Coleus ( lat. Coleus) − shrubby ornamental deciduous plant, family Lamiaceae).

Coleus has tetrahedral stems and opposite broad-oval leaves, serrated along the edges.

Coleus is native to tropical Africa and Asia.

Coleus sometimes called "poor man's croton" due to its similarity with croton in brightness and color range. Coleus is an unusually beautiful decorative foliage plant. Among modern varieties The variegated velvety leaves of coleus are beautifully dotted with various patterns of light green, almost white flowers, rich red, dark purple, and brown tones. With the contrasting colors of the cut veins and frames, coleus are reminiscent of works of art from tropical Africa and Asia.

The genus Coleus includes about 150 species of plants in the Lamiaceae family. Evergreen shrubs and annual herbaceous plants. Leaves are opposite, different colors and patterns, with petioles. Flowers in apical spike-shaped inflorescences. Some species (especially the forms and numerous varieties of the so-called hybrid species Coleus blumei) are known in cultivation as foliage and ornamental plants.

Despite tropical origin, coleus are unpretentious. Designed for light display in the room. In summer, a pot with a plant can be placed on the balcony or open veranda(terrace). Coleus are characterized by active growth.

Coleus species

− herbaceous perennial up to 50-80 cm tall. The stem is erect, branched, tetrahedral, succulent, finely pubescent. The leaves are opposite, petiolate, oval or broadly ovate with a truncated or heart-shaped base, the edges are often wavy, crenate, less often shallowly indented, finely velvety pubescent with sparse longer hairs, variously uniformly or variegatedly colored green, red, dark purple, violet. brown and other colors. The flowers are numerous, collected in a final sparse complex raceme or complex spike. The calyx is two-lipped, the lower lip has 2 teeth. The corolla is up to 1.5 cm long, two-lipped, the upper lip is much larger than the lower, blue, the lower with 2 teeth, whitish. Composite taxon consisting of 200 hybrid forms garden origin, one of whose parents is Javanese
Bloom's Coleus.

. Homeland: Java island. There are an incredible variety of Coleus blumei hybrids. The height of the plant is usually 35-70 cm; there are also dwarf varieties. Most (but not all) forms have leaves that resemble nettle leaves, some have folded leaf edges, others have wavy edges, and the blade itself is corrugated. It is difficult to talk about the predominant color in the color of the leaves - they are very variegated. Both multi-colored and single-color forms are common in culture.

Some varieties of Coleus Bloom:

— Saber (dwarf variety)
— The Chief(folded leaves)
— Butterfly(wavy leaves)
— Firebird
— Golden Bedder(yellow)
— Volcano(Dark red).
— Scarlet Poncho
— Milky Way
— Fashion Parade
— Coleus pumilus

Currently, new varieties are being grown in the rooms: Colosseus nanus- height 30 cm with beautiful leaves; Laciniatus- with cut edges of leaves. Both varieties are rare and extraordinary. Propagated by cuttings.

There are varieties used in flower beds as carpet plants: Gero- with dark purple leaves and Yulka- with velvety red leaves with a golden border.

Highly decorative hanging garden forms and varieties obtained from Coleus rehneltianus . Homeland - Sri Lanka. From crossing with other species, the best ones for rooms in winter period varieties of ampelous forms: Reneltianus and Reneltianus superbus with beautiful brown-red leaves with a greenish border and blue flowers.

Coleus parviflorus

Coleus verschaffeltii. The largest and most colorful leaves. Is different highly decorative. The leaves are velvety dark red leaves with a green edge.

Coleus religious rutabag

Coleus edulis

Coleus frederici

Coleus thirsodies

Coleus shirensis

Coleus care

Lighting. Coleus is a light-loving plant; it prefers bright light. Depending on the color of the leaves, they require different amounts of light - varieties with bright (for example, red, white and almost white) leaves can tolerate direct sunlight better varieties with green leaf color. Plants are suitable for growing near windows with southern, western and eastern exposure. In spring and summer, there may be a loss of color (burning) and turgor in the leaves, associated with exposure to excessive amounts of sunlight. For this reason, plants should be shaded from the midday sun. In addition, coleus are gradually accustomed to direct sunlight to avoid sunburn.

Temperature. Coleus is relatively unpretentious to temperature; in summer it can fluctuate between 16-25°C. In winter, at low temperatures (below 12°C), the plant can shed its leaves and rot, which will lead to its death, so the plants are kept at 16-22°C. Intense heat in summer leads to a loss of turgor in the leaves.

