Hi Michelle. You're right, we have run into one another on other forums. Your name is memorable! And good morning everyone.

My coleus are getting pretty sad looking. They've all outgrown their pots and are badly root bound. I won't be able to plant them out for another month at least. I'm just hoping I can keep them alive that long.

Karen

nice stuff Shirley!!... and that is a good selection if you were in this area

I usually wait until after labor day to put mine out... not worth loosing what I worked for with a cold night

I usually plant out around mid May if the 10 or 15 day forecast looks safe. I'm hoping that at least a few trays can start living on the front porch soon. I'll bring them in for overnight cold weather. Their pots are now too small and they're big enough to not fit on the light shelves any more. Window light in my house is poor. It would be a shame to loose them now after babying them all winter.

Within a few weeks I'll probably plant my two Bloommaster pots too, and that will thin out what's on the light shelves. Those take a lot of little plants. Once planted they could be on the porch for day time and sleep in the garage overnight.

Karen

since I lost all my babies in the GH last fall.. I am reluctant to put anything out there now... even though I should put a few plants out there for a test to see if I can get it right... I did just buy some dahlia, canna and begonia bulbs.. but again I am afraid of loosing a nice purchase ... maybe I will see if I can gather some strength and try again with just a few plants.. just trying to figure out how to put a fan to blow the heat around without getting in the way

Hello! Hello!

Karen, I chose my moniker about 15 years ago. I first showed up on Gardenweb and people were leery of trading with me because of my name. LOL I've talked about changing it many times and people tell me I'm not allowed.

Can you put the coleus in larger pots? Another option is to take them out of the pots and slice off maybe the bottom third. Put some new soil in the bottom of the container, and put the plant back in. That way it can put out some new roots, very much like planting it. If they are big enough, you could also take cuttings.

More lovely photos Shirley!

Sugar, you are having way too much fun. :P You deserve it!

Allison, what type of greenhouse do you have? Mine is around 65 during the day and up to 95 if the sun is shining. I don't really pay attention at night since I run a heater. Without heat, it's not usually much warmer than it is outside normally. :(

Guess I'm going to get hubby a grocery list finished so I can get out to the greenhouse.

Have a great day!

it's only a 6 x 8 snap & grow.. I did put bubble wrap on the inside and the heat was not distributed well.. was sitting at the top of the peak... and actually opened the vent on the roof and let the heat out without the fan... have to figure out how to put one in there.. I put a wireless thermometer in there and it was maybe two foot from the ground.. it was as cold as outside at that level.. but when I went in and moved it up to a hanging basket it was much much warmer.. so I think the fan is the answer

http://www.gardenharvestsupply...

Karen, I too would take cuttings and see if I could get them rooted. Fans are important, but they don't need to be directly on the plants, just more or less moving the air around the plants.
Chele is a pro and usually has great plugs for wonderful prices.
I must admit I moved South just to garden.
Saw where here or DG someone was doing the NC farms cutting co-op a few weeks back.
Don't want to be overwhelmed this year so the 36 mail order coleus will be all until I see Chele's list.
I did get a case of six 30" self watering deck rail planters on e-bay. Pictures will be posted when they are planted.
Yesterday found 6 favorite herbs to plant in one of the boxes.
Shirley, what pretty blooms. Your Amaryllis are jaw dropping! What is the name of the one in the middle?
Can't wait to see the selection the greenhouse has.
Pheadra, how is your GH coming?

Sidney

Are you guys crazy?? More cuttings??? that's the last thing I need! I can't handle what I have! I'm just trying to keep these alive. I have started cuttings from my original donor plants, and given away some cuttings. Other than that I'm pinching and hoping for the best.

I did take some out of their 4" pots, brush off the soil that I could, discard some roots from the bottom, and repot with a little new dirt in the same 4" pots. We'll see if that helps. They just have to hold on for about another 5 weeks until I can get them in the ground. I swear I can grow almost anything in the ground. But I can kill anything in a pot.

Karen

Allison, that is a nice greenhouse! I've not seen that one before. I know at one point I had asked about the acrylic type. Is that what that is? I was told something along the lines that those were meant to be more "pretty" as opposed to good for overwintering. The reason for that, is that the acrylic does not have any dead air space which is insulating. I would think you solved that issue with the bubble wrap. They are still great for getting a jump on the season or extending the season.

