How to Grow Coleus

By eHow Home & Garden Editor

Rate: (16 Ratings)

When you need a splash of color in the shade, consider coleus. This annual (grows just one year) produces beautiful foliage, adding an instant jolt of color.

Flag Article

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Garden Trowels
Plants
Garden Hoses
Mulch
Compost Makers
Garden Spades
Fertilizers

Step1

Buy healthy plants with no signs of wilting or disease. Plants should be stocky with plenty of closely placed leaves.

Step2

Plant coleus outdoors in spring, after all danger of frost has passed, in a site with partial to full shade. Choose rich, well-drained soil with plenty of moisture, and be sure to work in a spadeful or two of compost at planting time.

Step3

Space plants 2 to 12 inches apart, depending on the mature height of the plants, which can range from 10 to 18 inches.

Step4

Pinch off the tops and trim coleus flowers to encourage branching and a bushier, fuller plant.

Step5

Keep soil moist. Mulching is a good idea.

Step6

Fertilize every four to six weeks or work in a slow-release fertilizer at planting time.

Step7

Tear out and discard plants in fall, after frost fells them.

Tips & Warnings

Coleus produces small flowers but is grown for its brilliant foliage, which comes in shades of red, green, white, maroon, pink, yellow and bronze.
Coleus makes a great houseplant. Dig up plants and bring them indoors for the winter. Or take cuttings in late fall, root them in a jar of water, and pot them up to plant outdoors in spring.
If placed in full sun, coleus will wilt excessively and may get sunscald, the plant equivalent of sunburn.

Who Can Help:

Comments

babs74133 said

Flag This Comment

on 10/8/2008 someone told me that I can bring the coleus plant inside for the winter can anyone tell me how this is done

bay66 said

Flag This Comment

on 5/13/2007 Are they okay to have around cats?

said

Flag This Comment

on 3/21/2006 Coleus is great as a house plant. You can keep it all year long indoors. When it gets too large, just cut back and either replant or toss out the pieces. My family is not great at watering, but coleus is a very durable plant. When it starts to wilt, just water it and it springs right back.

said

Flag This Comment

on 1/2/2006 I'm from Singapore, and as you know, it's a tropical country. Coleus or what the natives here call 'Hati-hati' are easy to grow and become a shrub-like plant in about 2 months. Not all of these plants flower but when they do, they produce beautiful purplish blue flowers. They need plenty of watering and a fertile soil, and grow all year long.

said

Flag This Comment

on 11/22/2005 I know most people say to remove the flowers from coleus, but I let mine flower this year. I planted two of the Kong varieties (Kong Red and Kong Rose), 12 inches apart. They grew quickly to near-shrub size, completely filling the space I gave them, then began to flower. The stalks are long, and they do branch, but there are lots of tiny blue flowers, and the bees seem to love them, especially bumblebees!