Watering. From spring to autumn, abundantly, softly settled slightly warm water, as the top layer of the substrate dries. If tap water hard, then you need to use rainwater. In winter, watering is moderate, but do not allow the clod of earth to dry out. Coleus react very sharply to the lack of moisture in the soil - the leaves become flabby. In case of cool conditions (14-16°C or lower), the plants are watered occasionally.

Air humidity. For normal existence it must be high. It is recommended to regularly spray coleus leaves with settled soft water. room temperature. In winter, coleus are in a state of relative dormancy and hardly grow. It is best to keep them in the kitchen, as in the warmest room with more or less high humidity air.

Fertilizer. In spring and summer (during periods of intensive growth), fertilizing with organic or mineral fertilizers is useful, preferably potash (0.3-0.5 g per 1 liter of water) once a week. IN winter time the concentration of the solution is reduced by half, fertilized once every 3-4 weeks.

Bloom. Coleus flowering is not very decorative: small, inconspicuous flowers with a two-lipped corolla with a blue-violet upper and whitish lower lip are collected in complex spikes. The formation of flowers takes a lot of energy from the plant, which is why the leaves become smaller, so it is better to remove the buds.

Features during cultivation. To enhance bushiness, it is recommended to pinch the apical shoots of coleus. In February, coleus should be cut to the stump, leaving 5-8 eyes for new growth.

Transfer. If coleus is grown as an annual, it is not replanted. In other cases, replanting of overgrown plants is carried out once every 2-3 years. The substrate for transplantation is slightly acidic or neutral (pH 6-7). A mixture of turf, deciduous and humus soil, sand and peat in a ratio of 4:4:2:1:1 is suitable. The bottom of the pot needs good drainage.

Reproduction. Coleus are propagated by seeds and mainly by cuttings, in order to avoid splitting and loss of decorativeness of the leaves.

The seeds are small (3500 pieces in 1 g), they are sown in February-March-April in bowls and sprinkled with sand on top. Keep at a temperature of 20-22°C. Shoots appear on the 14-18th day. Seedlings are planted in bowls or boxes at a distance of 2x2 cm. Composition of the soil: leaf - 1 part, peat - 1 part, turf - 1 part, sand - 1 part. In the phase of 1-2 pairs of leaves, plants are planted in 7 cm pots, 1 copy each. The composition of the earth is the same. After a month they are transferred into 9-11 cm pots. The main care of plants consists of watering and keeping them in a lighted place, since the intensity of the color of the leaves largely depends on the lighting (sun rays). Young plants are pinched for branching purposes. After 5-6 months, plants become important for decorating rooms.

Plant cuttings begin in February (cuttings are taken until May). The cuttings are planted in distribution boxes or directly on a rack in the sand. Rooting occurs within 8-12 days. Rooted cuttings are planted in 9 cm pots. The composition of the soil is the same as for picking. In order to obtain branched plants, pinch the tops of the shoots. When caring for plants, watering, ventilation, a temperature of 16-18°C, a bright, possibly moderately sunny location are provided (with significant solar insolation, curling of the edges of the plate and discoloration of the leaf color are observed; discoloration is observed at high temperatures at night and low during the day). Coleus are characterized by intensive growth - within 3 months they are branched plants with large leaves. Then they are transferred to 11 cm pots.

Possible difficulties

The bottom of the stem is exposed− lack of lighting, untimely pinching, this is a common occurrence for adult plants.

Leaf color fades− insufficient lighting.

Falling leaves− lack of moisture.

With a lack of heat and excessively dry air plants are susceptible to diseases.

At sharp fluctuation temperature the plant may die.

Damaged

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Coleus flowers (“Poor Croton”, “Nettle”, COLEUS)- these are small bushes, tightly covered with large leaves, similar to nettle leaves, but with a wide variety of bright colors. The coleus plant is valued by gardeners for its rich selection color combinations on variegated leaves, and beyond fast growth. Caring for and growing coleus is not difficult, planting the plant is simple, and propagation is not at all difficult.

The coleus flower has many types and varieties, many of them are cultivated in home floriculture.

Types of coleus plant

In nature, there are about 150 species of coleus - both annual and perennial, common in tropical regions of the globe. IN indoor floriculture The most popular species and varieties of coleus are of polyhybrid origin, one of the parents of which was Coleus blumei.

