Cut healthy 3- to 4-inch tip cuttings from coleus to overwinter. Take out the lowest set of leaves, dip the cut end in rooting hormone, and plant the cutting in a pot filled with soilless mix. In a 6-inch pot, you can fit 12 seedlings. Place the pot in a shady, warm spot and water it thoroughly. When the cuttings have rooted in seven to ten days, repot each one into a new pot. Pinch back the growing tips during the winter to encourage a fuller form in the pots. Slowly expose the plants to outside environments in April. As a result, if you expect a string of cold nights, be sure to bring your coleus indoors. You should have your plants ready to go by mid-May.
It is also possible to take cuttings from an established plant in late spring. With one exception, follow the directions listed above. You should wait two weeks after repotting each clipping before putting it outside. The cuttings can be put directly into your garden after the 15th of May in a semi-shaded region.
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It’s simple to save your favorite coleus kinds year after year by overwintering them. To help you out, I’ve put together a comprehensive guide on how to keep houseplants alive through the cold months.
If you’re looking to add some tropical flair to your garden or summer pots, Coleus is an excellent choice. They also come in a variety of color schemes.
One of my favorite things about them is that they are able to endure the winter indoors. In other words, you can save that lovely greenery for future use!
As an added bonus, you won’t have to spend any money on new plants in the spring because you can overwinter your favorite coleus types.
However, don’t worry; it’s not that difficult. I’ll teach you exactly how to overwinter coleus indoors in this article.
COLEUS COLD TOLERANCE
The truth is, they’re actually sensitive perennials that can live for many years even though they’re sold as annuals in most places.
Coleus have a low temperature tolerance and will die if exposed to extreme cold. When the temperature drops below 50°F, they are only hardy in zones 10 and above.
Temperatures below freezing can be tolerated for a short length of time, but after the first frosts of the season, they begin to die.
METHODS FOR OVERWINTERING COLEUS
Coleus can be overwintered inside in two methods. You can apply these identical techniques to any type of your product…
- Coleus plants in pots can be moved indoors and used as houseplants.
- Cuttings can be kept in the house throughout the winter.
HOW TO OVERWINTER COLEUS INDOORS
In the next sections, I’ll go over both of these strategies in great depth. It’s recommended to explore with both methods if you’ve never overwintering coleus before.
KEEPING COLEUS AS A HOUSEPLANT
It is possible to overwinter your coleus as a houseplant if you bring the pot into the house.
If it’s too huge for your room, trim it down before bringing it inside. Please retain the cuttings if you do so that you can try the second way as well.
Remember that it has spent the entire summer outdoors. As a result, after being brought indoors, the plant may begin to droop or perhaps drop a few leaves. As long as you wait a few days, you should see that behavior return.
OVERWINTERING COLEUS CUTTINGS INDOORS
Rather than bringing the entire plant inside, consider taking cuttings. For those who have limited room or want to grow their plants in the ground rather than in a pot, this is an excellent option.
They can be kept in water or in a container of general purpose soil, depending on your preference.
If you decide to leave them in water, make sure to check on them occasionally and replenish the water as it evaporates or becomes hazy. To avoid drying out the roots, never allow the water get below the soil surface.
Check if the stems are squishy to see if the water smells or is mucky. Instead of putting them in water, you should put them in potting soil.
Here, in this step-by-step guide, you can learn exactly how to grow coleus plants.
Wintering a Coleus Plant
BRINGING COLEUS INDOORS FOR THE WINTER
In order to successfully overwinter coleus, you need to bring them indoors at the correct time. Following these guidelines can help you keep them alive if the weather gets too chilly.
WHEN TO BRING COLEUS PLANTS INSIDE
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In the fall, the trees lose their foliage quite quickly because of the cold temperature. To ensure that your coleus survives the winter, bring it indoors before the temperature drops below 60°F.
A healthy amount of foliage may still be able to save it even if you forget and the temperature is in the 50s°F. However, you must relocate the plant before it is damaged by frost.
It’s tough to resurrect them once they’ve begun to shrivel up due to the cold.
