Green, Red, Mozaic, Scarlet. I didn't expect to come across these in this little southern backwater. The ones with double trunks will be victims of this season's coleus topiary obsession. They are already flowering; I wonder if they will get taller and branch.
Oh I love those kongs...I'm jealous! They haven't gotten to my part of the southern backwaters yet..lol.
Side question, do you usually let your coleus bloom? I always pinch mine off the second I see buds. I don't really remember where I learned to do that. Same with basil.
About pinching blooms, my mom always did. Of course, it encourages branching, but if the plant is as large and as full as I want, I leave the bloom spikes. I saw a Wizard Rose in full bloom this morning, and the lavender spikes above white, rose and green mounds were beautiful.
It's frustrating when coleus plants start setting blooms when I am still trying to get more height.
Does anyone know if it is the age of the plant or shortening photoperiod that triggers blooming? Has anyone figured out how to get around it? I've noticed that cuttings from blooming tips will not insist on producing blooms immediately.
As for basil blooms, I love their spicy scent, but I do pinch until the plant is nice and bushy. When I have enough basil, I like to add blooming branches to bouquets.
Home Depot off Hwy 59 Fort Bend Co, TX just got the kongs. Really nice. Planterik do you have a pix of a coleus topiary? can't imagine what that looks like. Must be really super.
Attention: greatwood gardeners, this is our call!
This message was edited Aug 1, 2004 1:22 PM
That makes sense to me Rik, and I have no idea what triggers them to bloom. Good question. Maybe I'll let my coleus bloom, just to see how I like it.
Ooo I wonder, vossner, if that means my HD in Houston will have some. I'm going home in about a week. I hope so!
I know houston garden center had them, only in hanging pots. The one on 610 and airline is always 70 off there plants. I just bought a hanging pot of them there for 3.00. I love coleous of and type.
Do you think this might be a kong? It was not labeled as such. But the width of the leaf is over 7 inches.
The people at my local HD have offered to special order plants for me (but they couldn't get the plants I wanted). If all of you are in TX, maybe the stores have the same suppliers and you could request the Kongs.
Rylaff, that coleus is "Atlas." It has among the largest leaves I've seen before the Kong series. Now that I think of it, I've grown plain Rainbow coleuses that have gotten bigger than any named variety I've had.
I've only had the Kongs a couple of days, and, although the stems and leaves are huge, they are wanting to bloom at 1-2' and have only one or two stalks. Atlas easily reaches 3' and will make a huge mound. I may end up back with Atlas next year.
I only started cuttings for topiaries a couple of weeks ago, so there's nothing to show yet. If I get anything worth taking pictures of I'll post them.