The name of the genus comes from the Greek coleus - “sheath, case” - and is associated with a characteristic feature of the stamen filaments.

Pay attention to the photo of coleus flowers - the stamen filaments grow together, forming some kind of case.

The popular name “poor man's croton” reflects the variety of colors of the pretty velvety leaves, which is a worthy competitor to the more noble and demanding codiaum, and the affectionate “nettle” notes the similarity of the leaf blades with nettle leaves, but at the same time their complete harmlessness.

Coleus hybrid

For such diverse and sometimes dissimilar varieties of hybrid coleus (Coleus x hybridus) characteristic features are: square in cross-section, erect stems and opposite arrangement of oval velvety leaves.

As you can see in the photo of a coleus flower, the edges of the leaf blades can be jagged, dissected, wavy, fringed and even curly.

Each young plant grown from seeds intrigues the gardener for some time, being a mystery to him - after all, the first leaves appear green and it is not at all clear what will grow. But how interesting it is to observe day after day the appearance of more and more new colors and pattern elements and be amazed at the skill and taste of the artist-nature. The varieties of coleus differ in the size of the plants themselves - some of them are large and powerful, there are also miniature and hanging varieties.

Varieties of coleus flowers and their photos

TO popular varieties Coleus include the following:

"Brilliant"- a variety with small red and lemon leaves.

"Buttercup"- tall bushes (up to 50 cm) with delicate light green-white leaves.

"Butterfly"- a variety of coleus with a wavy edge of the leaf blade.

"Crimson Ruffles" - large variety with burgundy-crimson leaves.

"Candidum"- the center of the leaf is almost white, the border is light green.

Coleus "Firebird"- the entire sheet plate is corrugated.

Coleus "Golden Bedder"- leaves are monochromatic, yellow.

"Glory of Luxembourg"- coral and sand touches are scattered across the yellow background.

"Rose Blush"- highly branching variety. Pay attention to the photo of this coleus variety - it has large, corrugated leaves, soft pink in the center and light green along the edges.

"Sabre"- a dwarf variety of coleus up to 20 cm high.

"Salmon Lace"- the center of the leaf is red, the border is green-yellow.

Kong Series characterized by a rapid growth rate and very large leaves, due to which the height of the plant can be equal to the width of the crown.

Based on the color of the leaves there are:

Coleus "Green"- green-cream color.

Coleus "Red"- green-red version.

Coleus "Mosaic"- spotted-striped leaves of green-red-cream color.

Planting and caring for coleus

To get a beautifully formed bright bush, when planting and caring for coleus, you need to choose a well-lit place (in middle lane, especially in winter, even direct sunlight is not scary). Winter temperatures should not fall below +12…+ 15 °C. Watering in summer is plentiful (drying out the earthen clod is not allowed), in winter it is moderate (the roots are very sensitive to stagnation of water, especially when the temperature drops). In hot weather, fresh air and spraying are necessary.

After planting coleus, care must be taken to feed it. From March to August it is carried out monthly. Better to use complex fertilizers for decorative foliage plants or organic (there should be a predominance of nitrogen, since potassium-phosphorus fertilizers stimulate flowering, and coleus flowers are not very decorative). Coleus can be replanted once every 2-3 years, but it is better to rejuvenate the plant annually, that is, renew it from cuttings. Be sure to carry out pinching and formative pruning.

Coleus reproduces well by cuttings, while all the parental external characteristics are preserved, and by seeds, but in this case the appearance of the resulting seedlings is unpredictable.

Coleus - plants that are indispensable when creating flower arrangements, for decorating balconies, terraces, when decorating flower beds. A rich range of colors allows you to use them both as a background and for arrangement color accents. From coleus alone you can create amazing flower pictures.

Coleus is a fairly common houseplant that decorates the windows of millions of people. It is often called nettle because of its similarity to grass. At proper care Coleus will be an excellent decoration not only flower pots, but also personal plot or home garden.

Description of Coleus. The plant belongs to the Lamiaceae family. perennial flower was brought to Europe from the hot African tropics. In addition, it can be found in Australia and India. Coleus is very similar to nettles. You can verify the similarity of a flower with grass by touching the velvety leaves, which have a similar shape. The average height of the stem is 50 cm. Often the leaves are heart-shaped with elaborate patterns of red or burgundy. There are small teeth on the edges of the leaf.