OW TO BRING COLEUS IN FOR WINTER
The plants must be de-infested before they are brought indoors for the winter, no matter what method you choose to use.
The same debugging procedure can be used to cuttings, or it can be done on a smaller scale inside. To get rid of any bugs, simply put them in the sink and let them soak for about 10 minutes.
To expedite the process of killing the bugs, add a few drops of mild liquid soap to the water. A vase of water should next be used to root the cuttings.
Take the plants inside and put them in a window with a lot of sunlight.
TIPS FOR COLEUS PLANT CARE IN WINTER
Care for Coleus indoors in the winter differs from care for Coleus outside in the summer. Indoors, they are rather simple to grow, although winter care is required.
Lighting, water, and pests are the three things you’ll have to care about the most. As a guide, here are some suggestions for winterizing your home:
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS
Despite their preference for shady environments outdoors, coleus plants thrive in bright, well-lit environments indoors. Place the pot in a sunny window where it will get plenty of bright, but indirect sunlight.
Coleus plants do best in bright light, despite their preference for shade outside. Make sure the pot receives enough of bright, but indirect, light by placing it in a sunny window.
WATERING IN WINTER
People face one of the most difficult issues when it comes to watering their plants. In order to prevent the soil from becoming dry or waterlogged, it must be kept consistently moist throughout the winter.
Before re-watering, allow the soil to dry out a bit on the surface. Always check it before watering to avoid overwatering.
In order to ensure that the soil is not damp, stick your finger in it for a distance of one inch. If it’s feeling thirsty, give it a good soaking. An affordable soil moisture meter can help you ensure that your soil is perfectly hydrated at all times.
CONTROLLING BUGS
Controlling pests on houseplants is a major issue when attempting to overwinter coleus indoors. If you locate bugs, you need to get rid of them as soon as possible.
Using 1 teaspoon of mild liquid soap in 1 liter of water, thoroughly clean the leaves. A commercially produced organic insecticidal soap is also an option.
If you want a more long-term method to getting rid of the pests and preventing further infestations, consider applying neem oil.
MOVING COLEUS PLANTS BACK OUTSIDE IN SPRING
When April arrives, you’ll be thrilled that your coleus survived the winter indoors and eager to bring it outside.
But don’t worry yourself to death. Make sure you do it at the right time and take the necessary procedures to ensure that it will survive the shift.
WHEN TO MOVE COLEUS BACK OUTSIDE
When the risk of frost is eliminated and the overnight temperatures are typically above 60° F, you can bring your coleus back outside.
A few weeks after the average spring last frost date, this is the time to expect this. Always check the weather forecast before venturing out, though.
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Move it indoors or into the garage if frost is expected. Don’t try to cover it up, because it might not be able to withstand it.
HOW TO MOVE COLEUS BACK OUTSIDE
It can take a while for coleus to get used to being outside again after spending the winter inside. They haven’t had time to acclimate to the wind and the glare.
Put it in a shady, well-protected spot when you bring it back outside. The closer it gets to the targeted area each day after a few weeks, the easier it will be to move.
FAQS ABOUT OVERWINTERING COLEUS
How can I overwinter coleus plants so I don’t have to buy new ones each spring?
A: Stem cuttings can be grown in pots. The majority of growers and amateur gardeners utilize this strategy in late fall to keep coleus plants alive over the winter or in early spring to enhance their supply of rare cultivators.
Cut healthy 3- to 4-inch tip cuttings from coleus to overwinter. Take out the lowest set of leaves, dip the cut end in rooting hormone, and plant the cutting in a pot filled with soilless mix. In a 6-inch pot, you can fit 12 seedlings. Place the pot in a shady, warm spot and water it thoroughly. When the cuttings have rooted in seven to ten days, repot each one into a new pot. For a broader shape, keep the pots in a bright window, water them frequently, and nip back the developing points in the winter. Slowly expose the plants to outside environments in April. As a result, if you expect a string of cold nights, be sure to bring your coleus indoors. You should have your plants ready to go by mid-May.
