For those looking to level up their container gardening game , why not give coleus a try ? The leaves ofColeusspecies will by all odds supply vibrant tropical colors to your foliar repertory .
Believe it or not , my most memorable experience with containerized flame nettle was in reality at Busch Stadium , aka the domicile of the St. Louis Cardinals – stay with me , Chicago Cubs fans . Or “ conduct ” with me , I say .
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During my internship with Focal Pointe Outdoor Solutions – I ca n’t hype them up enough , by the way – one of the high spot was gaining access to the stands near the foul pole , where some pretty blood-red coleus was expect in a long plantation owner loge .
As a client of Focal Pointe , the Cards needed outside help in caring for such works throughout the stadium .
As I watered and inseminate the coleus , I was prompt of how important their colors can be .
In their beautifully leafy way , these red plants actually supply to the Cardinals ’ ruby-red aesthetic . They certainly get air time whenever more or less foetid balls were hit .
Long story short , if coleus plants are good enough for an MLB stadium , then they ’ll definitely look awing in your garden .
And with our guide to cultivating them in containers , you ’ll be capable to grow these guys like a professional .
Here ’s a lil ’ trailer of everything we ’ll cover up onwards :
What You’ll Learn
A Coleus Primer
Why civilize a Containerized Coleus ?
Choosing a Variety , Container , and grow Medium
Planting , Placement , and Container Care
For those unfamiliar with this plant , it ’s an herbaceous , leaf - hard perennial that grows anywhere from six to 36 inches tall .
It usually has a similar spread , although the upright and trailing type can be narrower or across-the-board than they are tall .
It grow outdoors year - one shot as a perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 to 11 , but it ’ll demand to be brought indoors or grown as an annual in more northerly mood .
Many potpourri prefer full spectre , fond shade , or dappled sunlight , but there are some cultivars that in reality do quite well in full sunshine .
A member of the Lamiaceae , aka the mint family , coleus has square - form stems , with twain of diametrical - facing farewell that alternate directions with each guest .
Its flowers are aesthetically undistinguished , though they do attract pollinator such as bees and butterflies .
Different types yield leaves of various flesh , widths , and length . Their margin may dissent in appearing , range from serrated to smoothen to wavy .
you may find these guys in pretty much every color , except for true blue . ( Sorry again , Cubs fans . ) And color patterns range from uniform hues to the practically kaleidoscopical .
It ’s a fairish doubtfulness , specially when it could easily be farm in - ground . Ourguide to mature flame nettle covers how to do just that .
But grow these plants in containers actually comes with a few notable reward :
Accessibility
A coleus is n’t the tallest of tropical works . Thus , their prunable and pinchable parts can require some significant stooping to access , especially when the flora is growing in the ground .
But with a tummy , windowpane planter , orraised bed , you may well raise your specimen a couple feet , which cause them soft to attain and work with .
It certainly feels better on your back when you do n’t have to bend over as much !
Flexibility
Should you adjudicate that it needs a newfangled home , a flora that ’s grown in - ground is much more difficult to move than a plant that ’s grown in a container .
For the former , you have to clock it in the appropriate season , dig it out of the soil , and gingerly keep the plant together and undamaged while relocating it .
Plus , you have to be spare diligent with cultivation after transplanting , at least until the transplant has established itself .
But for plants in pots orhanging hoop , moving them is as simple as picking up the container , walk a little shipway , and then fructify it down again .
Even if the mass is heavy and unwieldy , moving it unremarkably takes less prison term and effort in the long run than in - primer coat transplanting does .
Even for essentially immovable containers such as enhance beds or windowpane planters , the plants within are usually easier to transplant than in - ground specimen , since soilless media tends to be lighter and easy to work with than garden grease .
Style
Unless you sample to spice things up withmulchorcompost , an in - solid ground plant is a garden secret plan ’s only source of beaut .
Other than supply an down-to-earth and natural vibration – which , to be fair , your garden credibly hasplentyof already – the soil does n’t add together much to the aesthetic , go away it up to the plant itself to provide all the pizzazz .
But a properly - chosen container can really complement the plants within , esthetic - overbold . Different size , physique , materials , colors , and design provide you with a whole bunch of options .
unite that with all the various colors , sizes , and leaf forms that these plant offer , and you could total up with singular coleus - container union until the end of meter .
With around 300 species ofColeusand a far greater amount of cultivars to prefer from , a gardener could easy be drive mad with indecisiveness .
To avoid this , I ’d recommend coming up with a few theme as to what you might wantbeforeyougo browsing .
take Suggestions ?
Start your search with our templet , “ 21 of the Best Coleus Varieties , ” to aid you find selections that you might want to incorporate into your planters .
Once you ’ve narrowed the lean down a bit and selected a flame nettle or two to start with , it ’s time to choose a container .
Differentcontainer material all have their pro and conswhen it comes to toll , appearance , weight , strength , and other factors . And whichever you opt is entirely up to you .