Coleus flowers are not particularly interesting, although they look pretty cute. They are colored blue or lilac color, and resemble spikelets. Amateur flower growers call them “panicles” or “arrows” and try to get rid of them as quickly as possible, because they take a lot of energy from the plant itself.

Gallery: coleus (25 photos)

How to grow coleus (video)

Popular types and varieties of coleus

In general, nettle has many varieties and varieties, each of which differs in its genotypic and phenotypic characteristics.

Coleus Blume

A herbaceous perennial subshrub with erect stems, the length of which reaches a height of 80 cm. The pubescent leaves of an oblong shape resemble nettle leaves. There are many leaf color options; they can be brown, red-burgundy, almost black, dirty orange. The inflorescences are purple in color. This variety also has several hybrids, the most popular of which is a variety called "Black Dragon". Blume is quite unpretentious in care and can easily tolerate sudden changes in temperature, as well as transplants from a pot to open ground.

Coleus Blume

Coleus Wizard

A compact variety of coleus, often used to decorate borders or paths in the yard. Excellent for planting in flower pots, and on open ground. Well tolerated high temperature and bright sun. The height of the stem reaches 30-35 cm. This variety of coleus It is distinguished by varied and incredibly beautiful leaf colors. Branching occurs very quickly, due to which a small fluffy bush appears in a fairly short time in a pot or flowerbed. It also makes stunning flower arrangements.

Coleus Wizard

Coleus hybrid

The stems of the plant reach a height of 50-80 cm, can be straight or slightly curly, slightly pubescent. The leaves are wide with serrated edges. Color can be very varied- green, red, purple. When flowering, the flowers form a dense cluster, but just like in other varieties, they are quickly cut off.

Coleus hybrid

Coleus Black Dragon

The most spectacular variety of coleus. The leaves are ruffled or curly, dark purple in color with a pale pink center. They can have both oblong and average length. There is fringe along the edges. The inflorescences look like spikelets and are colored blue.

Coleus Black Dragon

Coleus Renelta

An ampelous type of plant with jagged leaves of a dark burgundy color, decorated with a green border along the edges. The stems can be long and curly, due to which the flower is often planted in a flower pot or flowerpot.

Coleus Renelta

Methods for propagating indoor coleus

Coleus reproduces in two types:

• seeds
• cuttings

Growing from seeds

Coleus can be easily grown from seeds, which can withstand temperature changes well. In cold climates, they are grown from seeds. annual plants. However, amateur gardeners believe that in this way, a grown plant will not be able to convey all its distinctive properties and characteristics of a particular variety. The most expensive and unique specimens of coleus grown from seeds can be transplanted into a pot for the winter, try to preserve it throughout the winter, and at the end of the season propagate by cuttings. You can buy ready-made seeds at any flower shop.

It is better to sow coleus in March. when there is already a lot of sun outside. To do this, it is recommended to place the pot with sowing on a window in a sunny place. If the decision to sow was made in late autumn or winter, it is necessary to provide an additional light source.

Coleus can be easily grown from seeds that can withstand temperature changes well.

It is better to sow nettles in a flat or oblong box or pot. The soil must be moist, and after sowing it must be covered with cling film to create a greenhouse effect. You can also use glass, which will allow sunlight and heat to pass through. The distance between seeds should not exceed 5 cm. The germination rate of each seed is very high, therefore, it is necessary to foresee the fact in advance so that the grown stems are not crowded in the pot. It is not necessary to make a hole for each seed. They can be scattered evenly over the surface of the soil, and then sprinkled with water from a spray bottle and covered with film or glass.

It is better to store a box of seedlings in a warm place at a temperature of at least +17. After the first sprouts appear on the surface, the glass or film must be removed and wait for the first leaves to appear on the sprouts. Transplantation of sprouts into soil occurs at least a month after sowing.

How to grow coleus from seeds (video)

Propagation of coleus by cuttings

If you simply don’t have time to deal with seeds, Coleus can be propagated using cuttings ov. In order for the cutting to take root, it must be placed in a pot with soil and left in a warm place. For quick germination, it is recommended to cover the pot with film to create an additional effect of warmth and moisture.

The finished cutting can also be placed in water and wait until small roots appear on it. After this, the cutting is ready for transplanting into the ground. To create a lush bush, several cuttings can be planted in one pot at once. By combining with several types of nettle, you can achieve a wonderful mix of colorful leaves.

