Perennial Solutions: Coleus ‘Hipsters Zooey’
‘Hipsters Zooey’ is heat tolerant and performs well across much of the country. Best leaf coloration occurs in locations with morning sun and afternoon shade.
For more than twelve years I have featured a wide range of perennials in this column. There have been only a few instances where I’ve written about a plant which may have been only marginally hardy and is most commonly marketed as an annual rather than a perennial.
This month’s feature, coleus ‘Hipsters Zooey’, is one of those plants. Besides my personal fondness of this genera, my decision to highlight this plant stems from the work of the perennial enthusiasts over at Terra Nova Nurseries who have been breeding and selecting top notch coleus cultivars for a number of years now.
Coleus ‘Hipsters Zooey’ is a unique coleus in the sense that the foliage looks more like feathers than leaves and each of them is marked slightly differently. With its lime-gold foliage splashed with unique tart cherry patterns, ‘Hipsters Zooey’ is definitely not your grandmother’s coleus. Currently, Zooey is one of two cultivars in the Hipsters collection, which are selected for their sleekness, spirit and pizzazz.
‘Hipsters Zooey’ has a low spreading habit, growing attractive mounds reaching only 9 inches high and spreading to 23 inches across. Although it is not cold hardy for most parts of the county, ‘Hipsters Zooey’ can be grown as a perennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and 11. The best leaf coloration occurs in locations with morning sun and afternoon shade. They are heat tolerant and perform well across much of the county including the deep South. Although coleus are primarily grown for the characteristics of the foliage, ‘Hipsters Zooey’ does produce lavender-blue flowers in the late summer.
Consider using ‘Hipsters Zooey’ in patio pots, mixed containers, in summer borders and mass plantings or as an attractive houseplant. There will be lots of attention and promotion on coleus this year as the National Garden Bureau has chosen coleus for its annual selection in their “Year of the” promotion. With its unique and eye-catching foliage, low spreading habit and ease of production coleus ‘Hipsters Zooey’ is worth growing.
Hipsters Zooey’ is a unique coleus with lime-gold foliage splashed with tart cherry patterns.
Propagation
Coleus ‘Hipsters Zooey’ is easily propagated vegetatively from tip cuttings. The ideal cuttings are approximately 11/2 to 2 inches in size and should have at least one or two leave nodes present. Moisten the growing mix or stabilized growing media prior to sticking the cuttings. Coleus roots easily without the use of rooting compounds.
Place the cuttings under a medium misting regiment for the first few days of propagation. Rooting occurs best when they are propagated under high humidity levels (90 percent relative humidity) with minimal misting and soil temperatures ranging from 70-74° F. After the first few days, reduce the amount of mist being provided. It is beneficial to apply water soluble fertilizers using 75- to 100-ppm nitrogen at each irrigation beginning one week after sticking the cuttings. Continue to decrease the amount of mist being delivered as the roots begin to develop. The mist can usually be removed altogether approximately 14 days after sticking. It takes approximately four weeks from sticking for the liners to become fully rooted and ready for transplanting.
Production
‘Hipsters Zooey’ is well suited for production in 1 quart to 1 gallonsized containers. Coleus performs best in a growing mix with both good water holding characteristics and adequate aeration. When transplanting, the liners should be planted so the original soil line of the liner is even with the surface of the growing medium of the new container. ‘Hipsters Zooey’ branches freely; therefore, pinching is not necessary.
Coleus perform best when grown with light to moderate fertility levels. Growers using water-soluble fertilizers commonly provide 100- to 150-ppm nitrogen plus micronutrients with each irrigation or 250-ppm nitrogen as needed. Controlled-release fertilizers can be incorporated into the growing mix before planting using the equivalent of 0.8 to 1.0 pounds of elemental nitrogen per cubic yard of growing mix or top dressed using the medium labeled rate. Maintain the growing mix throughout the production cycle with a pH between 5.8 and 6.5.
‘Hipsters Zooey’ requires average amounts of irrigation. Keep them evenly moist while avoiding overly wet or dry conditions during production. Never let coleus wilt as the bottom leaves generally do not fully recover.
Although coleus are thought to be shade plants, the newer cultivars can be grown under reasonably high light intensities. Several growers produce coleus under 30 percent shade or with light intensities between 4,000 and 6,000 foot-candles.
Coleus are warm-season plants and should be grown with warm temperatures. A good strategy is to grow them with 70-75° F day temperatures and 60-65° F nights. They can tolerate slightly lower temperatures but should not be grown cold.
With their compact habit, it is not usually necessary to use plant growth regulators during production. Plant size can often be maintained with good irrigation management, providing just the right amount of fertilization and with proper spacing between the plants. Plant width can be reduced with spray applications of 2,500-ppm daminozide. One or two applications applied seven days apart is usually sufficient.
This coleus can be used in patio pots, mixed containers, in summer borders and mass plantings or as a houseplant.
Insects and Diseases
There are only a few pests and diseases that attack coleus. Aphids, mealybugs and whiteflies are the most prevalent insect pests. Growers may observe pathogens including Alternaria, Botrytis, downy mildew and Pythium on occasion. Generally, it is not necessary to implement preventative management strategies for any of these insects or diseases. The occurrence of these problems can be detected with routine crop monitoring; control strategies may not be necessary unless the scouting activities indicate actions should be taken.
Temperature and Scheduling
‘Hipsters Zooey’ is straightforward to produce, grows fast and can easily be scheduled. Since it is a tender perennial, avoid over-wintering coleus unless you are providing minimal heat (above 50° F). Although it does produce flowers, the main selling attributes are the characteristics of the foliage. ‘Hipsters Zooey’ requires short days for flowering; therefore, to keep the plants vegetative, it is best to grow them when the days are naturally long or to provide long-day lighting (day extension or night interruption) when the day lengths are
naturally short.
The production timing of ‘Hipsters Zooey’ is primarily a function of temperature. As mentioned above, coleus perform best when they are grown with warm temperatures; maintain 24-hour average temperatures of 65-70° F throughout production. When they are grown in small container sizes, such as 4-inch or quart-sized pots, they require three to four weeks of growing time to fill out the containers. One gallon sized pots will require approximately six weeks of growing time after transplanting to reach a marketable stage.
Availability
Coleus ‘Hipsters Zooey’ is brought to the industry by Terra Nova Nurseries Inc. (www.terranovanurseries.com). Liners are currently available from Terra Nova Nurseries.
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