Plant Propagation from Cuttings – Coleus
It is quite easy to do cutting propagation for coleus. Last month, I took four cuttings from my coleuses, and three of them have survived. I guess this wasn’t too bad for someone who propagated plant from cutting for the first time, and I have already started propagating my second batch of coleus cuttings a few days ago.
So here, let me show you how I do cutting propagation with my coleus.
Step 1 Collect Coleus Cuttings
Choose coleus plants that are healthy and disease free. Then, with a cleaned razor blade (you can clean your razor blade with rubbing alcohol), take the cuttings from the stem tip such that the cuttings are approximately 3-4 inches long.
Step 2 Prepare the Cuttings
Remove any flower stalks, as flower stalks can take energy away from the new plant and prevent new growth. Remove the leaves that arise from the bottom nodes and keep only the top 2-3 pairs of leaves. Then, with a cleaned razor blade, make a slanted cut at the bottom, leaving around 3 inches of the cutting.
Step 3 Prepare the Container
While any small, well-drained container will do, I would recommend you to use a plastic strainer basket as the container for coleus propagation. It is not only well-drained (no container has better drainage than a strainer 
), but it also helps in aeration.
Step 4 Prepare the Medium
Any well drained medium should be fine. Ensure that the medium is free from disease and pest.
Step 5 Plant the Cuttings
Use a chopstick and make a hole in the medium. Stick the coleus cutting into the hole and gently press the surrounding medium. Plant the cuttings deep enough to not let the stem cutting fall off. If you have problem keeping the stem cuttings from falling, you can wet the medium first before planting in the cuttings. Wet medium can hold up the coleus cuttings better.
Step 6 Use Rooting Hormone
Rooting hormone speeds up the development of the root system a bit. There are many different types of rooting hormone. Some are in powder form, while others are concentrated solutions. Read the instructions clearly before use.
Step 7 Water the Coleus Cuttings
Water the plant medium till the medium is fully wet and water starts dripping from the drainage holes. If you use rooting hormone that is a concentrated solution, you can dissolve the hormone in water and use it to water the coleus cuttings now.
Step 8 Keep a Warm & Humid Growing Environment
Because Hong Kong is quite warm and humid in spring, I don’t put my coleus cuttings in a greenhouse. But if you are living in a colder or dryer place, you may need to keep your coleus cuttings in a clear plastic bag.
Once the root systems of the cuttings have developed, the coleus cuttings are ready for repotting into their individual pots. This usually takes around 2-3 weeks (I repotted mine after 16 days). In these 2-3 weeks, the plant medium must be kept moist. A greenhouse keeps the air warm and humid, so if you use a greenhouse, you may not need to water your cuttings in the coming 2-3 weeks of time before repotting them individually into bigger containers. But, nevertheless, you always keep an eye on them.
As for me, since I don’t use a greenhouse, I water my cuttings with rooting hormones solution whenever the medium gets dry to the touch.
Once we have repotted the new coleus plants, we must thoroughly water the planting medium till there is water dripping from the drainage holes.
[...] out Sandy’s instructions for taking cuttings from her coleus plant. She did a really good job of breaking everything down, step by step with pictures. There are so [...]
Helpful information. This year I have started some coleus from seeds and also purchased some small plants for nursery, will try your steps to propagate them.
Yes, Sarada, please give it a try and let me know if you have any question. And I would like to know your progress in growing coleus from seeds too
[...] Guidelines and Basic Tips of Plant Propagation from Cuttings Posted by root 2 minutes ago (http://www.gardeningoncloud9.com) May 4 2009 as for me since i don 39 t use a greenhouse i water my cuttings with rooting hormones solution and also purchased some small plants for nursery will try your steps to propagate them your comment notify me of followup comments via e mail subscri Discuss | Bury | News | Guidelines and Basic Tips of Plant Propagation from Cuttings [...]
Thanks for your comment on my blog. Yours looks very organized and professional. I want to try to root some coleus and scented geraniums this fall. Thanks for the good information.
Although I may feel a little envious, I enjoy reading your blog Sue. It’s just nice to check out the flowers that are blossoming in someone else’s garden, the lettuces and veggies that have been harvested…
And btw, I think that’s your grandson in your Wordless Wednesday post. He is so cute!
Have you tried cutting a stem and putting it in water?
Hi Brenda,
No, I have never tried to grow coleus cuttings in water, but I did with African violet.
Do you plan to plant the coleus cutting back in soil after it develops its roots in water? Or do you want to grow it in water, in hydroculture?
I was just wondering if you tried cuttings in water, i heard that it doesnt make the plant as strong.
I have not tried any way yet.
Brenda – Yes, you are right. Roots that are grown in water is more brittle than the soil-grown ones. Hence, if we want to eventually grow our plant in soil after it has developed its roots, I would not recommend to root the plant first in water, for it will become difficult for the plant to adopt the new environment later on. Hope this help. Cheers!
Hi sandy, i know this is off topic, but i have to ask how the african violet worked out. i’m trying to grow one from a cutting, but i didn’t think to soak it in water first, or anything. how long did it take till it started showing signs of growth? did u fertilize it with anything special?
hehe, sorry to pelt you with questions. thanks for your post about coleus, I just bought my first plants just today, so i hope to someday grow more of those from cuttings too.
~Leah~(LiLi)
Leah – Don’t worry, all questions and comments are welcome.
No, you don’t have to soak the cutting first. If you like, you can dip the leaf stalk into some rooting hormone powder before planting it into the potting mix. Yet, this is not a must.
For my case, I have only propagated African violet once, and it took me around 2 months to see the first plantlet appearing around the leaf (apparently, my cuttings have taken longer than normal to propagate). And no, I didn’t give my cuttings any fertilizer during the process. Hope this help!
your website is perfect for someone like me, I live in NYC in an apartment with not much sunlight so to do container gardening will help appease my desire to have a outdoor garden at the moment. Thank you for the helpful tips and step-by-step snapshots
Winnie – This is great! That’s exactly what I want to do – to show how we, the condo / apartment dwellers who have no garden, can still enjoy gardening and brighten up our place with some living greens.