Understanding coleus plant care is very simple. It is one of the easiest plants to grow in a beginner garden. This will be a quick win for you with a huge opportunity to propagate and grow more plants. You will get great results in a short amount of time!
These beauties come in a wide variety of colors and cultivations. You can come up with several combinations for container or in-ground planting. There are over 70 different varieties to choose from!
Let’s get you started with one of the best (and easiest) plants for your garden!
This post is all about coleus plant care to help you grow a variety of plants.
Coleus are a great investment that will pay off in color and abundance! It is a perennial IF you live in a tropical, frost-free zone. Otherwise, they are annuals and will die when the first frost occurs.
1. How do I find coleus?
Coleus can be grown or purchased as a seed or plant from your local big box retailer or nursery. You can also purchase seeds online. If you choose to grow from seed, plant it by simply dropping it on top of the soil. It does not have to be covered with soil (the seeds are super tiny anyway so it would be hard to see them). Water the area where you planted the seeds and let nature do its thing.
If you are growing coleus from an existing plant you purchased, follow the instructions included on the plant tag. Coleus prefer shade or partial sunlight. So if you put it in direct sunlight, the leaves may burn (turn brown).
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2. Caring for Your Coleus
Coleus are very easy to care for, and most mistakes can easily be corrected. They grow best in shade or partial sunlight. A little morning or evening sun is ok! They prefer to be moist but do not overwater. If you overwater, it can cause root rot. Coleus typically do not need fertilizer. If you add fertilizer, it will grow more but it is not necessary because they grow well in the Spring and Summer.
If you notice that your coleus is beginning to grow flowers in the top middle of the plant, simply pinch off this area. This will redirect energy to the foliage and keep it growing for the rest of the season. As a side note, flowering is a good thing later in the season. Flowers are where the seeds are contained. These seeds can be harvested and used for the next growing season. Find out more about harvesting coleus seeds here.
3. Coleus Propagation
Propagating coleus is simple. When cutting pieces from the existing plant, be sure the piece is healthy and a couple of inches long. Take that piece and put it in a couple of inches of water until it forms roots. It generally takes the propagated piece 1-2 weeks to develop roots. Once the roots are developed, you can plant the coleus in the soil.
Dig a small hole with your finger or a tool where you want to put the propagated piece. Cover the stem with dirt and water. You will notice additional growth from the propagated piece in the next couple of weeks.
If you want to make your coleus bigger, follow the same propagation steps above and replant them in the same pot. Instead of waiting for the plants to grow roots, some gardeners cut 2 slits on both sides of the propagated piece. And immediately plant it in the same container.
Spring and summer are the best time for cuttings since it is within the growing season.
Now that you have everything you need to grow and care for your coleus, let’s get growing!
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