French Quarter Coleus Care (Germination, Propagation & More)

If you are looking for some foliage plants to add bright colors to your indoor or outdoor garden, then coleus french quarter plants are a great choice.

This article explains all you need to know about growing and caring for the french quarter coleus plant right from seed germination to pruning and propagation.

Take a quick look at all the topics that we are going to discuss.

• French Quarter Coleus Profile
• Where To Buy French Quarter?
• Grow Coleus French Quarter From Seed
• French Quarter Care Routine
• French Quarter Coleus Pruning
• French Quarter Coleus Propagation
• Coleus French Quarter Toxicity
• Lot’s more.

Let’s get started.

French Quarter Coleus Profile

Scientific Name	Solenostemon Scutellarioides ‘French Quarter’
Family/Genus	Lamiaceae
Common Name(s)	Coleus French Quarter, Solenostemon French Quarter
Care Level	Low maintenance
Origin	Asia, Australia
Plant Type	Annual/Perennial
USDA Zone	USDA 4 – 10
Light Requirements	Full sun, Partial sun
Temperature Preferences	70 – 85oF
Humidity Preferences	High humidity, >60%
Water Requirements	Average
Soil Preference	Moist & well-drained
Growth Rate	Fast
Propagation	Seed, Stem Cuttings
Toxicity	Mildly toxic

Where To Buy Coleus French Quarter On Sale?

If you are looking to buy your first coleus french quarter, start with your local nurseries and garden centers. 

There are a couple of other coleus varieties that look like a french quarter, so there is a chance for mislabelling in nurseries. So, compare the plants to the photos in this article to make sure that what you are buying is a real french quarter coleus plant.

If the local nurseries do not have coleus french quarter, then you need to try your luck from online marketplaces like Etsy, Facebook Business, Amazon, etc.

While buying online, always make sure that the seller is legit. Also, instead of living plants, it is recommended to buy french quarter coleus seeds from online retailers because transportation can easily damage the soft leaves.

How To Grow Coleus French Quarter From Seed?

Either due to the unavailability of the rooted live plant or, you just wanted to grow new plants from a parent plant, knowing how to germinate seed in the right way is necessary.

All it takes is a couple of hours of your time and some basic gardening props.

Here are the step-by-step guidelines that you must follow to germinate french quarter coleus with a high success rate.

1. Depending on the number of seeds you are planning to germinate, choose either a container or gardening tray. It is recommended to plant a minimum of 5 to 6 seeds for successful germination.
2. Fill the container with potting soil made up of coleus plants. Either mix your potting soil after reading our guide on coleus soil mixtures or use any commercial potting soil made for tropical plants.
3. The next step is to make small pits on the soil to place the seeds. You can use either a small rod or index finger to make the incision. Make sure to leave at least 3 to 4 inches of space in between each seed.
4. Each pit should be filled with clean seeds before being sealed with the same potting material. Just put a small amount of potting mixture above and do not seal the pit since the seeds require oxygen to breathe.
5. Use a spray bottle to spray water on the top layer of the soil mixture. Do not soak the seeds in water, just enough to make the soil layer a little moist.
6. French Quarter Coleus seed germination requires high humidity. So, use a plastic sheet to cover the container or tray so that the moisture and air are locked inside which creates high humidity. Just be aware that the sheet should not touch the soil.
7. Put the seed tray or container in a place where it gets bright sunlight and average temperatures in the range of 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

You might anticipate the first growth in 10 to 15 days if the germination conditions are ideal.

Once the new growth is visible, remove the plastic cover and keep the seedlings in the tray or container for a few more days to expose them to the real environment.

Once the leaves unfurl completely, transplant the coleus french quarter into the spot where it gets all the conditions right.

French Quarter Coleus Care Routine

French Quarter Coleus is a relatively low-maintenance plant that thieves in sub-tropical conditions. They grow well in conditions with full sun or partial shade, temperatures between 60 and 85 °F, and humidity levels of more than 60%. In the spring and summer, water the plant more frequently to maintain moist soil. Additionally, make sure the soil mixture you employ is highly nutrient-rich and well-drained.

Let’s go through each of the different care parameters for a closer look into the ideal routine.

1. Soil Requirements

French Quarter Coleus prefers a soil mixture with strong aeration, water holding capacity, and high nutritional concentrations, just like other coleus cultivars.

These plants thrive in soil combinations that are acidic, basic, or neutral in terms of pH. But according to studies, for the best growth, the pH level should be between 5.5 and 7.5, which translates to slightly acidic and slightly basic.

Coleus french quarter plants will do fine in potting soils with peat moss. If you do not want to mix a lot of ingredients, all you have to do is just mix some pebble stones (perlite or vermiculite) and moss (peat, coco coir) in a 1:3 ratio. 

But, for balanced optimal growth, you need to tweak the soil composition to add additional nutrients like leaf mold, compost, or chemical fertilizers.

Take a look at our dedicated article on the best coleus soil mixture to learn more about mixing ideal soil for the coleus french quarter plant.

2. Water Requirements

Coleus french quarter is a sub-tropical plant that has average water requirements.

When it comes to watering a plant, there is no one rule fits all. Depending on your location and seasons, the watering frequency needs to be changed.

So, the best way to know whether you need to water your coleus french quarter or not is to check the moisture content in the top few layers of the soil mixture. If it is starting to dry, you should water the plant, if not come back the next day and check.