Just know that porous cloth such as unglazed ceramic , terra cotta , and concrete will dry out out faster than non - porous materials such as credit card , metal , and fibreglass .
And since a coleus loves sitting in moist soil , a slow - to - dry stuff will well preserve wet , which will deliver you misstep with the watering can .
Regardless of the container ’s stuff , though , you should ensure that its bottom has drainage holes . You do n’t want to cause root decompose or create a chronically saturate environment that pathogens hump !
The intended amount and size of your specimens will determine their container ’s size .
Depending on its fledged size , a coleus needs eight to 12 inches of elbow elbow room , so make certain to select a container that provide at least that much depth and lateral spatial arrangement per flora .
A standard 50:50 mix ofpeat mossand perlite will hold back H2O , allow for sufficient aeration and drainage , and have a pH somewhere in the 6.0 to 7.0 range .
To allow the constitutional richness that a coleus craves , make about an column inch of an constituent material such as compost into the media at planting sentence .
you’re able to also utilize a bioactive organic potting mix , which will start your plants off with the constitutional matter , minerals , and nutrients that they need to thrive .
Organic Potting Mix , 20 dry quart
If this tickles your fancy , try this premium organic potting mixfrom Gardener ’s Supply .
With your selected medium miscellanea , fill up your choice of container about an in or so shy of the lip . After that , you ’re quick to add the flame nettle !
Regardless of whether its placement is in- or out - of - door , a flame nettle is ready to be set when ambient temperatures are consistently above 60 ° F , although the 70 to 100 ° F chain is optimal .
With your variety ’s photo preference in mind , decide where you ’re going to place the flora .
Doing this before the genuine planting takes berth is especially important for plants in immovable containers such as window box and raise beds .
Do n’t draw a blank that pots become importantly sonorous when they ’re filled with plants and soil , and then irrigate .
When it ’s metre , dig up a trap that ’s about as deep and a bit wider than the specimen ’s root word clump . Lower the plant in the hole , backfill with the dig - out media , then water in the root geographical zone . Kudos , ya done establish it !
Move the container if it ’s not in its intend position already . Once it ’s set , it ’s time for the sluttish part : the quotidian polish and alimony .
You ’ll require to maintain moist soil at all times , meaning you should add water whenever the top inch of the metier feel ironic . To keep any excess moisture off the parting , be certain to avoid irrigating from overhead – direct irrigate the root zone alternatively .
Since efflorescence can cause leggy ontogeny and take visual emphasis off from the leafage , pinch back the blush whenever they emerge .
This has the physiologic welfare of airt the industrial plant ’s energy from reproduction into grow stronger radical , bushier leave , and a denser phase overall .
If individual stems commence to farm distractingly long , palpate free to trim them down to the desired length . A plus of pruning ? you may root the trim stems and circularize some fresh flame nettle industrial plant from them !
alimentation - wise , you ca n’t go wrong with a balanced , all - purpose fertilizer . Just be sure to obviate fertilizers designed to encourage flowering , as you ’ll end up with some leggy growth and those blah - looking blooms .
Apply your choice of plant food about once per month throughout the maturate season .
Jack ’s Classic Fertilizer
If you require a Cartesian product suggestion , try this all - purpose , 20 - 20 - 20 NPK fertilizer from J R Peters , uncommitted on Amazon .
If you find that your planting are depart to get a little cramp , mildly pinch and move them into new , media - filled container .
verify their new homes are an column inch or two magnanimous in diameter than their old ones , and be extra diligent about their cultivation until they become launch .
When it comes to cultivating flame nettle in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and up , not much changes throughout the calendar twelvemonth .
Just ensure to cease fertilization during sleeping , and be aware that irrigation wo n’t be needed as frequently during this time .
If the out-of-door temperature get down to consistently dip below 60 ° F , then you have a choice to make .
you could eitherbring your specimens indoorsuntil outside temperature become warm enough again , or you could consent their circumstances as annuals .
For plants that you choose to bring indoors until the outside temperature warms up again , do your good to mime their preferable out-of-door conditions .
adapt your thermostat to the 60 to 75 ° fluorine scope , provide the right sluttish picture , and exert a moist growing medium . There ’s no motive to fecundate outside of the growing season .
You might even find yourself fall in sexual love with so much that theybecome full - clip houseplants . And that ’s ok too .
For annual flame nettle that you choose to leave behind outdoors in frigid environment , your plant parenting is pretty much finished at this point .
If their moth-eaten - injured death pain in the ass you , feel free to move the flora to the compost pile before they start to show signs of damage .
You Really Ought to Use a Pot
Or a attend basket , a raised bed , a windowpane plantation owner … your options abound , really .
A container - grown flame nettle provides the locating potential that an in - ground specimen never could . So have some merriment with establishing colonies of coleus in Modern and exciting spots ! As long as you naturalise decently , the only demarcation line is your vision .
need tolearn about other appendage of the mint family ? Your journeying begins here :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . Product photos via Gardener ’s Supply Company and JR Peters . Uncredited photo : Shutterstock .
About
Joe Butler
