Gardeners World 2022 Episode 14 Coleus from The Little Garden of Monfestino

#gardenersworld 2022
#coleus
The coleus is a plant belonging to the Lamiaceae family which, if grown in an apartment, remains small in size: its average height, in fact, is around 50cm.

On the contrary, if left to grow naturally it can even exceed two meters in height.
The stem of the coleus has a quadrangular section and, although it is an evergreen plant, it is often cultivated as an annual plant. Its flowers are small, white or very pale blue. But they are not the star of this ornamental plant, but its leaves.

The leaves can be heart-shaped, oval or lanceolate. It all depends on the variety you decide to buy. In addition, the coloring of the leaves provides a pigmentation that includes warmer tones and colder tones.
Among the main species of coleus we find the following:

coleus blumei, characterized by a height that can exceed one meter and by the presence of leaves with jagged edges and beautiful streaks
coleus thyrsoides, with heart-shaped leaves and rather abundant flowering
coleus verschaffeltii, whose heart-shaped leaves are covered with a soft down.
SOWING
The coleus seeds will be planted at a depth of 2mm in a seedbed composed of fertile soil and perlite or coarse sand. The best time to do this is between January and February.
The seeds need a little light, a temperature that remains constant at 21 ° C and a moist soil. You will then have to move the seedbed with the first shoots to a brighter spot, before transplanting the strongest and most promising plants and placing them indoors, in an illuminated spot, but where the sunlight does not reach directly. Always remember that the well-being of coleus leaves depends on the lighting they receive!

We recommend using an earthenware pot and soil made up as follows:
1/3 of peat (check that the peat is extracted in a sustainable way for the planet, alternatively use soil for acidophilic plants)
1/3 of sand
1/3 of fertile soil
The coleus needs an abundant supply of water during the spring and summer months, while during the winter you will always have to take care of it, but with more moderation. You will also need to make sure that the soil remains moist, but that water stagnation does not form and, in addition, you will need to spray the leaves early in the morning. In this way you will be sure to always maintain constant humidity.
Fertilization follows the same trend as watering, that is, it must be done in spring and summer, with a winter break. The treatment must be repeated every two weeks using a liquid fertilizer to be administered during watering. The best fertilizer for coleus is balanced in terms of phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium and also contains all the trace elements that the plant needs, such as magnesium, copper, manganese etc.
To help the coleus keep a compact and elegant shape you will need to trim the branches using properly sterilized professional scissors. This will allow your plant to focus on producing new branches.

Multiply your coleus by cuttings:
take the cutting between April and September
dip it in a rhizogenic powder, so as to favor its rooting
then place the cutting to a depth of 2cm in a vase filled with sand and peat
place it in the shade and at a temperature of 21 ° C, making sure the soil remains moist
move it to a brighter spot only when roots have formed.
DISEASES AND PARASITES
stem rot, caused by too abundant irrigation
yellow or withered leaves, a symptom that the water supply is not sufficient
presence of few leaves, probably due to nutritional deficiencies or too poor lighting
spots on the underside of the leaves, a sign of the presence of cochineal
presence of small yellowish and / or greenish insects, or an attack by aphids.