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when I grow coleus from seed they grow on a single stem to approx 3 ft high and have a single flower. When I buy from garden centre they are bushy with lots of flowers, what am I doing wrong?




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You need to be pinching out the growing tips to encourage side shoots and to stop the plant from flowering, I must say I have never seen one that tall before it must have been quite a sight!

7 Jul, 2010

 

I thought that might be the way to get bushy plants but when they first sprouted they grew quite high before the first leaves appeared and I was scared to pinch them in case they gave up growing. I haven't just got one, I have several really tall ones with one flower on each, they look daft! I haven't got a digital camera so can't I am quite new to using interactive web sites. I was made redundant last year and could only get part time work, so have really got stuck into the garden.

7 Jul, 2010

 

Usually they grow quite tall between leaves when there's low light levels as they start growing, so they get tall and a bit spindly, but even pinching out after the first true leaves (not the cotyledons) appear would help. Cutting them down at the beginning of May or even end of May would have helped too - you could try cutting by half a couple of them now, but it's probably a bit late.

7 Jul, 2010

 

thanks for the replies, i will remember for next year, still got seeds left!

10 Jul, 2010

How do I say thanks?

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