Coleus can be propagated using cuttings

Planting rules

Before planting coleus in the ground, it is necessary to create favorable conditions. You can also plant ready-made cuttings in a large box. Planting in open ground is recommended in April, when it is not yet very hot, but already quite warm. The principle of planting is the same as in the case of seeds.

After planting, the finished sprouts are covered with glass or covered with film. As soon as several leaves form on the stems, each of them must be planted in a separate pot. You can replace the pot with ordinary glass jars. After 1.5 months, when the air temperature has already warmed up well, ready seedlings can be safely planted in open ground.

Coleus care at home

When the nettle has already taken root in the pot and decorates the windows and window sills in the house with its appearance, it needs special care. How to care for a plant at home? In general, there is nothing complicated. Like all plants, it needs timely watering, pruning and fertilizing.

With the proper level of lighting, coleus retains its unique leaf color for a long time.

Lighting, temperature and humidity

Since coleus is a plant that loves light, it is best to place it on all windows except the north side. With the proper level of lighting, the plant retains the unique colors of the leaves and the splendor of the bush for a long time. If the nettle does not get enough light, the color of the leaves becomes faded., and the stems begin to stretch high up. In this case, all decorativeness comes to naught. Coleus feel good in the summer on a glassed-in balcony. Blinds can be used to control the amount of sunlight. After all, some plant varieties may not withstand direct sunlight and wither.

Optimal temperature for normal development plants is 23-25. When winter comes, the plant needs additional light. The temperature at +17 will be favorable; you must additionally exclude the presence of drafts and lack of light.

The optimal temperature for normal plant development is 23-25

Watering

If it is hot outside, it is important not to let the stems and leaves of the nettle dry out. Therefore, external spraying must be added to regular watering. Excessive or insufficient watering can cause the leaves to quickly dry out and fall off.. In winter and cold weather, you need to water the flower pot on average once every 7 days. The easiest way is to focus on the condition of the soil itself. To do this, you can simply touch it with your finger. If the soil is slightly damp, coleus can wait a couple more days before watering.

Top dressing

If we are talking about fertilizers for plants in winter, then this should be done no more than once a month. In the warm season - spring, summer and autumn, fertilizing is required every week. For proper development, nettles need the proper amount of nitrogen.. Complex fertilizers for indoor plants can be used as useful minerals.

When choosing fertilizers, it is important to consider that the presence of components such as potassium and phosphorus in them is optimal for flowering plants. And since coleus flowers do not play an important role, it is better to abandon them.

Transplanting nettles is necessary if there is not enough space for it in the pot.

Trimming

So that the plant does not stretch upward, but grows as a lush bush, it requires periodic pruning and pinching of the top. Trimmed parts of nettles can be used for propagation.

Transfer

Transplanting nettles is necessary if there is not enough space for it in the pot. You can also transplant already mature plant to create a unique composition from several types of coleus. For this purpose they are used flower beds, large flowerpots or flower pots. The transplantation process does not differ from the conditions provided to the plant during planting.

Trimmed parts of nettles can be used for propagation

Main problems during cultivation and ways to solve them

Although the plant with red leaves is not very demanding, certain difficulties may arise when growing.

• The main problem that can prevent the plant from developing may be pests and insects - aphids, spider mites, etc. When insects appear on the surface of the leaves or stem, it is necessary to treat the affected area with a solution containing insecticides. It is also recommended to isolate coleus from other plants.

How to form coleus (video)

• If the leaves appear brown spots, this indicates that the air in the room is dry. Using special humidifiers you can correct this problem. You can also simply spray the plant with a spray bottle more often.
• If the lower leaves fall off and other leaves have lost their bright color, this indicates that the plant does not have enough mineral fertilizers. In addition, the bare lower part of the stem can cause untimely pruning of coleus. Timely implementation of these procedures will allow the plant to grow lush and healthy in the pot.

Coleus is a genus of plants in the family Lamiaceae or Lamiaceae. From a biological point of view, it is a shrub. Currently there are about 200 species. By appearance and color is very similar to the croton plant. Croton is pretty expensive plant That’s why coleus is popularly called “poor man’s croton.” In nature it grows in the tropical forests of Africa and Asia, and the island of Java is considered its homeland.

Short description

The plant is grown as a houseplant or annual open ground. The shrub grows to an average height of 30-40 cm. The stem is erect, tetrahedral.

