How to Grow Coleus: Water Cuttings, Pinching and Winter Care (Video)

Transcript

Did you know coleus is grown for its leaves, not its flowers?

Did you know coleus is grown for its leaves, not its flowers?

Grow Coleus the Easy Way

Stay for the one mistake that sends your coleus woody and tired.

Why pinch coleus flowers

Here's the thing about coleus. It's grown for colour in the leaves, not flowers. When that spike of small blue flowers appears, the plant puts everything into seed. Leaves get smaller, stems get woody, and it looks tired within weeks. So if you're wondering why it isn't flowering, that's the wrong worry. For most gardeners, no flowers is the goal.

The two finger habit

Now, the part most people miss. Every time you water, glance at the tips. If you see a tight, pointed spike with tiny buds at the top, pinch it off just above the first pair of full leaves. Do it the day you see it, not when it opens. That keeps the plant bushy and colourful for months longer.

Root cuttings in water

This is honestly the easiest propagation you'll ever do. Cut an eight to ten centimetre tip, just below a node, with at least two pairs of leaves. Strip the bottom pair, stand it in a glass of water in bright shade, and change the water every two or three days. Roots show within a week or two in warm weather.

Growing from seed

Can you grow coleus from seed? Yes, absolutely. Sow on the surface of fine, damp mix in February to March on the plains, or October in Karachi. Press in lightly but don't cover, because the seeds need light. Keep warm and moist, and they come up in one to three weeks. Then thin the seedlings and pick the colours you like.

Where to put coleus

Here's a neat trick. The leaves tell you if the light is right. Washed out, bleached colour means too much sun. Green, leggy, faded patterns mean too little. In Lahore or Delhi, an east facing balcony is perfect. In Karachi, bright shade works most of the year. In Multan during May and June, go for full shade.

Mix, water and feed

Coleus likes a light mix that holds moisture. Think two parts soil, one part compost, one part cocopeat. Water daily in pots during summer, because coleus droops fast when dry, though it perks up within the hour. In monsoon, water when the top couple of centimetres feel dry. Feed lightly, a spoon of compost a month.

Pinch past 15 cm

Here's a simple rule. Pinch the tips through spring and summer whenever a stem gets past fifteen centimetres. Then in late February to March, cut overwintered plants back hard, by about half, down to fresh leaves, to restart them for the new season. Leave it too long and the stems go woody and bare, and it rarely recovers its shape.

Winter survival tips

In November, before the first cold nights, take several cuttings of each colour. Root them in water or small pots on a bright indoor sill. Water sparingly, and keep them away from both heaters and cold glass. Then in March, pot them back outdoors in shade. Old plants often die in frost anyway, so those cuttings are your insurance.

Yellow leaves? Check this

If the leaves turn yellow or drop, don't panic. Yellow lower leaves with wet soil usually means overwatering, so let the top dry and check drainage. Leaves dropping suddenly in winter means cold, move it indoors. Bleached crispy patches mean sun scorch, shift to shade. And white cottony clusters are mealybugs, see the pest guide.

Worth knowing first

One quick heads up. Coleus is rated low in toxicity, but the leaves can cause skin irritation in some people with repeated handling. Pets that chew on it might vomit. Keep it out of reach of toddlers and chewing pets, wash hands after cuttings, and if a rash spreads or a child eats a quantity, see a doctor.

The one mistake to avoid

So here's the one mistake that undoes everything. Letting those flower spikes stay. The moment they appear, the plant switches to seed-making. Leaves shrink, stems turn woody, and it rarely recovers. The fix is simple. Nip off every flower spike the day it appears, just above the first pair of full leaves. Do that, and one nursery plant becomes a dozen pots.

Grow it or skip it?

So should you grow it? Grow it if you have a shady balcony that nothing flowers on. Coleus gives flower level colour from leaves alone, and it's the easiest plant in this whole series to multiply. Skip it for a scorching west facing roof, unless you buy labelled sun types and accept some scorch in June.

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Read the full guide

The full guide is on thecareonline.com. General information only, so check with your doctor for your own case.