Cretonne (Coleu Blumei)

Coleus blumei

Today we are going to talk about a plant of tropical origin that has always been widely used to decorate home interiors. It's about the chintz. It is also known as choleus. Its scientific name is Coleu blumei and it is a plant with great beauty and ornamental strength. It is grown mainly indoors because it does not have much capacity to tolerate the cold. However, weather permitting, it can be planted outdoors.

In this article we are going to treat this plant in depth, from its main characteristics to the care it needs so that we can make the most of it. Do you want to learn how to take care of the chintz? Keep reading 🙂

Key features

Cretonne care

It is very possible that you have ever seen this plant decorating some interiors. It is normal, because its beauty is worth it to give a touch of joy and showiness to the most visited rooms of a home.

It has a semi-shrubby habit and can grow up to a meter in height. It begins to be planted in a pot and, if it is not moved, will not grow more than 50 cm, since the space for the growth of the roots is limited by the pot. Its origin comes from Southeast Asia, which makes it a tropical plant. Therefore, it is not good at withstanding low temperatures and is very sensitive to the cold of winter. You have to make sure you protect it well in winter if you want it to survive.

If, on the other hand, our climate is warm, there will be no problems in keeping it outside in orchards or gardens. Cretonne has bright colors that can be yellow, purple, brown, green or scarlet. Its leaves are arranged in parts, one in front of the other and form a quite striking set.

To achieve these vivid colors, different hybridizations with other specimens had to be experimented for a long time. It is a fairly easy plant to reproduce, both by seed and by cutting. Therefore, the cost of a chintz is quite affordable. It can also be used as a seasonal outdoor plant.

Some parts of these plants contain psychoactive principles.

Necessary requirements

Indoor cretonne

As we have said before, because it is a tropical plant, if your climate does not adapt perfectly to these conditions, we will have to meet certain requirements if we want the plant to grow healthy and colorful.

The first thing to consider is lighting. We must locate it in a bright place, but without the sun's rays hitting it directly at noon. At this time the sun is very harmful and could damage the tissue of the leaves, making them lose their color. Can be grown both in semi-shade and indoors. You just have to guarantee good lighting.

An indicator that our colus is getting too much sun It is the yellowing of the leaves.

Another aspect to take into account is the temperature. The temperature that the chintz needs to be at is above 13 degrees all the time. It has a great tolerance for heat, so even if it is 40 degrees in August, you will not have problems. However, if during the winter the temperatures are frequently lower than 13 degrees, the plant could die.

The required substrate is not demanding. Using a fertile and acid substrate will be more than enough. One aspect to take into account is the drainage. The soil or pot where it is planted must have good drainage to avoid waterlogging.

Cretonne care

Cretonne Maintenance

To keep our chintz in good health, we must give it some necessary care. Starting with watering, you need to water two to three times a week during the warmer months of summer. When winter comes and temperatures are lower, it should only be watered once a week.

The substrate must be kept moist at all times. If we see that the substrate is slightly dry, it is better to water as soon as possible. If during irrigation there is an excess of water (for example in the saucer of the pot) we must eliminate it, since coleus is not resistant to flooding. The indicator that makes us see that irrigation is not good is that its leaves become limp and begin to fall.

Although chintz lives in humid environments, it is best not to spray or wet its leaves. You can simply increase the humidity by placing the pot on a saucer with water and pebbles, ensuring that the pot is not in direct contact with the water in the saucer.

Regarding the subscriber, this plant is not very demanding, but it does need compost every 10-15 days during spring and summer. For this we will use a liquid fertilizer diluted in the irrigation water.

Reproduction and pruning

Choleus colors

As we have mentioned before, this plant is quite easy to reproduce. It can be reproduced by seeds at a constant temperature of between 20 and 22 degrees and by cuttings. The easiest way to reproduce chintz is with cuttings. They need to be 15 cm long and can be rooted in water. After a few days they will have rooted and you can transfer it to a pot.

Coleus needs some maintenance tasks such as pruning. It is convenient to make a frequent trimming to favor the production of new branches and maintain a more compact shape. We must remove dry leaves or in poor condition so that our plant remains in good condition. If we see that the plant is quite elongated, a more severe pruning can be carried out and only the main stems with some shoots can be left.

You can take advantage of pruning to reproduce and renew the plant.

As for the pests that can attack chintz, we find the cochineal, whitefly, snails and slugs. As long as they have adequate light and do not have excess humidity, the probability of being attacked by these pests is lower.

With this information you can perfectly take care of your chintz and enjoy its beauty indoors.


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  1.   Alejandra said

    I wanted to know if it is true that I should cut her flowers if she does not die? Is beautiful! Thanks a lot

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Alejandra.

      It depends on the weather. If there are no frosts in your area and the temperature stays above 10ºC, you don't need to prune anything 🙂
      Now, if it is cold in winter, it is advisable to cut the flowers so that it lives a little longer.

      Greetings.

  2.   nibia said

    Hello, I have pruned my chintz in the autumn just started, because it reached a height of two meters and it was getting weaker, did I do it right?

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Nybia.

      It can be pruned in autumn without problem. Do not worry.

      Greetings.

  3.   AMELIA said

    HELLO, A CONSULTATION, IT IS ADVISABLE TO LEAVE THE FLOWER OR REMOVE THEM SO THAT THE PLANT COMES WITH MORE FORCE. THANK YOU.

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Amelia.

      We do not recommend removing the flowers, as they are a natural part of the plant and she has spent considerable energy producing them.

      Greetings.

  4.   Antonio said

    Thank you, very good information, Venezuelan but based in Portugal

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Thank you very much, Antonio. Greetings.