Content
Coleus is a popular ornamental crop from the Lamiaceae family. The culture is not picky and does not require special care. Therefore, even a novice gardener can grow coleus from seeds at home.
Rules for growing coleus from seeds at home
Even an amateur can grow coleus from seeds. To do this, you need to follow simple rules and recommendations.
What do coleus seeds look like?
Coleus seeds (pictured) are very small (about 3.5 thousand in 1 gram). They have a faceted shape.
Coleus seeds look similar to poppy seeds
When to sow coleus for seedlings
The optimal period for growing coleus from seeds into seedlings is considered to be early spring. Thanks to spring sowing, the gardener can optimize labor costs and save time, since seedlings no longer need greenhouse conditions and additional lighting.
How to plant coleus seeds
Planting coleus seeds for seedlings does not require special skills or knowledge. After sowing the seeds and sprouting, they are picked and then planted in pots. Seeds are sown from February to April. The first shoots are observed on days 15–19. Planting material must be pre-treated in a weak solution of manganese. Soaking is necessary for disinfection. After this, coleus seeds are sown in the ground.
Preparing containers and soil
To plant coleus seeds at home, use not too deep containers in which drainage holes are first made. Loose substrates saturated with nutrients are considered optimal for the plant. An example of a suitable soil mixture: crushed sphagnum, peat, sand and humus. Backfilling is done without compacting the soil; no more than 2 cm should remain from the soil to the edges of the container.
As a planting container, you can use either an ordinary plastic container or a special box. The container must have special drainage holes. Otherwise, moisture will stagnate and the oxygen supply to the root system will be disrupted. When using old pots, they require thorough cleaning and pre-treatment with a manganese solution.
The best soil for sowing coleus seeds is a mixture of river sand, humus, peat and garden soil.
Sowing coleus seeds for seedlings
Sowing coleus seeds is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Since coleus seeds are very small in size, it is recommended to distribute them evenly over the soil surface.
- A spray bottle is used to moisten the soil.This manipulation must be performed with extreme care, since as a result of jet watering, the seeds may become crowded or go to depth.
- The container is placed in a window greenhouse or covered with plastic film to ensure a greenhouse effect. The film is opened slightly every day for a few minutes for the purpose of ventilation.
Once the seeds are in a nutritious, moist substrate, they need light and warmth. It is recommended to place the container on a bright windowsill or provide the seedlings with a source of additional lighting. When the second pair of leaves appears on the coleus, it can be transplanted into a pot.
How to plant coleus seeds in peat tablets
Sowing coleus seedlings in peat tablets is one of the simplest ways to grow a crop from seeds. The procedure is performed as follows:
- Before sowing, peat tablets need to be provided with abundant watering so that they swell and increase in size.
- Excess liquid must be disposed of.
- Then the seeds are laid out at a short distance, gently pressing them into the surface of the elastic substrate.
- Peat tablets with seeds are placed in trays and covered with plastic wrap. Pallets should be placed in a place with good lighting and room temperature.
In the case of sowing seeds in peat tablets, both excessive moistening of the substrate and its drying out are considered unacceptable.
If the seeds were planted in peat tablets, before planting in the ground it is recommended to trim the surface layer for the full development of the coleus root system
How to grow coleus from seeds
Purchased seeds have a high germination rate. However, provided proper self-collection, the germination percentage will be almost identical.
Microclimate
The optimal temperature for coleus in summer is considered to be 22-24 °C. It is recommended to take the seedlings out into the fresh air in the summer. In winter, the crop cannot be kept in a room with a temperature below 12 °C. In summer and spring, leaves may fade due to direct exposure to sunlight. Midday sun is dangerous for the plant, so it needs to be shaded.
In room conditions, coleus requires high humidity. The plant must be sprayed using settled soft water. During the winter period, coleus plants practically do not grow, remaining dormant.
The soil will be warmed by the spring rays, which will have the most favorable effect on the development of young seedlings.
After night frosts no longer pose a threat to plants, pots with seedlings can be taken out to the loggia or transplanted into open ground
Watering and fertilizing
Coleus requires plenty of watering, especially on hot days. It is preferable to use settled water at room temperature. After watering, the soil needs to be loosened and weeds removed.
Growing coleus seedlings from seeds requires periodic feeding: at the beginning of the summer, seedlings require nitrogen fertilizers, and from the second half of summer, complex mineral supplements begin to be applied. Plants obtained from seeds require potassium supplements (potassium concentration should not exceed 1 g per 2 liters of water), as well as nitrogen complexes. During the winter period, it is recommended to fertilize no more than once a month.
Dive
Diving begins after two leaves appear. All manipulations must be carried out with extreme caution, since young seedlings are quite fragile. In order not to harm the root system, picking is carried out with a plastic or wooden spatula.
Hardening
Hardening of seedlings obtained from seeds begins 7-8 days before planting. The seedlings are taken outside and left for some time, gradually increasing the period of exposure to the open air from several hours to the whole day. After hardening, coleus better adapt to external conditions and demonstrate high growth rates. Without this procedure, seedlings planted in open ground may become ill or even die.
Transplantation into the ground
The sprout is dug up along with a lump of earth and transplanted to another place, carefully holding the base. Planting is carried out at a distance of at least 10 cm. When the procedure is completed, you can add fertilizer to the soil in the form of dry mineral fertilizer.
If coleus is grown as an annual, it does not require replanting. If the plant is needed as a perennial, it needs to be replanted once every few years. It is necessary to prepare a substrate with weak or neutral acidity in advance.The optimal mixture would be peat, sand, humus, deciduous and turf soil in the ratio 1:1:2:4:4. Seedlings obtained from seeds should be planted in a well-lit place, reliably protected from the wind.
Possible problems
Danger to the crop are: whitefly, spider mites and aphids.
To combat aphids, use a soap solution
Treat the above-ground part of the plant, repeating the procedure every other week if the pests survive. Before starting manipulations, cover the soil in the pot with plastic wrap to prevent soap from getting into the soil. Ticks are not afraid of soapy water, so to combat them it is worth using special preparations Agravertin or Oberon.
In the absence of timely pinching and pruning, the seedlings will become very elongated
Excessive light causes foliage to become dull and discolored.
How to collect coleus seeds
To sow coleus with seeds, you can use both store-bought and self-collected seeds. The crop blooms in the first year after planting. The seeds are obtained from inconspicuous-looking inflorescences. Before planting in peat tablets or soil, they need to be treated with a solution of potassium permanganate.
Conclusion
To grow coleus from seeds at home, you need to select manually or purchase high-quality seeds at a garden store, prepare containers and soil, and also provide an appropriate microclimate, timely watering and fertilizing. For full development, seedlings require diving and hardening.
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