The prettiest and neatest coleus to come along in quite a while, 'Chocolate Mint' offers rich brown to burgundy-maroon foliage with a trim mint-green scallop and matching reverse. Very easy to start from seed, it grows quickly into a well-branched, bushy little plant just ideal for containers indoors or out as well as the partly to fully shaded annual bed.
These leaves are very uniform, creating a formal look that suits porch steps and patterned beds perfectly. You will love watching the new seedlings emerge, sporting their permanent coloring from the time they are no bigger than a fingernail. Pinch the plant once or twice as it grows to encourage more branching, then sit back and enjoy these flowers from spring through fall, or year-round indoors. It reaches 12 to 14 inches high and about 10 to 12 inches wide, a good size for containers or the middle of the annual border. Content even in full shade, it is quite heat tolerant outdoors.
Germinate the seed, covered lightly (or just dropped in the holes of the Bio Dome), at 72 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the seedlings have appeared, lower the temperature to 68 to 72 degrees and grow on until the young plants have at least two to three sets of true leaves. Very simple and quick.
This seed comes as a "pellet". "Pelleted" seeds are small seeds that have been clay-coated to make them larger and more uniform in size and shape, making them easier to handle when planting.