My greenhouse is only 4 mm polycarb which still isn't great. Normally 6mm is the minimum you would want. Even better is 2 layers of plastic with a fan blowing between.

I had two of the 8.5 x 12 greenhouses that I've now joined to make one larger one. My biggest gripe about the smaller sizes is exactly the problem you experienced. A small heater isn't really enough and a large one is overkill. I would not entertain the thought of trying to over winter ANYTHING in mine. I might try trees that are hardy to a zone warmer but that is about as far as I'd push it. Otherwise, I'd go broke paying for electric and/or gas.

A fan is definitely helpful for circulating air. It's easy for the air in the greenhouse to go stagnant which increases problems for the plants and soil as they are just sitting.

I figure this is long and might cross someone's eyes so I'll end this one. LOL

Karen,

Honestly, rooting more cuttings is a lot easier in the long run then trying to care for large, heavily rooted plants. You can mix some potting mix with vermiculite, stick the cuttings and water it real good then leave them sit somewhere with bright light. So long as they don't dry out, they'll root in no time.

I know it's more plants but it will help you care for your large plants more easily. They'd fit under the lights again. By trimming the roots, the plants will send out new roots and by adding soil, they'll have somewhere to go, much the same as potting them to a larger size.

If you don't want to root what you pinch, you don't have to but who wastes free plants? LOL

Potted plants usually croak due to too much love or not enough. :P

Thanks for the vote of confidence Sugar! I can't wait to see your planters!

I'll go shut up now. haha

It does look like a great greenhouse. I wouldn't try to maintain one here through winter, either. But it sure would be nice now to move stuff out of the house.

Karen

Yeah, I now all that stuff badseed. But I want some big plants to put out in spring so I don't want to make them too much shorter. And I'm out of actual room on my shelves, too. Nothing else will fit. And I don't want anybody else to take care of.

I know how to start cuttings, but I don't do it in water. I use potting mix. All of the coleus I have now, well over 100 of them, I started from cuttings.

Karen

I'm not a big fan of rooting in water either. Some things are okay but I always worry I'll forget to change the water....

Hopefully cutting back the roots and adding to soil will remedy the problem. Do you bottom water?

I put in a bunch of coleus for my neighbor last year but I had to keep going over to pinch off the flowers. LOL He loved them but didn't stay on top of the pinching. I really *need* more gardens to take care of. I guess if I install them, I have to care for them...

Yes, I bottom water. I'm not so hot at rooting in water because I forget to change the water and they seem to rot. No problem rooting in potting mix, though.

Karen

Michele you are right about the no dead air space before the bubble wrap... the material is polycarbonate but I noticed a lot of gaps where air can get though.. so the bubble wrap is sealed tight .. just have an issue where the base is the base is level but the ground around it .. is not so going to have to fill that with something.. the panels remind me of a thicker version of that security plastic on dvd cases

ah found the album with better photos.. at the end of this one

https://picasaweb.google.com/A...

Karen if you dribble some peroxide in the water it cleans up the forget to change the water... water

I'd really rather just do the cuttings in soil. Do it once, and be done with it. I have done it in water first, but lost most before they got into soil.

Karen

I agree... only do it when I am lazy and take cuttings off those and root them in soil later

good morning everyone. Sugarweed I think that one is Philadelphia. I have a tag that looks like that one but it is a lighter pink. Maybe the soil makes it darker???This is a pic from last year when we got it and I put all of them in pots.
I moved them outside in Spring and this is the bulb blooming outside and as you see it is much darker. Sun and soil must make the difference right.Can you believe it go 40 here last night. I had company and did not get my coleus planted. They came inside instead. Lucky or what. Coleus do not like 40 degree weather here. I did take some babies and they are looking great. Congrats to all you Coleus Moms who can save them through the winter. I just cannot make that happen. I would be embarrassed to show you my green house. I had a water problem and did not feel like carrying water and dragging hoses setting up heat in all the cold weather we had so I just let all the plants I had carefully placed in there go. Bad Shirley. Pheadra I am so ashamed. The only think to survive was a begonia and an EE. lol

mine is in the same state minus the water... after loosing most ... I turned the heat off and let em all go.. and that is the way it stayed