Coleus plants, made popular as Victorian bedding plants, made an enormous comeback during the 1990s and show no sign of fading back to anonymity. These lovely foliage plants give us all-season color full sun, shade, and everything in between and are the last word in low maintenance. Coleus may be a tender tropical plant, native to areas bordering the equator. It loves the warmth but will happily grow as an annual in only about any garden.

Coleus plants are within the Lamiaceae, or mint, family, characterized by square stems and opposite leaves. However, the foliage can vary widely, in shape, style, and color. Breeders regularly produce new introductions with ever weird colors and patterns. the small blue to white flowers are insignificant, and most growers pinch them off to stay the plant’s energy dedicated to leaf production.

Planted outdoors in early spring, coleus quickly grows to full size during a single season. It also makes an honest container plant and may even be grown indoors. Its vividly colored foliage adds an ornamental touch to patios, window boxes, and indoor spaces.

Coleus Care

Coleus plants aren’t in the least frost-tolerant, so don’t rush to urge your plants within the ground. Wait until temperatures remain reliably above 60 degrees Fahrenheit before you progress them call at the garden. they’re going to do best in rich, loose soil, so amending with compost or sphagnum before planting is suggested unless you’ve got excellent soil.

To grow coleus during a container, start with an outsized pot that the plant can grow into; otherwise, you’ll be repotting this fast-growing plant before you recognize it. In mixed container plantings, coleus usually is an upright “thriller” plant within the center of the container, surrounded by “fillers” and “spillers.”

Light

Coleus may be a classic part-shade to full-shade plant, but light exposure depends on the variability. The old-fashioned seed-grown coleus does best partially shade to full shade, but the newer cultivars have their best color if grown where they will receive more sun. However, it also depends on your climate. If you reside in a hot, dry area, all kids will need some shade, especially within the afternoon. In cooler areas with shorter seasons, the shade coleus will need more sun exposure to assist them to warm up.

Plants were grown in containers indoors usually get light from the indirect sun during the hotter (brighter) months but may have to be exposed to filtered sunlight during the winter. It doesn’t take much, but they are doing need some light.

Soil

Coleus prefers consistently moist, rich, loose soil. Before planting, amend the soil with compost or another organic material. For potted plants, any good-quality peat-based potting mix will work fine.

Container-grown coleus love the loose texture of potting soil, and it always helps to start out with a top quality mix with a rather acidic to neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.0. Provide drainage within the pot to make sure the soil isn’t constantly wet, which results in plant disease .

Water

Coleus plants grow best in soil that’s consistently moist though not soggy. The soil shouldn’t remain wet all the time, but long dry spells will slow the plants’ growth, and therefore the leaves will start to show brown round the edges. Mulch will help the soil retain moisture longer, but don’t use cedar mulch, which may be toxic to coleus. Also, don’t let the mulch touch the stems, because it can promote rot and conceal slugs.

Coleus in containers may have watering twice each day during weather . Outdoor containers may require water twice each day . Indoor plants need water just one occasion every two or three days, or a touch more if you reside during a dry climate. When using earthenware pots, it helps to line the pot with plastic to assist retain moisture within the soil.

Temperature and Humidity

As a tropical plant, coleus thrives in hot, humid conditions. In temperate climates, the barest hint of frost will spell the top of the plants. confirm to require cuttings of any favorite plants before the weather turns cold.

Keep indoor plants faraway from air conditioning vents and other cold spots. In dry climates, the plants will like some humidity from a humidifier or a toilet environment. to require potted plants outdoors in spring, wait until the temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer.

Fertilizer

If you’ve got rich soil, you’ll not get to feed coleus plants in the least. If you’ve got poor soil, give the plants a monthly feeding with a balanced fertilizer mixed at half strength. You’ll get the simplest color from your coleus leaves if you go easy on the fertilizer.

Container-grown plants can enjoy a slow-release fertilizer added to the potting soil when starting a replacement pot. Thereafter, feed with a diluted liquid fertilizer given all to 2 weeks. Container plants generally need more feeding than garden plants because frequent watering washes nutrients from potting soil.

