As summertime ends, the coleus is at its peak. These plants are known for their stunning foliage color versus flowers. It’s difficult to see my coleus plants pass away after the first frost. Luckily, coleus is one of the most convenient plants to conserve and overwinter. There are different methods to save your preferred coleus plants.Cuttings.
Pinch or cut off longer portions of the stem, strip the bottom leaves leaving a minimum of two sets of leaves on top. Location the cuttings in a vase of water to start rooting. As soon as you see strong roots, pot up the plants and place indoors in a sunny window. Even if you don’t conserve cuttings from your plant, it’s always good to cut back your coleus to motivate more development. Doing this in late summer season will encourage the plant to become full and strong to take you up until the very first frost.Bring them in. If your coleus remains in a pot, simply bring that pot inside for the winter season. Place it in a warm window or under a grow light. Prior to you bring pots in, be sure to inspect them for bugs; spray the plants down with a tube, making sure to clean the undersides of leaves. Consider spraying with insecticidal soap and continue to monitor plants over winter.More: Fall gardening ideas: What to do with bulbs, peonies and garlic in October More: Decorative lawns add movement to landscape More: Gardening idea: How to choose the very best bulbs to plant in your garden this fallColeus might lose color when brought inside or lose leaves and get straggly. Not to
stress; the plant is entering its dormant stage. Do not pinch them back.Instead, the objective is keeping the plants alive by watering when necessary and watching for insects. As daytime increases, you’ll see the plants begin to grow new leaves. You can consider taking brand-new cuttings in March or April and potting them up to get more plants. Don’t forget to solidify them off before bringing them outside once again in the spring once all danger of frost has passed. Enjoy your coleus plants inside this season and have more plants next season!Cornell Cooperative Extension Oneida County addresses home and garden questions which can be emailed to [email protected] or call 315-736-3394, press 1 and ext. 333. Leave your question, name and contact number. Concerns are answered weekdays, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Likewise, visit our site at cceoneida.com.