You're really on a tear aren't you :-)! Terrific! Chopping means to take a tree of any size and cut it into two pieces (of any size), though it's usually done with a relatively young one of e.g. 5+ (and +) feet that looks bonsai worthy - i.e. has a nice balanced root spread, or else at least a decent sized lower trunk tapering to the higher parts, and some 'movement' in the lower trunk - not straight up and down (unless you like formal upright styles). You'd throw away the top half (unless you're smart enough to have airlayered it off properly) and work with what's left. The only caution would be to know the species as some won't bud back lower than the already existing lowest branch(es). Coleus is a bit of an experiment to say the least, but it's definitely been done, so go ahead. Jade are done more often, but again are not traditional, and you wouldn't want to wire them for fear of cutting into the trunk, or snapping branches... graduated weights work better if at all. You'd also not clip leaves, but use a tight twist right at the trunk to remove them. If you can make coleus work on a rock, try it! Marigolds do seem to be a stretch however - do they ever get woody? But use them as accent plants nearby, or just a few sprigs in a bonsai pot could look interesting after all.

ok.. you got the info from the z8 and z9 peeps.. now lets talk reality in z5 MI ... the drop dead date frost free date [couple weeks sooner in suburbia].. usually.. for what that is worth.. in MI ... is 6/1 .. thats JUNE!!! for the rest of you ... and you still might get a frost/freeze ... coleus have no sense of humor about such .... you can start playing with extras around 5/1 .. outdoors.. if you put them in a wagon.. and pull them in and out of the garage.. at night.. should temps drop ... sooooo ... as to when to start seed.. count backwards from 6/1 .. include germination time.. and give them 4 to 6 weeks to grow .... so if it were me.. i would start new seed 6 to 8 weeks prior to 'go outside time' .... which means what.. march???? also.. note.. you dont have to plant the seeds all at once... try some 2/1 .. 3/1 .. and 4/1.. take notes .. and learn ... now.. your lights should be adjustable ... work that out if they arent ... give us pix of your setup.. we might have suggestions in a new post ... now.. these things are animals.. lol .. if you cut them back ... every 2 or 3 weeks.. and 'stick' them all .. you will be adding a wing to the house because.. being an exponential function .. 2 cutting.. will give you 4.. then 8.. then 64 ... etc ... [at every one of your cuts.. 2 buds min. will activate] what i used to do.. is.. root one or two.. of your cuttings.. throw the rest out in the compost pile ... at next pruning.. throw away one of the older plants.. prune the rest .. start two new ones.. etc ... basically.. cycle your plants.. young vigorous plants.. perform much better than old.. tortured plants ... and by 6/1 ... you want a bunch of young.. well rooted .. specimens.. not a bunch of old scraggly plants.. that will go into shock when you take them outdoors ... you want a young virile stud out there.. not grandpa ... you know what they are supposed to look like.. at point of sale ... and that is your goal .... i used to run my lights 16 hours per day.. with one on/off cycle in the middle of the off cycle.. it is said to confuse them into thinking the lights are on 24 hours ... and my lights were always about 2 inches from the tops of the plants ... and the light stand was in a closet ... and the lights ran at night ... so the heat from the lights ... kept them warm.. when my furnace kicked down to 64 at night.. in MI .... 64 degrees is not great seed germ. temp.. a 72 degree heat mat fixed that ... make any sense ... ken

Writing about my past experience growing Coleus: Lighting: shoplight with T8 lights about a foot or two above the seeds. I leave it on most of the time, and gage by how the leaves look. Bleached - too much light. Colorful but not bleached - just right. Time to plant: (for my zone 4) Early to mid February. By June the coleus should be about the size as other coleus bedding plants, or a little smaller. I pinch back to keep them manageable and not leggy. I may stick what I pinch off in soil to multiply the seedlings. When it comes to sowing tiny seeds I don't burry them. I sprinkle the seeds on the top of the soil in a covered container. I have best luck if I start off in a small shallow container such as a clear deli container, then transplant into cells right away. (after they get their 1st set of true leaves or second.) I also experimented last year direct sowing into cell packs. I didn't like it as much. It was too much soil and moisture. Rainbow mix - I loved the variety and huge leaves. I didn't like that these don't seem to tolerate full mid afternoon sun. At least where I had them, they wilted the same time every day. Carefree mix - seem to tolerate sun much better. I wish this was a regular item I could find. I'm hoping the seed will go back in stock so I can buy some for 2015. I've also had good luck with giant exhibition this year. They looked like bushes by late August. This post was edited by fieldofflowers on Fri, Sep 5, 14 at 11:39

I usuallly wait until after the flowers have gone and the stalk **starts**to turn brown. Then I collect all of the stalks in a brown paper bag to finish drying. Afterwards I shake and the seeds fall to the bottom and can be seperated from the chaff. This seems to work ok for me.