General features, characteristics and etymology of the name of Coleus, agrotechnical conditions during cultivation, steps for independent reproduction, species. Coleus (Coleus) belongs to the genus attributed to the Lamiaceae family, or as it is also called Labiatae, which also includes about 150 more varieties. The native territory of growth of representatives of this genus falls on the lands of the forests of Asia and Africa, where the tropical climate prevails.
This plant got its name on the basis of the translation, the Greek word "kleos" which means "case, tube" or "scabbard", of course, that, apparently, this is due to the structure of the flowers of the representative of the clear family, since the staminate threads in the bud are spliced in the form of a tube, in which the pestle is reliably hidden. Although a different name for this specimen of flora has become firmly established among flower growers, it is called "the poor man's croton", since the variegated color of the leaf plates of the coleus is very similar to the croton, but the general appearance of their leaves does not have the same effect. There is generally an unsightly name for Coleus - "garbage plant", apparently because many of the lovers of home flora have not yet seen the newly introduced varieties of Coleus, which can compete on equal terms not only with the aforementioned croton in the beauty of foliage, but also with other equally popular variegated plants … You can hear people pick it up with "nettles" because of the shape of the leaves.
Another property that makes Coleus a favorite of flower growers is its simplicity and undemanding care in caring for it (unlike the capricious Croton) and reproduction.
So, all varieties of the Coleus genus are either semi-shrubs or plants with a herbaceous form of growth. With its shoots, this variegated handsome man can reach a height of 35 cm. The stems have tetrahedral cross-section and juicy outlines, although their appearance is almost transparent. The leaf plates have a velvety surface and an incredibly variegated color that combines a wealth of shades, which includes the most incredible combinations of red, yellow, brown and green colors, as well as patterns of spots and stripes. The edge of the leaf is serrate, which makes it very similar to the leaf plates of the well-known nettle.
The flowers of the Coleus, in comparison with its highly decorative foliage, are not of particular interest and do not stand out at all. Their sizes are small, a paniculate inflorescence is collected from the buds.
General requirements for growing Coleus, flower care
- Lighting preferably bright and diffuse.
- Temperature when growing, the plant should not go beyond the temperate limits, so in spring, summer and autumn it should be that the thermometer is in the range of 18-25 units, and with the arrival of winter, the temperature is reduced to 14-16 degrees.
- Humidity when growing coleus, it is maintained high (within 80-90%), in the summer heat, when the temperature rises, it is necessary to spray with warm and soft water, and in winter it is necessary to put a pot with coleus in a deep pan with expanded clay and a small amount of water or install humidifiers nearby air.
- Watering coleus in the spring-summer period depends on the state of the upper layer of the substrate - as soon as it dries out, it is time to moisturize. Use only soft water with room heat values. Rain or river water can be used.
- Period dormancy in the plant occurs in the winter period, therefore, over a 3-month period, watering is reduced, and fertilizers are either reduced or not applied at all. If it helps to ensure the future bloom of the "nettles".
- Fertilizers for the "poor man's croton" are needed during the growing season. Both organic and mineral preparations are used, potash is better (assuming that 0, 3–0, 5 grams of the agent will be needed for 1 liter of water). Regularity - weekly. In winter, fertilization is continued, but the concentration should be reduced by half and feeding is carried out only once every 14–21 days. Coleus also needs nitrogen fertilizers, if this circumstance is not taken into account, then after a while the plant will die.
- Pruning "Nettles" are held in the spring and are required. It helps stimulate branching and the cuttings are used for propagation. In this case, excess processes should be removed to form a compact form of the bush. Occasionally, a cardinal trimming of the wheel is used.
- Transfer variegated bush. After the stalks of the Coleus are pruned in the spring, you can transplant it. The new container should be 2-3 cm larger than the previous one. It is recommended to lay a layer of drainage material on the bottom of the pot. However, over time, transplants are performed less and less and you can only resort to changing the top layer of soil (about 5 cm) in the Coleus flowerpot. When changing the substrate, any nutrient substrate should be used. But you can make a soil mixture yourself from humus, leaf and sod land, river sand and a little peat.
