Let me ask the obvious: Coleus surviving outdoors in winter
homey_bird
13 years ago
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calistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
13 years agoRelated Discussions
Tips for a Prickly Pear's 1st winter outdoors?
Comments (23)I have no idea about Montana. What is your gardening zone?! How cold have you already gotten? Also, there are many species of Prickly Pads. The ones that are sold in the East are Opuntia humifusa (Eastern Prickly Pear); but lots of species of Opuntia are not cold hardy. Keep in mind, O. humifusa looks completely different in the Winter! They normally shrivel up and lose the rich green color. They ain't dead! It's just that when it gets really cold, the plants move water out the leaf pads, as soon as Spring returns, the pads rehydrate and turn green again. O. humifusa is native to the East Coast from Florida up to Cape Cod (up to approximately Zone 7a). So, they are unusual among cacti for cold tolerance AND WET tolerance, the combination of which is FATAL to most all cacti. Mine have regularly been under mounds of snow and always return. I would think that a Montana winter would offer some advantage as you are soooo much drier in mid Winter, and it's soooo WET here even in mid Winter. I would think that a snow cover would offer protection if the winters go below 0 F. You could take cuttings, I have a bunch on the surface of some palms that I overwinter in the garage, but they are perfectly cold and freeze hardy to at least 0 F....See MoreFavorite Way to Start Coleus Cuttings-For Coleus Lovers!
Comments (21)Does anyone know why cuttings curl up (and out of the water) when potted in water? I just made my cuttings yesterday and the stems all curled up when I checked on them this afternoon. Each cutting was placed on a separate can of water and water was filled until it covered a little above the lowest nodes. In addition to the curled stems, the leaves also seem to be curling a bit. Does anyone know what's happening to my cuttings? Are they wilting or dying? What should I do to save them or keep them healthy. Please help! Thank you in advance....See MoreShow Me Your Coleus!
Comments (14)Betsy, your coleus look MAH-velous, Dear Heart!! I really wish I'd ordered when you did. May have to do that this coming week. They still have plenty left to choose from, but they will quit shipping in June, I think. Tony, Tony, Tony!! A couple??? Fantastic collection you got going there! Yep...I think you have earned the title of Koleus King, BUT...just how many titles can one guy have??? I mean, you were the reigning Tomato King several years running, and you are most definitely the Geranium King. You have enough room on your head for another crown? I'll share headgear with you, but I'm not sharing my scepter!! (Ask Kat.) Felix, that coleus I shared with you is actually called Dipt In Wine, but if you've been having trouble with it, maybe Dipt In Blood is more appropriate? hehehe It IS a lovely plant, isn't it? I need more of it! I think another trip to Lukas is in order. First to see which named coleus they have (and they carry quite a few), and then to see if I can get the other Fairytale purslanes in honor of Tabitha. I got Cinderella last week, but I'd like to find Snow White and Sleeping Beauty, too. Then I can run to Target and get small dolls/figures of each princess to go in the hanging baskets with her plant. Man...so many nurseries to visit, so little time!!! (Not to mention money!) Glad you folks are learning the pleasures of coleus. No longer the lowly green & pink shade-only plant your grandmother grew! Marcia...See MoreNew Coleus (for me)
Comments (37)Gary, TraceyAnn and All, Kat and Ginibee are right. First the pinching...it promotes bushier, fuller plants with more vigorous growth. You really need to pinch any blooms that occur in the beginning for sure. Once the plant has pretty much reached its full size, I often let mine bloom because the bees like the little flowers so much. And they add an airy touch of blue or purple that I enjoy. And as Ginibee says, there are annual coleus, grown from seed and usually sold in multi-flats at HD, etc. And there are newer "vegatative" versions that are grown from cuttings. Those live a LOT longer and usually flower much less (with some exceptions). The annual coleus usually decline after six months or so, and taking cuttings of them isn't often productive, though it works SOME times. The perennial (really short-lived perennials is more accurate, because they aren't going to be around for years and years or anything) will often snap back after a good pruning. When they get leggy, I cut them back by at least a third, root the cuttings, and wait for the main plant to start growing again. I had coleus taller than I am last year (and I'm 5'10") and nearly as wide. Well, okay...nothing is as WIDE as I am, but you get my drift. But those were all the perennial ones. Saturn in particular gets HUGE and you could grow it as a short-lived hedge if you wanted to. Another thing about the newer varieties of coleus is that there are plenty of them that love the sun. Used to be coleus were shade lovers pretty much exclusively. Not true any more. There are varieties that like full shade, partial shade, sun half day, and full sun. In Florida, by late summer, most can use a break from late afternoon sun, though. My very best advice to anyone interested in learning more about coleus and in finding varieties that will do well in a particular location is to peruse the Rosy Dawn website. It is too late to order from them this year, but they have a WEALTH of info there on coleus in general and specific varieties. You can click on any picture that appeals to you and find out the size, growth habit (trailing, upright, mounding, etc) and light preferences for that variety. It is VERY interesting. I am so in love with these plants, especially the newer ones. Every color, size and leaf shape you can imagine is out there. Go, read, and enjoy! And keep on asking questions here, if you still need more info or help. I know all of the coleus lovers here (me, included) will be glad to offer tips based on our own experiences. Marcia, alias The Coleus Queen of Sanford (a title I'm in danger of losing as more and more folks RE-discover this fantastic plant)...See Moreiris_gal
13 years agocalistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
13 years agoLaurel Zito
13 years agoerela
13 years agoiris_gal
13 years agocalistoga_al ca 15 usda 9
13 years agohomey_bird
13 years agoerela
13 years agochadinlg Zone 9b Los Gatos CA
13 years ago
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