It is also possible to take cuttings from an established plant in late spring. With one exception, follow the directions listed above. You should wait two weeks after repotting each clipping before putting it outside. The cuttings can be put directly into your garden after the 15th of May in a semi-shaded region.
Bạn đang xem: How To Overwinter Coleus? Everything You Need to Know
Questions concerning how to overwinter coleus will be addressed in this area. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, feel free to post a question in the comments section below.
HOW COLD IS TOO COLD FOR COLEUS?
Coleus can withstand temperatures as low as 33°F for short periods of time, but only for a limited amount of time. And it’s just too chilly for them at that temperature. A light frost may be tolerated, but if temperatures go below freezing for an extended period of time, they will perish. They enjoy temperatures above 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
DOES COLEUS COME BACK AFTER WINTER?
For those of us who reside in zones 10 and above, Coleus is a re-bloomer in the spring. However, in colder climates, it will perish.
CAN COLEUS SURVIVE WINTER OUTDOORS?
Outside in zones 10 and higher, Coleus can withstand the winter. If you truly push their zone, you might be able to observe them survive in the warm microclimates of zone 9b.
It takes some effort to retain your favorite coleus varieties year after year by overwintering them inside. Bringing them indoors as cuttings or houseplants is much easier than you thought, and you’ll save money next spring.
My Winter Houseplant Care eBook is a must-have for everyone who enjoys the notion of keeping houseplants all winter long. During the coldest and darkest months of the year, this book will teach you everything you need to know to keep your plants flourishing indoors. Get your hands on a copy today!
Writer’s Guild members supply a gardening piece to two local newspaper publishers each month. Articles are updated on a seasonal basis and cover a wide range of educational topics.
Published by Quad Community Press, Gardener’s Grapevine has a circulation of 19,265 in Lino Lakes and the surrounding areas.
More than 16,000 copies of Garden Views are printed each month in both the Blaine-Spring Lake Park Life newspaper and the Anoka Union.
ADVICE FOR YOU
My coleuses are in full bloom at the end of summer. After the first frost, it’s hard for me to watch them perish. Among annuals, coleuses are among the simplest to keep alive over the winter months. They are better recognized for their foliage than their flowers. They can be grown in the shade or the sun and come in a variety of forms and sizes. You don’t have to keep buying the same thing year after year because there are so many options.
A coleus can be overwintered in a variety of ways. Toward the end of the summer, when your coleus is at its largest, pinch off the stems that are longer than two leaves in order to make cuttings. Pinching plants back to a third of their original height is possible. In order to keep the plant from becoming straggly, this will help the plant grow into a strong and healthy specimen. Root the cuttings by placing them in a vase of water. By the fall, the plants should have rooted and ready to be potted up for the winter.
Alternatively, you can bring the container indoors before it becomes too cold outside. Spray the plants down with a hose and make sure to wash the underside of the leaves before bringing them inside. Use a grow light or a bright window to get the best results. Keep an eye out for insects and use insecticidal soap if necessary. Continue monitoring.
Coleus loses its vibrant hue as the seasons change. A straggly-looking plant that you bring indoors may eventually lose some of its foliage. When the plant is in its dormant period, resist the temptation to pinch it back, even though it’s appealing. Watering it and keeping an eye out for insects is all that’s needed at this point to keep it alive. New leaves will appear on coleus as the days become longer.
Prepare 4″ pots with potting soil on trays in March or April. Using a pair of scissors, cut off the stems, leaving a few leaves attached, and plant them in the dirt. At this time of year, cuttings don’t need to be submerged in water before planting; they can be planted immediately in potting soil. Keep the soil moist but not soggy by placing it in a sunny window or beneath a grow light. After a few weeks, the new plant will have settled in and new leaves and colors will emerge.
The plant’s size might increase by as much as twofold by the time it is suitable for planting in May, depending on the variety. Take the plant trays outside on warm spring days and bring them back inside at night to harden them off before planting them outside. Acclimate the plants for the upcoming growing season by doing this for a few weeks.
There is a small amount of work involved in overwintering coleuses, but in the spring, you will be able to sow a wide range of coleuses. If you find yourself with an excess, consider giving some away to close friends and relatives.
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