It is best of all, although the plant is not capricious, to carry out the transshipment - without destroying the earthen lump and without injuring the root system. After the transplant is carried out, it is recommended to water the Coleus.
Coleus breeding methods, planting at home
The seeds of the Coleus are very small, they can be sown from February to the end of April. They are placed in bowls with moistened sand. Germination is carried out at a temperature of 20-22 degrees. It is recommended to cover the container with crops with polyethylene or a piece of glass. Already on the 14-18th day, sprouts begin to appear. Seedlings must be dived into containers or seedling boxes at a distance of 2x2 cm from each other. The composition of the substrate for planting is made up of leafy soil, peat, turf soil, river sand - all parts must be equal. When one or two pairs of true leaves are formed on the plants, they are transplanted into pots with 7 cm in diameter one by one. After a month, a second transplant is carried out in containers with a diameter of 9-11 cm. The place for growing young Coleus should be with bright lighting, but without direct streams of harmful ultraviolet radiation, since the color of the foliage depends on this. Youngsters should be pinched to stimulate branching. When 5-6 months have passed, these plants are ready for room decoration.
To carry out cuttings, you can start doing this already from February, ending with the May days. The workpieces are planted in moistened sand poured into planting boxes. In 8-12 days, the cuttings will take root. After that, such branches are transplanted into pots with a diameter of 9 cm. The composition of the earth is taken, as when picking seedlings. In order for young coleus to start branching, they pinch the tops of the shoots. It is important when growing plants from cuttings to provide them with proper watering, airing and maintain heat indicators within the range of 16-18 degrees. The growing area should be sunny, but with diffused sunlight. If the light level is high, then the leaves will begin to curl along the edge and discolor. Also, color loss is observed if heat readings are high at night and low during the day. During the first 3 months, due to the intensity of growth, a well-branched plant with large leaf plates will turn out. After that, it is recommended to transplant Coleus into a pot with a diameter of 11 cm.
Difficulties in cultivating Coleus
If the lighting is not enough for the young Coleus and the tops of the shoots were not pinched in time, then the stems in the lower part will begin to bare. However, in adult specimens, this phenomenon is considered the norm. When the direct rays of the sun at noon will constantly illuminate the foliage, then there is a loss of its color. Leaves begin to fall off in case of insufficient soil moisture in the summer, as well as when watering is excessive. When the light level is low, the shoots begin to stretch ugly.
In case of violations of the growing conditions for Coleus, it can be affected by spider mites, aphids, scale insects or whiteflies. If the presence of harmful insects is noticed, then treatment with insecticidal preparations should be carried out.
Facts to note about Coleus
The closest relatives in the world of flora to Coleus are all kinds of fragrant herbs: lemon balm, oregano, sage, as well as basil and others. The local population, in the territory where Coleus grows in its natural environment, eats the tuberous roots of some of its varieties.
On the island lands of Java, it is customary to plant Coleus around the perimeter of coffee plantations to protect the latter from wild boars.
A great contribution to the study of representatives of the Coleus genus was made by the famous botanist Karl Blum, one of the varieties is named after him, and this variety also became the ancestor of a large number of cultivated species.
Only in the middle of the 19th century, Coleus was brought to the lands of European countries from Indonesia. And after just a few years, 18 varieties of new hybrid representatives of this plant with brightly colored foliage were already showing off at a horticultural auction, which was held in England. And the selling price of such samples at that time was simply fabulous.
Despite the beauty and positive qualities of the coleus, according to the observations of the florist, there is another unpleasant aspect - the plant does not forgive the indifference of the owners to themselves.
There are also such signs:
- If the Coleus began to wither and dry out for no reason, then this will be a harbinger of the illness of one of the inhabitants of the house.
- When a pot with a plant is placed in the workplace, it will immediately bring success in business and work, as it helps to cleanse its environment from negativism and free the aura from unnecessary influences from others.
- Since the leaves are capable of releasing a special essential oil into the air, which in its aroma is very reminiscent of mint, this activates the work of brain activity and helps the development of creative ideas in work.
- Due to the smell of the essential oil of the foliage, the moth will not grow in the room where the coleus grows.