Coleus Varieties

There are many dozens of coleus cultivars available with various colors, leaf textures, and patterns. Additional cultivars are developed annually, and garden centers tend to specialize in a get few that have proven to be hottest among their customers. you’ll need to shop several different nurseries or online retailers to seek out the foremost unique varieties. Some to seem for include:

1. Wizard series: These are small 12- to 14-inch plants in standard color mixes. they’re known to be very easy to grow from seeds.
2. Kong series: These coleus varieties have huge 6-inch leaves on big 2-foot plants. they’re quite sensitive to direct sunlight.
3. ‘Black Dragon’:This unusual variety has deep burgundy leaves with ruffled edges. They grow to 18 inches tall.
4. Premium Sun series: These cultivars are bred to tolerate full sun.
5. Fairway series: These are dwarf coleus varieties, only 6 to 10 inches tall, during a sort of leaf patterns and colors.

Is Coleus Toxic?

Some, not all, coleus plant varieties contain diterpene coleonol, a compound that’s toxic to animals. Unless you’ll confirm your plant isn’t toxic, it’s best to stay it faraway from pets. If you think your pet has eaten any part of a coleus plant, contact a vet for recommendations.

Symptoms of Poisoning

Ingestion by animals can cause the subsequent symptoms: diarrhea, vomiting, bloody stool, lethargy, weakness, lack of appetite, and difficulty breathing.

Pruning

To get full, bushy plants, pinch out the growing tips when the plants are about 6 inches tall. you’ll do that a couple of more times if you wish, but after the plants start sending up flower stalks, you’ll be pinching out these stalks and getting equivalent results as pinching the ideas.

Plants that aren’t pruned tend to urge leggy and lose their nice shape and dense foliage. If legginess may be a persistent problem, the plants may have more sun. this is often commonest with indoor plants during winter; give them a touch more sun or, if necessary, artificial light.

Propagating Coleus

Favorite coleus plants can easily be propagated by taking stem cuttings and rooting them. Cut a 4- to 6-inch stem tip, then remove all leaves from the lower half of the cutting. Dip the top of the stem during a rooting compound, then plant it in a moist potting mix therefore the soil covers the exposed leaf nodes. Place the container during a bag, ensuring the plastic doesn’t touch the cutting. Place the covered cutting during a bright, warm location until new roots develop; this takes two to 3 weeks. Remove the plastic and still grow the new plant in a bright, warm location.

More exotic cultivars are often reluctant to root, so with these, take many cuttings to make sure that you simply get enough viable plants.

How to Grow Coleus From Seed

Modern coleus varieties sold in stores are hybrids that are nearly always grown from cuttings potted up for nursery sale, but you’ll still find seeds of the many varieties. If you’ll be planting the coleus within the outdoor garden, start seeds indoors about 8 to 10 weeks before your last frost date.

Lightly sprinkle the small seeds over a tray crammed with potting mix, then lightly cover with a sprinkling of soil. Cover the tray with plastic and set it during a bright, warm spot until seedlings sprout, which takes about fortnight . Remove the plastic and still grow the seedlings while keeping the soil moist.

When two sets of true leaves appear on the seedlings, carefully transplant them into their own pots and continue growing them until outdoor planting time. It can take as long as 21 days for the seeds to germinate, so twiddling my thumbs . Once seedlings appear, three or four weeks of warm weather turns them into adult plants.

Common Pests/Diseases

The primary outdoor pests for coleus are groundhogs and young rabbits. If you’ll protect your plants early within the season, these pests will usually turn their attention to other plants by mid-summer.

Coleus isn’t usually bothered by diseases unless the weather turns cool and damp. If that happens, expect to ascertain signs of fungal diseases like mildew. If you’re growing your plants indoors, be careful for scale, whiteflies, and particularly mealybugs.

Landscape Uses for Coleus Plants

Coleus is generally used as an annual bedder or in outdoor container gardens and baskets. In colder zones, container plants are sometimes moved indoors to overwinter. Warmer zones can grow coleus as garden perennials, where they will grow to resemble small shrubs with thick woody stems. When planted within the ground, coleus plants are often massed for dramatic impact; they will even be used as edging plants.

Design-wise, it’s hard to travel wrong with coleus. Large quilt-like plantings of various coleus can look luscious. They also mix well in borders and containers. you’ll match the leaves with flowers that echo or complement the coleus’ colors.