Coleus Plant Indoor Care guide

Instructions

Soil Preference:

1. All coleus varieties require a light soil.
2. A mix of potting soil and perlite will keep the roots happiest.
3. Our preferred houseplant mix for coleus is 40 % potting mix to 60% perlite.
4. A heavy soil potting mix is not recommended for coleus plants..

Pot Size and Type:

1. Coleus can be grown in pots that fit the roots.
2. If you want to encourage faster growth choose a pot about 2 inches wider in diameter than the root ball.
3. Any well draining pot can be used.
4. Repot every year or when roots come out the drainage holes on the pot bottom To the next pot size up.

Lighting:

1. Coleus hybrids enjoy a wide variety of lighting conditions. Check the plant tag. Most varities will tolerate low light but do best in bright indirect light as houseplants.
2. Some filtered sunlight from a window will be appreciated.
3. Shield coleus from strong direct light in summer. South and west facing sunny windows can burn and fade the foliage.
4. Tip: Window sheers or blinds can offset some brief periods of high direct light.

Watering:

1. Water your coleus when the soil is dry down an inch or so. Aroids do not like to be overly wet.
2. Watering is best done on a regular schedule so the plant is not over or under watered. Both can cause stress on the plant.
3. This tropical plant enjoys high humidity. 50 to 70% is a good range. They can tolerate less but they won't be happy.
4. In dry climates coleus will benefit from a humidifier nearby. Or set it in your kitchen or bathroom. For a really dry climate frequent misting, pebbles trays and plant grouping will also help.
5. In dormant winter months reduce watering to when the soil is dry down halfway .
6. Never let this plant get wet feet. If the soil is compacted the bottom of the soil can remain wet which encourages root rot and fungus gnats.
7. If you see yellowing leaves on the foliage you may be overwatering.

How to Fertilize:

1. Coleus are not heavy feeders and go without feeding more than other houseplants. But an occasional dose, even every other month in the growing season, is welcome.
2. Decrease feedings by late Fall and allow the plant to rest through the winter months.
3. Look for brown spots on the leaves of your plants. This may indicate an over concentration of salts in the roots from over feeding. Fertilizers can burn the leaves if concentrations in the soil build too high.
4. If this happens flush the soil with water to reduce the salts.

Temperature:

1. Keep coleus at a low of 50 Degrees F( in dormant winter months). to upward of 85 Degrees F. This tropical plant requires warmth and humidity for best growth.

Pruning and Training:

1. Pruning will give you a fuller plant with more even growth. Unpruned coleus get leggy. Pinch them back like the polka dot plant.
2. Sharp Hand pruners are preferred for pruning. They will give a clean cut that will heal quickly.

Table Top Plants:

1. It’s easy to prune and shape coleus to whatever length and fullness you desire.
2. As a table top plant cut the trailers back evenly all around the pot. If you want the pot fuller add more starts to the pot.

Hanging Baskets:

1. Many trailing varieties of Coleus make excellent, easy care houseplants. Coleus are fast growing plants.
2. The vibrant foliage is easily trimmed to whatever length you enjoy.
3. Add the trimmed ends into your pot to fill in any bald areas in your pot.
4. Be sure to turn the basket toward the light whenever you water to balance the foliage growth around the pot.
5. Trim off leggy branches at the intersections (pictured above) to keep your baskets well balanced and shaped.

Coleus Flowers:

• All coleus produce small blue clusters of flowers on long stems..
• Coleus flowers will sap the strength of your mother plant.
• For optimal growth and vibrancy of foliage, snip off the flower stems.

Pests:

1. Coleus are tough. But like all plants, can get attacked by pests.
2. Stress by longterm overwatering, poor light, extreme temperatures and soil conditions are contributors to plant stress..
3. Spider mites, mealy bugs, scale, thrips, aphids, and whitefly along with pesky but nearly harmless, fungus gnats are the most common houseplant pests you will see.
4. Click the linked posts above for information on how to get rid of all these pests.
5. To minimize the possibility of pests be sure to check all nursery plants before bringing them home.
6. Quarantine all new plants until you are sure no pests live in them.

How to Propagate:

Coleus are incredibly easy to propagate.

You can also grow them from seed. Although that is usually done in ourdoor plantings. Growing coleus from seed will not produce reliablle results in your foliage colors.

If you want to exactly reproduce a plant foliage you love. Use tissue cutting with the methods below.

Methods of Tissue Propagation:

Soil Propagation:

Plant bare unrooted cutting in good soil with the proper light and moisture. In a few weeks you will notice new growth.

Water Propagation:

1. Cut off a 3 to 6 inch stem with a couple of nodes and healthy growth.
2. Strip off bottom leaves. Place the node into a jar with water. Use tap water that has settled 24 hours in the jar to dissipate chemicalsl.
3. Set the jar in a well lit area.
4. After several weeks roots will grow. Allow the roots to get an inch or more in length.
5. Plant gently and firmly into pot with proper soil mix.
6. Make sure to keep the soil moist until the roots begin to set into the soil.