thinning out Coleus seedlings

roseycheeks · Sun Aug 31, 2014 11:52 am

I planted a pack of Coleus several weeks ago and finally figured out they needed to be thinned, I cringe everytime I have to thin anything out because I am afraid that I will mess it up. But I read the pages and everyone said to pick the seedlings up by the leaf and that is what I did. They came out real easy and I planted 4 in another pot, the problem is I still have a whole lot in two pots, and no onther pots and no more room! I really don't want to throw any away but you can see my problem, can they survive in there original pots over the winter, or should I just thin the original pot out and throw the others away? I hate to do that but with so many in one pot, they won't grow so well will they? Any information or helpful hints would be appreciated. Thanks and help!

rainbowgardener · Sun Aug 31, 2014 5:07 pm

You can't keep every seedling!

Nature survives by super-abundance. Each plant can produce dozens/ hundreds/ more seedlings depending on the plant. That way some should survive despite unfavorable conditions, critters that eat them, etc. But you are going to give your coleus babies the most favorable conditions, so you don't need (and don't have room for) dozens of them. Harden your heart and throw out all but what you really have room for. But I would wait a little while. Wait until they have at least one, preferably two sets of true leaves. By then they will survive having their little buddies ripped out from around them better, and you will be starting to get a sense of which ones are stronger, so you can cull weaker ones.

catgrass · Tue Sep 02, 2014 11:48 am

When you cull, use scissors and just snip off the weaker ones, that way you won't disturb the roots of the ones you want to keep.

roseycheeks · Fri Sep 19, 2014 8:32 pm

Good idea on snipping the ones off, that is what I might have to do, I have 8 in a pot and they are getting crowded! They are growing like crazy

ElizabethB · Sat Sep 20, 2014 4:29 pm

Snipping off the tops at the soil line avoids disturbing the roots.

Good luck

roseycheeks · Sat Sep 27, 2014 4:34 pm

Well, I thinned them out until there is only these 4 in this one pot and this is what they look like now, they have different color combinations on each leaf. Should I thin these 4 out again? There is one that is especially big and I was wondering if it would hurt it if I put it in a pot by itself and left the other 3 alone in the same pot.

rainbowgardener · Sun Sep 28, 2014 7:51 am

They will all/ each need their own pot. Have you seen how big coleus get?

https://georgeweigel.net/wp-content/uplo ... potted.jpg

applestar · Sun Sep 28, 2014 8:36 am

Yeah, but these seedlings look big enough to separate. Water well a few hours to overnight prior, then I would turn the pot over in one hand with fingers spread around the seedlings so you would cup the soil in your palm. Do it so the plant tops are only an inch or less above a surface in case they fall out. (They won't survive a fall from your waist level to the ground but may survive a less than 1" fall.)

Then the upended pot shaped soil can be turned back upright and gently dropped on the surface to fall apart. Gently work entangled roots free by holding the individual rootballs and wiggling while gently pulling apart. You can always cut the roots later if this doesn't work.

roseycheeks · Fri Oct 03, 2014 4:32 pm

well, here are the three some time later, I just went and bought a couple more pots(much to my hubby's dismay), and are going to separate them, they are growing too fast and too big to stay together in that one little pot.

Do you think I can move the one that has all the color on it more in the middle of the pot when I take out the other two?

rainbowgardener · Sat Oct 04, 2014 6:56 am

Do you think I can move the one that has all the color on it more in the middle of the pot when I take out the other two?

Yes, carefully. I like to lift the little plant up from underneath with a spoon. Don't pull on it.

Past time to get them separated! The one with the pink is already getting stunted from being too crowded and outpaced by the others.

roseycheeks · Sat Oct 04, 2014 10:40 am

I had to wait until I had something big enough to put them in. I may move them today, we have the pellet stove going and it will be toasty warm in here so I can work on them. I did not want to do it too soon and have to do it again later on. I read that if you keep it in a small container they will stay small, is that really true?

rainbowgardener · Sat Oct 04, 2014 9:56 pm

Up to a point it is. It is the bonsai principle. But bonsai is done by keeping the tree pruned, both top and roots, so it keeps fitting in the pot. So growing your coleus in a small pot would stunt it a bit, but still it would tend to outgrow the pot, get rootbound and start to smother. To maintain it that way, you would have to keep pruning it. And with very little soil, the smaller the pot, the more often you have to water and fertilize.