3. Light Requirements

Coleus french quarter plants grow fine in both full sun and partial shade. The recommended light levels must be in the range of 4000 to 10000 fc.

Depending on the light intensity and quality, the coleus french quarter will showcase a different shade in its foliage.

If you keep french quarter coleus in full sun, the pink and burgundy colors in the leaves will dominate. On the other hand, the yellow and green colors of the foliage dominate in partial shade conditions.

If the light intensity goes below or above the recommended levels, the foliage starts to look washed out or bleached. So, if you are unsure of the location just plant them in a spot where it gets direct morning sun for at least a few hours. Then, observe the leaves and change the location accordingly.

4. Temperature & Humidity Needs

In terms of temperature requirements, coleus french quarter plants are more tolerable than some other varieties like inferno or black dragon.

Based on horticultural references, this plant thrives when the temperature is in the range of 60 to 85^oF which is a much wider range than the above-mentioned cultivars. 

You must reside in one of the areas that are classified as USDA zones 10 to 12 to grow french quarter coleus plants outdoors. Depending on the season, you might need to relocate the plant indoors in different regions.

Along with temperature, another thing to take note of is the humidity or how dry the air is. Because of its subtropical nature, these plants prefer regions with at least 50% humidity (60% is preferred).

5. Fertilizer Requirements

As already mentioned, coleus french quarter plants need a highly nutritious growing medium. 

If you use ready-made potting soil, you don’t have to add any additional fertilizer in the first year since the potting mixture already comes with fertilizer mixed.

However, if you choose to mix your coleus soil, you might have to add a balanced plant feed twice a month during the growing season. The recommended dosage for commercial production of french quarter coleus is 175 to 225 ppm N.

Coleus French Quarter Pruning

Just like many other varieties, french quarter colors are also a fast grower and can reach 45 to 60 cm in height in a growing season.

The leaves look amazing for sure, but if you do not want the plant to fill up the space so quickly, you can slightly prune the plant occasionally. Pruning helps in maintaining the shape and structure of the foliage so that it looks amazing in front of visitors.

To prevent cross-contamination, only ever prune these tropical plants with sterilized pruning shears, knives, or scissors.

Coleus French Quarter Propagation

Just like all other coleus varieties, french quarter coleus plants can be propagated by either stem cuttings or seed germination.

But commercially available french quarter coles is one of the premium varieties that is very late flowering or sometimes never flowering.

Based on a houseplant survey, many people expressed that their french quarter coleus never bloomed in their lifetime.

So, there is a high probability that your plant won’t flower and seed selection is a distant possibility. However, by some chance, if you got some flowers and seeds, follow the above seed germination process to propagate the coleus french quarter seeds.

For the remaining majority, the stem cuttings approach is the only way to multiply your french quarter coleus plant. Here is the step-by-step process you must follow,

1. Before trying to propagate using stem cuttings, make sure that the parent plant is mature enough.
2. From the matured plant, cut a stem with at least four or five leaves, measuring a minimum of 3 to 4 inches. Also, ensure that the cut you make is below a leaf node.
3. For roots to sprout from the nodes, remove two or three of the leaves from one end. Then dip those nodes in rooting hormone, which is not mandatory, but recommended for faster root growth.
4. Put the cuttings in either a jar with water or a container with soil. Make sure that the nodes are submerged inside water or soil. Also, the leaves should not touch the water.
5. Temperature and humidity are key factors in the early stages of rooting. As a result, be sure to place the plant where it will receive high humidity and temperatures between 70 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

To avoid bacterial and other fungal illnesses when you are rooting in water, replace the water once a week.

You can anticipate roots to begin to sprout in two to three weeks if everything goes as planned.

Once you start to see new leaf growth, move the plant to a bigger container and follow the care routine described above for optimal growth.

Is Coleus French Quarter Edible?

For humans, french quarter coleus plants are not toxic but may experience allergic reactions. The reactions include red rash and dermatitis.

However, this plant is mildly toxic to pets including cats and dogs. Eating the plant’s leaves or any other part of it may induce gastrointestinal pain.

It is not fatal, but if your pet is already suffering from any disease, ingesting this plant may worsen the condition. So, it is better to keep them away from french quarter coleus plants.

French Quarter Coleus Care – Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Since Coleus French Quarter is a relatively uncommon plant compared to a few other varieties, there are a lot of questions asked on multiple forums by beginner houseplants. 

And, here we are answering some of the frequently asked questions related to growing and caring for french quarter coleus.

Sources

To back up the information we provide in our articles, the Plantials team only uses high-quality sources published in peer-reviewed university or scientific research journals.

1. Coleus Species: Solenostemon Scutellarioides, Review Article From Inventi Journal Via Reasearchgate.
2. Minimum Daily Light Integral For Growing High-Quality Coleus, American Society For Horticultural Science.
3. The Role Of Light On Foliage Colour Development In Coleus, University Of Florida Via Sciencedirect.
4. Evaluation Of Soil Characteristics And Yield Variation Of Coleus (Coleus Forskohlii) In Different Agro-Climatic Zones Of Tamil Nadu, India, International Journal Of Chemical Studies.
5. Bio Control Potential Of Pseudomonas Fluorescens Against Coleus Root Rot Disease, Journal Of Plant Pathology & Microbiology.