- There are small bumps on the leaf plates of the plant, they then play the role of lenses, due to which the rays of light falling on the plant are reflected from them, and therefore the color seems so rich and bright. If you put a leaf in a glass of hot water, then these tubercles will burst and the color will become the usual green color scheme, like in ordinary representatives of the flora.
- If the owner wants, he can change the color of the foliage using plain water in which the food coloring is dissolved. After watering, it is clearly visible how the liquid will rise along the translucent stem to the leaves.
Coleus species
Coleus rehneltianus is an ampelous culture, whose native territories are in the lands of Sri Lanka. Shoots reach half a meter in length. The placement of the leaf plates is opposite; they are attached to the stems with elongated petioles. The foliage is wide-heart-shaped, the edge is wavy, the surface is decorated with a pattern of multi-colored veins with yellow, purple, brown, red and other tones. There are varieties obtained by crossing with other varieties that are very suitable for indoor cultivation during the winter months of the year. These are Reneltianus and Reneltianus superbus, which are distinguished by highly decorative brown-red foliage, with a green tint and flowers with blue petals.
Coleus Verschaffelt (Coleus verschaffeltii). This plant has large leaves and a special color. Their surface is velvety to the touch, the general background is dark red with a green edge.
Coleus hybrid (Coleus x hybridus) is one of the popular varieties that is grown in indoor floriculture. The plant has a rather large size and it is not whimsical at all. The height of the bush can approach meter indicators, and the stem is square in cross-section, it grows straight and has good branching, juicy, with fine pubescence on the surface. Leaf plates with elongated oval or broadly ovate outlines and crenate, wavy, occasionally serrated (with shallow cuts) edge. The base of the leaves is truncated or in the form of a heart. Depending on the place where the coleus grows, its leaves take on a different shade: in the shade they are rich green, and under bright sun streams, their color becomes burgundy. The location on the shoots is opposite. There is a fine velvety on the surface, which is formed by sparse, more elongated hairs. The color of such hairs is quite diverse: they can be either a uniform shade or a variegated color (green, reddish, dark purple, violet-brown and other tone). The number of flowers that form on the plant is large and inflorescences are collected from them in the form of rare brushes or a complex spikelet, its location is final. The flower has a two-lipped calyx; a pair of incisors is present on the lower lip. The length of the corolla reaches 1.5 cm, it is also two-lipped, the size of the upper lip exceeds the lower one. The upper lip is blue and the lower lip is whitish, with two teeth. In the combined taxon, there are up to 200 hybrid varieties of garden origin, their parent is a variety of Coleus Blume.
Coleus blumeii, this particular species is the most beloved by flower growers, as well as its many hybrid varieties and dwarf varieties. The native area of growth falls on the territory of Asia, namely its southeastern regions and the island of Java. It has a semi-shrub form of growth with shoots, which, over time, tend to lignify at the base. Their height reaches 35–80 cm. In a large number of plants of this variety, the shape of the leaf plates is very similar to the leaves of the well-known nettle. There are species that have a folded edge of the foliage, for others it is wavy, and the surface itself seems to be corrugated. It is difficult to describe the color of the leaves, since their colors are variegated. However, it is customary to grow both plants with monochromatic foliage and multi-colored patterns.
The best varieties are:
- Black dragon with a brownish-purple tint of leaves and corrugation along the edge, reddish veins are present on the surface;
- Wizzard series hybrids: Vizzard Gold with leaves, shimmering with a yellow-light green color; Vizzard Evening Zarya has a fiery red foliage with a narrow strip of green tint along the edge; Wizzard Jade with leaf blades adorned with whitish foliage and wide green edging;
- Saber differs in dwarf size;
- The chief with a folded surface of sheet plates;
- Butterfly - leaves are wavy;
- Colden bedder has a yellow color;
- Volcano leaves with a dark red color;
- Colossus nanus shoots reach a height of 30 cm with highly decorative leaves;
- Laciniatus differs in the cut edge of the sheet plates;
- Gero used in flower beds as a ground cover carpet plant with purple foliage;
- Yulka it is distinguished by leaves of a velvety red tone and a gold border and is also a carpet variety.
How to grow Coleus from seeds, see below:
