Propagation of one's own plants is important to many flower lovers and is not always as easy to accomplish as with coleus. You can easily cultivate the different species mixed together, for example together in one pot.
How to propagate a coleus?
Coleus can be propagated by sowing or cuttings. When sowing, the seeds require around 14 - 21 days to germinate as light germinators at at least 20 °C. Cuttings can be made from shoots about 10 cm long and rooted in water or potting soil.
Propagation by sowing
Coleus can be propagated by sowing, but this requires a lot of patience. You can often get the seeds from specialist retailers in “mixed” assortments, not of a single variety or color. It's not possible to collect coleus seeds yourself because you often don't even let the flower bloom.
It is best to sow the coleus in seed pots, cover the pots with transparent film and keep the substrate well moist. To germinate, the seeds need a temperature of at least 20 °C, although it can also be a little warmer. The seeds should not be covered with soil or substrate, as these are light germinators.
After about 14 - 21 days the first seedlings appear, but unfortunately they do not yet show their final color. Now remove the film, but continue to keep the soil evenly moist. Once two to three pairs of leaves have formed, you can transplant the seedlings into flower pots in pairs or threes and after about two more pairs of leaves you will know what colors your coleus has.
Propagation by cuttings
Propagation by cuttings is very easy with coleus. Cut shoots about 10 cm long that are no longer too tender. You can also use the pinched off flower shoots. Remove the bottom pair of leaves, leaving only the top two. Now place these shoots in a glass with water or put them in a pot with potting soil.
Tips for propagating coleus:
- Light germinator
- Germination time: approx. 14 – 21 days
- Germination temperature: at least 20 °C
- Cut cuttings approx. 10 cm long
- remove lower pairs of leaves
- Root cuttings in water or potting soil
Tip
Since coleus often becomes unsightly after a few years, you should start propagating it in good time. This is easy to do with cuttings.