The most decorative part of the plant is its variegated or plain foliage in various shades of yellow, green, pink, brown, purple, red and crimson. The leaves are similar in appearance to nettle foliage, which is why it is sometimes called stinging nettle. The leaves are serrated, ovoid, pubescent, covered with hair.

The flowers are small, inconspicuous, and represent a panicle that does not have any decorative effect. Externally they are very similar to sage flowers.

Types and varieties

Of all the many varieties of coleus for indoor and garden growing, hybrid and poly hybrid varieties and types:

Renelta. An ampelous shrub up to 50 cm in length. Characteristic feature are heart-shaped leaves with a wavy edge. The color is two-color: green at the edges, dark red in the center. Leaf plate covered with multi-colored veins: brown, yellow, red, purple. It blooms in winter with small blue flowers. This variety resistant and adapted to the climatic conditions prevailing in our country.

Hybrid. The plant is up to 80 cm high. There are both climbing and erect shrubs. The leaves are oval, velvety with wavy edges. The color scheme depends on its location. On the sunny side they acquire violet, burgundy or purple shades, in the shade - green. It blooms, forming a complex spike or raceme.

Laciniatus. The bush is small, grows to a height of only 30 cm. The leaves are carved. The variety is very rare and beautiful.

Yulka and Gero. They are carpet plant species. The leaves are velvety, very rich red-golden and purple.

Blume. It is the ancestor of hybrid species. Height ranges from 35 to 80 cm, depending. In most cases, the leaves resemble nettle leaves. The plate is corrugated, and the edges are wavy or folded. There are no predominant colors in the color, as it is very variegated.

Some varieties of Coleus Bloom:

The Chief (folded leaves);

Butterfly (wavy leaves);

Volcano (dark red);

Golden Bedder (yellow);

Saber (dwarf variety).

Home care

Coleus pretty unpretentious plant. However, in order not to encounter difficulties during his period active growth simple rules must be followed.

Temperature

Temperature regime. Coleus is not picky about temperatures and develops well within +15 - +28 o C throughout the year. It is worth protecting the shrub from sudden temperature changes. This can lead to the shedding of the crown or death of the plant.

Watering

Coleus does not require abundant and frequent watering. In summer, it is watered as the top layer of soil dries, and in winter, watering is halved. Coleus reacts to a lack of water by the condition of its leaves. They lose their juiciness, elasticity and fall off. As soon as the foliage becomes flabby, the bush needs to be watered. This method is best used in winter. For irrigation, it is better to use water at room temperature, standing for several days.

Air humidity

The plant loves and tolerates it well high humidity air. It is recommended to regularly irrigate the crown of the bush with settled water at room temperature. During the dormant period, coleus also needs sufficient air humidification.

Fertilizer

Due to its unpretentiousness, the shrub does not need much feeding. But by deciding to feed, you won’t make it worse. To do this, you can purchase a regular mineral fertilizer in the shop. In open ground, coleus can grow without fertilizer.

Lighting and permanent place

For coleus, it is important to choose a place on the west or east side of the window. The plant loves the sun's rays, but with abundant light, the individual pattern on the leaves may disappear, and the bush itself stops growing. Lack of light leads to strong elongation of shoots and shedding of the crown. Species with green foliage practically do not need sunlight, unlike variegated varieties. To ensure uniform formation of the bush, the pot should be turned from time to time. The plant will feel great on the terrace or balcony.

The flowers of the bush have no decorative value. More often they are inconspicuous with a two-lipped corolla with a whitish or bluish lower lip, collected in complex ears. It is better to remove the buds immediately, as they take a lot of energy and the crown begins to shrink.

Planting and transplanting

Coleus needs fertile neutral or slightly acidic soil. The looseness and lightness of the soil is a guarantee of good development of the plant’s root system. A mixture of peat, coarse sand and compost (1:1:2) is quite suitable for him. Place a layer of drainage at the bottom of the pot. The container for planting must be spacious and at least 10 cm deep. Be sure to make drain holes to prevent stagnation of water at the bottom.

Adults are transplanted once every 2-3 years. You can replant the plant in the same soil as when planting. Or you can mix deciduous, turf, and humus soil with peat and sand (4: 4: 2: 1: 1). It is necessary to provide the coleus with good drainage. If the plant is grown as a garden or annual plant, then replanting is not required.

