Other Years

2013
May 25: I set out my overwintered plants as well as some rooted cuttings. Some of the overwintered plants look fine, short and sturdy, but some are tall with bent over shoots. I tied up some of their shoots.
June 23: The overwintered plants are tall with few leaves but new leaves are developing. I planted out some more cuttings that have roots in the raised bed near the parsley.
September 15: They did not do very well. They grew very slowly and never filled out. I think you need a greenhouse here in order to overwinter them successfully.
 

Twist and Twirl Coleus, 2013

2012
March 23: I took cuttings from my Twist and Twirl plants. The leaves on one cutting are all red, and on the other cutting are the mixed red and yellow that is typical of Twist and Twirl. I wonder if the second cutting is a different variety.
April 15: The cuttings rooted and I have potted them up. The red-leaved cuttings had more roots than the multi-coloured ones, perhaps because less light reached their underwater parts.
September 15: The plants did nicely outdoors, but only grew about 30 cm tall. I plan on everwintering them.
 
2011
March 30: I started 2 paks of Wizard mixed.
25: Divided.
June 5: I set my plants out in the raised bed.
September 2: I got 2 cuttings of the Twist and Twirl variety from a greenhouse near Beausejour.
25: I left the cuttings in water to develop roots and today I potted them.
September 27:In general the garden plants did fine.
 
2010
March 9: I started 9 cells with a few Black Dragon seeds per cell.
13: I bought a package of Wizard mix from T&T seeds.
15: I started the Wizard mix, 9 cells with a few seeds per cell.
16: One Black Dragon sprout.
18: Nine Black Dragon sprouts.
June 17: Doing fine, but I have no place to plant them.
July 12: Still doing fine, and I planted them in the new central raised bed.
 
2009
March 30: I kept 2 Black Dragons going over the winter. Today I planted 2 tubs of about 20 seeds each, of Black Dragon and Wizard Mixed.
April 9: There are a fair number of sprouts today.
July 4: About 6 plants are coming along in my garden or downtown.
August 3: Doing fine. A little slow.
 
2008
February 6: I ordered seeds from Stokes, Wizard mixed and Black Dragon. They are intended mostly for the club downtown.
March 9: I started 18 cells of each variety with 27 seeds in them.
14: Sprouts.
April 1: Transplanted to give 24 cells of each.
14: Transplanted 4 of the Wizards to flats, as they were too large for the cells and were shading the other plants too much.
May 13:I planted all but 8 Black Dragons into pots at Gio's downtown. It is early in the season, and I am partly trusting in downtown's being warmer than elsewhere to protect them from frosts.
June 24: The plants downtown have mostly not done well. The Dragons I kept here also look poorly.
December 31:The plants downtown began to look good later in the summer.
 

Coleus, 2003

2003
January 2:  I started 18 seeds in 9 cells.
24:  3 plants are developing their first true leaves.
February 20:  I put them into small white pots.   Only one seems to have good colour.
March 1:  I discarded all but the best one.
 
2000
March 19: I planted 1 9-pak of Fashion Parade Mixed, 3 seeds per cell.
12: 16 plants were picked up for the sale. They are petite, 2 or 3 true leaves, a good size for selling.
13: Two plants did not sell, of the plainer type. I discarded them.
 
1999
March 6: I discarded my last plant today. It had many dead parts. Its pot was too small, I think. I may grow more from seed.
 
1998
February 17--19: I planted 6 9-paks of Fashion Parade Mixed Coleus from Stokes, one seed per cell.
March 1: 50 seedlings.
22: 53 small plants.
April 1: 26 plants moved to 3" square pots.
9: All in 3" square pots.
~May 15: Most were sold at a garage sale. Not such good sellers. They sold better last year when they were smaller and cuter.