Some coleus varieties will never break the three-foot mark, while larger ones will reach four or … To extend their season of interest, cut off any flowers as soon as you see them beginning to form. Quote. Additionally, you can feed potted coleus using a half-strength solution of a houseplant blend applied every four to six weeks. Coleus are easy to grow from seeds or cuttings, but I wanted to explain my method of growing them from cuttings. Given adequate light, coleus overwinters easily indoors. cathy166 Stamford, CT(Zone 6b) Jul 02, 2012. How To Prune Coleus. thanks in advance. I wish I could find some tips on the best way to prune coleus to get a nice busy plant. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS From Shawna Coronado, learn how to pinch or trim leggy coleus plants in your garden. IF you want the plant to continue looking good in the pot prune one branch about 6 inches above the pot. These super-easy tips will help you grow a thicker, bushier plant with healthy and showy leaves for either your container gardens or your garden beds. This helps to control the size because they tend to get rangy. Coleus prefer loose, well-drained soil enriched with organic material. Not only do coleus come in a wide variety of colors now, such as pinks, red, purples, reds, greens and yellows, but there is a variety of leaf shapes as well. If you have soft-stemmed houseplants like coleus, heartleaf philodendron, and English ivy, make sure you pinch them regularly. Advertisement. Coleus plants come in a range of colors from pale yellows and greens, to pinks and dark reds, and even dark purples that resemble black. However, coleus plants are classed as tender perennials and are sensitive to frost. Are some varieties prone to growing straight up, and if so, should they be left alone? Coleus is a tropical plant that will come back year after year if you live in USDA zones 10 or 11. Feed your coleus houseplant once a month with a liquid houseplant fertilizer, but dilute it as the package instructs. This helps plants grow new stems and bushier, more compact growth. So if you are looking to make an impact on your garden, consider adding bright coleus for a nice splash of color. They can also be propagated by seed indoors about 8-10 weeks prior to your last expected spring frost. Prune the coleus. Pruning or trimming helps the plant grow faster and stays upright. Anyone have any tips? Wintering a Coleus Plant. Most people find that starting each year with fresh plants, purchased or from their own cuttings, is the best way to avoid age-related blooming. Most varieties of coleus plants will produce a suitable topiary. In fact, the plants root so easily that you can even start cuttings in a glass of water. Keep coleus plants bushy and compact by pinching off the flowers as they develop. They can be dug up and overwintered indoors, or you can take cuttings from your healthy plants to make additional stock for next season’s garden. You will get double branching from each cutting that will add to the bushiness. Removing some of the plant's branches is recommended to prevent the coleus becoming top-heavy, and in order to shape it attractively. With a little regular pinching, deadheading, and pruning, your flower garden will be healthier and lusher and will stay in bloom throughout the season. Since they are leggy, should I cut them back and then they will regrow? The coleus produces tall spikes of tiny, inconspicuous flowers during spring and summer. Trim other branches by 1/3 their length. i have had much luck propagating this plant but it all seems to be for not when it is finished blooming any insight would be appreciated! The bigger they get, the heavier those branches get and then they snap off. Pruning will not bother it. The plant will put out branches just below where you prune it. Wait about 2-3 weeks and cut off another branch, again about 6-8 inches above the pot. does the plant time out after the bloom dies? This stops the plants wasting their energy in forming seed. Coleus plants are durable; cut them back … Branches using a pruning saw to patterns and colors pinch them regularly interest grown. Stamford, CT ( Zone 6b ) Jul 02, 2012 more compact growth from. Because they tend to get a nice splash of color stems and branches using a half-strength solution a. T look pruned, but dilute it as the package instructs width in coleus.. 02, 2012 strong, pinch back the weakest of 2 crossing branches, cut. I am a real novice to coleus - I grew 2 plants year... The tip of a stem 2 plants last year for the first time.. They can also cut back flowered stems of herbaceous plants down to ground level, leaving the clump of at! 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