Blog: You too can have these vivid-leaved wonders in your life
Hmm… growing Coleus plants from seed, I hear you think. Isn’t it easier to root them from cuttings? Well, yes, they do root ridiculously easily, but you need a plant you want to propagate in the first place – that’s where seeds come in.
Sow Coleus seeds at any time of the year, even now, and they’re great for kids to grow. For the swots, the Latin name is Solenostemon scutellarioides, formerly Coleus blumei, which was a damn sight easier to remember. It’s a member of the mint family – think of the ordinary herb in drag, and you’ve got the picture.
Growing Coleus plants from seed – Going through another plant phase
I’m a bit overindulgent and go through phases with plants – sweet peas and Echiums have been past targets! I’m starting these, ahem, five packets from JustSeed, which has a lovely selection – all this came to under a tenner:
- Kong Red (10 seeds): Tall plants (up to 55cm) noted for large leaves. Well-branched and ideal for a tropical display in the garden as well as a houseplant. Classic dark red/purple with cherry centres and lime edges.
- Chocolate Mint (10 seeds): Medium plants (35cm) with deep, rich chocolate leaves edged in mint.
- Pineapple Surprise (10 seeds): Medium plants (35cm) with unusual patches of colouration in chartreuse, burgundy and chocolate brown.
- Wizard Sunset (30 seeds): Medium plants (30cm) with scalloped leaves of vivid apricot-orange, edged with gold. Compact, bushy plants that don’t need pinching out.
- Wizard Velvet Red (30 seeds): Dwarf plants (20cm) with deep red velvety leaves.
How to sow Coleus seeds
Please note – the seeds are TINY. Three of these packets were pelleted seeds (in a coating), which made them much easier to space. Sow the seeds in pots or trays in seed compost, and put them in a warm place at about 20-25°C. Do not cover the seed. Put the tray or pots in a polythene bag until germination, which takes between 7 and 21 days.
As soon as the seedlings appear, keep them in good light and cooler conditions so they don’t get leggy. When large enough to handle, pot them up into trays and grow on until they can be moved into pots.
Growing Coleus plants from seed – Aftercare
They can be grown as a houseplant on a sunny or partially sunny window or planted outside after hardening off when all risk of frost has passed. They’ll put up happily with partial shade.
Like Pelargoniums (geraniums), I move my potted plants outside in summer and overwinter them in the unheated conservatory, keeping them pretty dry and cut right back. In spring, repot them, and you’ll be rewarded with new, fresh growth. On the downside, they are magnets for red spider mite and aphids, so keep an eye out for them.
Keep plants bushy by nipping out any of the unsightly flowers that form – most of the new hybrids branch well anyway. I hope that’s given you some inspiration about growing Coleus plants from seed!
