houseplant > flame nettle
IN THIS templet
COLEUS GUIDES
flame nettle , also known asSolenostemon scutellarioides , is a popular ornamental houseplant which can be grow outdoors during the summer in the UK .
In this guide , you will learn more about this attractive foliage plant , and how to grow it and take tending of it yr - round .
aboriginal to Indonesia , this plant is part of the family of mint.1Coleus | plant life . ( 2023 , March 6 ) . Encyclopedia Britannica . call up March 14 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.britannica.com/plant/coleus
Overview
PreferredFull Sun or Partial Shade
ExposureSheltered
Height0.5 – 1 yard
Spread0.1 – 0.5 meter
Bloom TimeSpring / Summer / Autumn
PreferredMost fertile soils
MoistureMoist but well - drained
pHAny
This species has been categorise as Plectranthus , then as Solenostemon , but is now considered to be part of the flesh out Coleus genus.2Paton , A. , Mwanyambo , M. , Govaerts , R. , Smitha , K. , Suddee , S. , Phillipson , P. B. , Wilson , T. , Forster , P. I. , & Culham , A. ( 2019 ) . Nomenclatural changes in Coleus and Plectranthus ( Lamiaceae ): a tale of more than two genus . PhytoKeys,129 , 1–158.https://doi.org/10.3897 / phytokeys.129.34988
This plant is also cognize by the common name painted nettle .
This shine its relationship to Dead Nettles which are also in the mint family.3Red utter - nettle . ( n.d . ) . The Wildlife Trusts . remember March 14 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife-explorer/wildflowers/red-dead-nettle
Coleus Varieties
Varieties ofC. scutellarioideswhich have RHS Awards of Garden Merit are :
Planting
Painted nettles are popular for summertime retire strategy and forexotic , or hobo camp - style planting schemes , and are commonly grown as houseplants or in conservatoire in the UK .
Though perennials , they are often grown as annuals when grown outside in temperate climes , though they can also be sustain year - on - class if protect from frost and cold and take deep down for wintertime , or grown inside year - round .
Purchase flame nettle plug plants in former outflow and rise them indoors until after the last Robert Frost date in your area , or when the weather has warm .
The good time to set out is in May or June , once the weather has reliably warmed and there is no risk of frost .
Be certain to harden off plants arise indoors before they are embed out so that they become accustomed to outdoor conditions .
If growing coleus outside , it is crucial to choose a suitable spot .
They can work well ina garden border , alongside other summer hump plants and also look courteous in containers .
particular of where to place coleus , outside and indoors , are provided later in this guide .
Coleus can be grown from seeds plant under chicken feed in early spring .
However , it should be note that cultivars may not descend true .
Usually , flame nettle is purchased as a fire hydrant plant life , summertime bedding plant , or as a houseplant .
Plant Care
Light levels and piss are the most authoritative condition when arise and caring for flame nettle .
Get these things right and you should not come up this too challenging a flora to grow .
Coleus is a tender flora which can not contend with temperature below 5 - 10 ° speed of light .
It can either be grown inside year - rung or placed outside in a sheltered spot during the summertime months .
Coleus like a military position in full sunlight or partial ghost , and will do well indoors in a reasonably brilliant location , which gets a little act of unmediated sunshine .
Coleus ’ colourful foliage will be at its best when they have some lighting or dappled refinement , but they do need some lustrous Christ Within each day , whether grown indoors or outside .
A south or Orient - confront aspect with dawning sun can be ideal .
These plant require moist but well - drained soil or growing medium , though are unfussy when it come to the specific eccentric or land pH.
When growing in pots or containers , a high - qualityloam - based potting mixwill be idealistic .
Whether growing in the priming or in pots , see to it enough moisture while also making sure there is innocent drain is the balancing human activity that you have to step .
Water somewhat , aiming to keep the soil or originate average moist throughout the raise season .
Do not allow the dirt or grow medium at a depth of around 5 atomic number 96 below the surface to dry out .
Watering needs will be lower over the winter months indoors .
Coleus typically like a high humidity stage , so mist regularly if the breeze inside your home is juiceless , so mist regularly if the air inside your home is dry .
flame nettle does not commonly involve extra alimentation .
However , if the industrial plant seems lusterless , you’re able to feed during the growing time of year with an constitutional liquid plant feed suited to houseplants when grow in pots .
pilfer out the growing tips of the plant in summer can encourage bushiness .
The plant life can also be pruned back when bringing out-of-door - grown specimen back indoors in early fall .
flame nettle used as summer bedding can be lifted and placed into pots to bring inside in September .
Alternatively , cuttings can be taken in summer to propagate the flora .
Container Growing
Growing flame nettle in heap , either indoors or placed on a terrace during the summer and brought inside in winter , can be a serious idea .
take a wad which retain moisture relatively well , but run out freely .
Fill with a peat - loose , loam - base potting mix .
Typically , coleus will originate to a size leave by the pot sizing .
prune back outside grow specimens of coleus if call for at the final stage of the summertime time of year outside , so it will be comfortable in the same pot , or choose a pretty larger pot to reconcile the plant life as it grows .
Propagation
Taking flame nettle cuttings in summer is a relatively well-off way to farm new flame nettle works which are ringer of the parent plant .
“ If I require to keep your coleus for the follow uprise season , I find the easy way to do so is to take cuttings in tardy summertime and keep them as rooted cuttings in a warm greenhouse or bright window sill over winter before potting on the undermentioned spring , ” shares Colin Skelly , a Horticultural Consultant .
“ This will save space for store larger plants and put up vigorous young plants for re - implant . ”
Bear in mind , as mention above , cultivars do not always come true from semen .
Softwood press cutting of coleus root comparatively easily , though you may apply a rooting hormone to ameliorate success rate if you wish well .
Place cuttings in a glass of water , or in a moist yet free - draining medium , around the edge of a pot to root .
Then once unassailable roots have shape , send each cutting into its own pot to mature on .
Frequent Growing Problems
flame nettle growing outside in summer is seldom troubled by pests and disease .
Indoors , like other houseplant , coleus can live problems such as whitefly , scale insects or mealybugs .
Indoor - grown flame nettle may become long-shanked if it does not incur adequate visible radiation .
you’re able to also cut back growing tips in summer , perhaps taking cuttings for generation , to keep the plant bushier .
Flowers can also be twitch off if you wish to encourage works to put their Energy Department into foliage growth .
If your coleus plant does not seem to be boom or even depend like it is give way , all is not necessarily fall back .
In certain setting , you may be capable to revive your flora .
If your plant is wilt , the first affair to see is that you have water it enough .
If the soil or growing mass medium is teetotal , watering may be enough to bestow it back to full wellness .
unluckily , you may not be able to bring through your plant life if it is brook from root word waste orfrost wrong , so check that you touch the plant ’s environmental needs and care for it as discussed above to keep it happy , healthy and attractive over the years to come .
