Growing Tips for Coleus

Gardeners grow coleus plants for their beautiful foliage.  The oval single or variegated leaves of this annual are what make this plant stand out in your shade garden.   

I grow coleus as a border plant along my garden path and in my Hosta garden. I also grow them in containers.  Coleus plants come in a variety of colors; purple, green, brown, red, chartreuse, magenta pink, orange, and yellow to name a few of the brilliant colors that are available. 

When you grow coleus plants you will add eye-appealing color and interest to your shade gardens that look beautiful until fall frost.

Grow coleus from seed, cutting, or by transplanting into your garden from a nursery-grown pot.  If you plan on growing from seed then start indoors by planting 3 seeds for 1 plant.  

Grow the seed in the center of the seed-growing kit.  Plant indoors 8 to 10 weeks before the last frost date.  Seeds need light to germinate; I have found that the indirect light of an artificial grow light is a good way to grow coleus seeds indoors. 

I set the grow kits off to the side of the light.  Seeds germinate in 21 days.   Transplant outdoors after the threat of spring frost has passed and the soil has warmed.  

Choose a garden that gets partial shade throughout the day.  You can grow coleus in the ground or plant in containers.  For best-growing results plant coleus in well-drained soil that is amended with compost or manure.  For containers grow in Miracle Grow potting soil.  Make sure the containers have good drainage. 

Plant coleus in soil that is loose.  If there are clumps of soil then break it up with a shovel or by hand. Amend the soil with compost or manure and plant a nursery-grown plant at the same depth as the container that it was grown in.   Feed with water-based fertilizer after planting coleus, for best results feed every two weeks.

For multiple plants allow room to grow by spacing coleus one foot apart in the ground.  For containers or window box gardens, you can grow plants closer.  When mature the plant will be 12 inches in height with that the same spread.

Mulch the coleus garden beds with organic matter; chopped leaf matter, pine needles, or chipped tree bark.  This organic mulch will aid in keeping the soil moist, deter weeds, and will enrich the soil.

Other Tips

If your coleus plants' leaves are wilting this is a sign of too much light. If there is not enough light then the leaf color will fade. Getting the right exposure to light is imperative for the health of your coleus plant. 

For best results keep the soil evenly moist by not wet and avoid allowing the soil to dry.  When the soil is dry it will put stress on the coleus plant.  Container plants dry out quickly and may need to be watered daily.   

Learn tips for pruning and the history of the coleus plant by viewing this YouTube video

 

 

 

 

Diatomaceous Earth Pest Control for Irises

Treat your iris garden with diatomaceous earth food grade and you will control the borer pests and also grow healthy plants that will produce beautiful blooms.  

For healthy irises with beautiful blooms follow my pest control tips.
photo of my garden..Sgolis

For the past week, I have been cleaning up my gardens by removing the oak leaves that fell from the trees at the end of March, the first week of April.  When I got to my iris gardens I noticed that the wet leaves that covered the tubers had attracted borers.   

The borers will eat the tubers and weaken the health of the plant and if the iris is left untreated the borers will eventually kill the irises.  I acted quickly to this infestation of pests by treating the garden with diatomaceous earth food grade.

When it comes to treating my garden for pests I prefer to use a natural substance that will not harm humans, wildlife, and pets.  Over the years I have had excellent results with diatomaceous earth when I use it for yard and garden pest control.

Instructions

Remove the leaf debris or mulch from your iris bed on a day when there is no wind. 

Fill a powder sugar shaker with diatomaceous earth food grade and take safety steps to protect yourself from inhaling the dust by wearing a fine particle ventilator mask.

Loosen the dirt that surrounds your iris tuber and then shake the diatomaceous into the loosened soil. Cover the dust with soil. This treatment will kill the pests in the soil also. 

Shake the diatomaceous earth food grade all over your iris garden. This treatment will prevent above-the-surface garden pests from eating your tuber or iris leaves.  

Spring showers will cause the diatomaceous earth to enter the soil that surrounds the irises. This is good as it will continue to kill off pests in the soil that feed on iris tubers.  

Watch your garden for any signs of borers.  If you view a yellow streak in your iris leaf or insects crawling on or around your iris tubers then retreat the garden with the diatomaceous earth food grade.  

Notes from Sgolis

Keep your iris garden free of weeds and debris.  As this will enable the iris plants to take in the nutrients from the sun and your plants will be healthy and produce large flowers.

 

List of Plants that Attract Butterflies

Attract butterflies to your yard by planting a garden that will provide nourishment and shelter.  Butterflies will look for forage for the caterpillar stage and adult butterflies will seek nectar from various flowers.  If you provide the butterfly with their needs then butterflies will be attracted to your yard.

Planning a Butterfly Garden

Choose a large sunny area in your yard that has well-drained soil.  This is the area where you will provide the butterflies with a natural environment. 

Choose plants that will attract butterflies to your yard. Plant a variety of flowers with different bloom times. So you can attract butterflies all season. 

Plants that I grow in my butterfly garden

Asters, Autumn Joy Sedum, Asiatic lilies, Black-eyed Susan, Butterfly bush, Butterfly plant, Chamomile, Cardinal flower (red), Chives, Chicory, Chrysanthemum, Clover (white, yellow and red) Comfrey, Coreopsis, Cosmos, Crabapple flowers, Dandelion, Dill, Dogwood blooms, Echinacea Coneflowers, Evening Primrose, Fennel, Garden Mint, Happy returns day lily, Lavender, Lemon Balm, Lilac, Marigold, Meadowsweet, Milkweed,, Mimosa flowers, Parsley, Peony, Petunia, Purple Phlox, Red and Fuchsia Bee Balm, Sage, Sweet Pea, Sweet Autumn Clematis, Thyme, Valerian, Verbena, Yarrow,  Zinnias.

Photographs of a few flowers that grow in my garden

Coneflowers

Black-eyed Susan

Sweet Autumn Clematis

Bee Balm

Garden Mint

Happy Returns Daylily

Mimosa Flower

 

Many people view the dandelion as an invasive weed however the butterfly finds the nectar in this plant to be most desirable.  I recommend that you grow dandelions in a large container.  Set the container next to your butterfly garden.

Other plants that can be invasive are white clover.  I grow white, yellow, and red clover in my side yard as it is directly next to the woods and this area is primarily for the wildlife.  It is a good idea to grow clover in a container or raised garden bed, because if you sow seeds in the lawn, the clover will take over, and can become invasive. Plant a mixture of white, yellow, and red and it will be eye-appealing and fragrant.

Shelter from the Wind

Next, provide the butterfly with shelter from rain and the wind.   You may want to add a butterfly house or plant a large butterfly bush that will break the wind and protect the butterfly.

Making a Butterfly Pond

Clear a section of the garden for a butterfly pond. Remove the grass and dig a hole that is as deep and wide as a plant saucer.  Set the saucer in the center and firm the soil around it.  Fill the saucer with water and wet the dirt on the sides to form mud. The saucer of water will provide hydration and the mud will provide nutritious minerals for many insects.  Keep the soil in this area moist with slow-drip irrigation.

Tips:

Refrain from treating your yard and garden with insecticides as they will kill the caterpillar and butterfly by poisoning their forage.  A butterfly can be killed by resting on an insecticide-treated leaf.

Get a closer look at the butterflies by setting a garden bench next to the garden.
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