Coleus Cutting

I was fooling with my drip system the other day and I broke a small coleus I had just planted right in half. I swore and my husband who happened to be close by asked me what was wrong.

At which I replied.

“I can’t get this $@@% drip line in the main %^$$#$ line and the %^%& sprinkler head doesn’t %^%$ work right and I think I broke my ^*&^& finger &^^%% nail and I poked my &*&^ hand and then I broke this ^^&**^% coleus that I just *(&^% planted.”

My husband, whom I married because he said he could fix anything but a broken heart, lived up to his promise. He fixed the drip line, kissed my boo- boo and took the little broken coleus in the house. He told me that coleus were super easy to root. He stuck it in some water and a few days later, it was rooted.

Voila.

I have since found out the coleus is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae.
No wonder they're hard to kill.

Comments

[ruth]

I always root mine in water and use the cuttings as houseplants during the winter then take cuttings from them in the spring for summer bedding...a never ending cycle :o)

[Adam]

You have a wonderful blog. Will be comimng back more often.
Thanks for dropping by mine.

[Heather's Garden]

Great tip, I was just wishing I had more coleus and thinking I had to cut back the one I have that's sort of outgrowing its container. Guess I know what I'm doing at lunchtime today.

[chigiy]

Ruth,
You are a very smart lady and a terrific gardener. I may copy your idea:)

Adam,
Thank you. Please visit again.

Heather,
I just started some new cuttings myself.

[farmingfriends]

I think this plant is stunning the colours work so well together. I wonder whether it grows in the UK. I will definately be getting some if it does. Sara from farmingfriends

[chigiy]

Sara,
I would think that you could find coleus in the UK.
It's an annual so it dies in the winter, but as we learned from Ruth they can be grown as house plants during the winter and then planted in the spring again in the garden.

[ryan]

I just bought a coleus plant today. Are they considered herbs? are they edible or helpful for cooking in any way?

Thanks,
RS

[chigiy]

Ryan,
Even though the coleus is a member of the mint family, I believe that it's leaves are poisonous. So probably not a good idea to cook with it.

[dripline]

That helps a lot! Thank you, I think you took out of the dark many of our sporadic readers...I will surely try your ideas..

[Jeraldine Anandan]

They must also grow from seeds they shed! I hung a two year old ivy plant outside for the first time. We are in a fifth floor apt.It stayed out most of the summer. A few months after bringing it inside, two different baby plants appeared---- one red, one speckled. They turned out to be coleus plants. I can only assume a couple of seeds blew in from somewhere!!

[chigiy]

Hi Jeraldine,
It sounds like it was either the wind or birds. Birds are notorious for leaving little gifts.

[Landscape]

It's a way where you can easily produce more of it and preserve as well.