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rosarugosa
10-17-11, 8:04am
There are certain annuals that I buy every year, and it has gotten pretty expensive. I am wondering if anyone has experience or knows if I can propagate any of the following from cuttings or overwinter as houseplants:
Licorice plant (Helichrysum)
Sweet potato vine
Coleus
Purple Fountain Grass (I doubt it, but this is the most expensive so it can't hurt to ask)

cdttmm
10-17-11, 8:33am
I don't know about propagating from cuttings, but you can grow coleus from seed. You might be able to pot your helichrysum and fountain grass and overwinter it indoors. I had fountain grass in a container last year and I brought it inside for the winter and it returned this year. Not sure about sweet potato vine.

Gina
10-17-11, 2:48pm
Coleus is very easy to start from cuttings. Sometimes some of the older leaves are snipped in half so they don't lose as much water. Needs humidity so in a green house or enclosed container of some sort - perhaps using a plastic bag over the pot.

Fountain grass is also easy to start other plants - not cuttings per se, but just dig some up, and divide the base into sections. Put them into soil, moisten, and you'll have new plants.

I don't know about the others.

rosarugosa
10-18-11, 8:06am
Cdttmm: How did you grow the fountain grass indoors? In a sunny window as a houseplant, or dormant in an unheated room or dark basement?
Gina: I think you are in a warmer climate than I am, so although I could divide the fountain grass and start new plants, I need a strategy for wintering-over.
I'm going to try rooting some cuttings of the coleus, helichrysum, and sweet potato vine - all I have to lose is a glass of water! :)

cdttmm
10-18-11, 9:45am
rosa: I just brought mine indoors before we had regular freezing at night - end of Oct/beginning of Nov. I kept it in a part of our house where the heat is set to 55 degrees, so it's cool, but not cold. There are a lot of windows in that part of the house, so it does warm up to about 60 degrees on sunny days in the winter. I watered it a little bit about every 2 weeks and in the spring brought it back outside where it proceeded to grow and flourish for another season. Of course, we'll see if I have similar luck this time around!