Diseases and pests

As with all plants, when growing coleus you may encounter some problems:

- in the absence of sufficient moisture or moisture deficiency, the edges of the leaves become brown;

— sudden leaf fall occurs in the presence of drafts or low temperatures;

— yellow spots on the surface of the leaves they indicate a possible sunburn;

- loss of decorativeness of the plant crown indicates a lack of lighting;

— stem rotting occurs due to stagnation of moisture, insufficient or lack of drainage in the pot;

- elongated shoots indicate lack of pruning or insufficient lighting;

- the bush has stopped growing - absence nutrients in the soil.

The most dangerous pests are scale insects. spider mites, aphids, whiteflies. garden plants are less susceptible to attacks by these insects than indoor ones. Coleus should be periodically inspected and washed to prevent infestation by these pests. Discoloration and deformation of leaves indicate the presence of insects. Measures must be taken to save the plant. Treat the shrub with soapy water, covering the soil with a film to prevent pests from entering the soil. This method works well at the initial stage of infection. In more serious cases, they already resort to the help of specialized drugs.

Trimming

Regular pruning of shrubs is also a kind of plant care. This method should be used in the following cases:

- get cuttings for planting. To do this, choose healthy, strong shoots located at the crown of the coleus.

- cause active branching of shoots 2 - 3 weeks after planting;

- to form a bush. This method is used provided that the foliage mass has been sufficiently gained.

- recovery decorative look. After winter, coleus looks elongated and unkempt. During pruning, only 2-3 buds are left per shoot for further formation of the bush.

Propagation by cuttings

Coleus reproduces quite easily. Some hobbyists are even reluctant to leave it for the winter, and prefer to grow young specimens every year. The plant propagates using cuttings and seeds.

— Cuttings. It is considered the most reliable way. When pruning a bush, shoots remain that can be used to produce new bushes. Typically this procedure is carried out in autumn period or after winter. All leaves must be removed from the bottom of the shoots. Cuttings at least 10 cm long can be placed in a container of water or immediately immersed in damp sand or soil. You can cover the top plastic bag or plastic bottle to create a greenhouse effect. Leave at a temperature of 18-20 oC in a shaded place. The roots appear within 10-14 days. Young plant can be planted immediately in prepared soil.

- Seeds. This method is considered the simplest. Even rare varieties have high germination rates. The soil is prepared from a mixture of peat and sand and laid out in small containers. Seeds are planted in moist soil at a distance of 2-3 mm from each other. You should sprinkle them a little on top and spray them with a spray bottle. Cover the container with a plastic bag or glass. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil and regularly ventilate and moisten it. Sprouts appear simultaneously after 10-14 days. The characteristic leaf color of a particular variety does not appear immediately. All seedlings have green color crowns Containers with sprouts are exposed to light, where the temperature does not exceed 20 oC. It is important to protect plants from drafts. After 2-3 leaves appear, it is necessary to plant the sprouts into a larger container with prepared soil at a distance of 3-4 cm. The seedlings grow quickly, so it is important to prevent them from being pulled out too much. When the bushes reach a height of 15-20 cm, they can be planted in a permanent pot. Coleus gets used to a new place very quickly.

Folk signs and superstitions

Signs are two or more objective events following each other. Among the people, two signs are associated with coleus:

The plant has the ability to cleanse space from negativity and outside influences. Coleus leaves highlight essential oils, which is very similar in aroma to mint. It is believed that this activates the brain and promotes the development of creative activity. Therefore, it is recommended to have such a plant in the workplace; it will bring good luck in business development.

Coleus - very energetic strong flower. Therefore, if for no reason it began to fade, then this means an imminent illness of one of the residents of this house. Of course, the reason may be insufficient care of the plant. In this case, it is worth inspecting the bush and solving the restoration problem.

For improper and untimely care, the plant can take revenge on its owners. Therefore, in order not to blame the coleus for your troubles, you should feed, prune and water the flower in a timely manner.

Superstitions are false connections between subjective events. Along with the signs, a small number of superstitions about coleus arose:

The shrub is considered a flycatcher, since flies and other insects practically do not land on it.

The flowering of the plant in winter spoke of hunger. This superstition comes from the distant past, when houses were very cold in winter. And this phenomenon meant a warm winter. A warm winter with no snow, in turn, promised the destruction of the crop.

The bright foliage of the coleus indicated a possible fire in the house in which it was located.

It is believed that the presence of a plant in a house threatens its owner with bankruptcy. This happened because of its similarity to croton. Because coleus was called the "poor man's croton."