and activity.

Over the years, coleus plants have provided us with a bunch of health benefits and visual beauty designs for indoor and outdoor environments. After going through this article, now you might know everything about coleus plants like types of coleus plants, tips to take care of coleus plants, how long can coleus plants live, if coleus is an indoor or outdoor plant, If coleus plants are poisonous to animals or not, If coleus is sun or shade plant.