Coleus

Growing Guide

Forget the flowers, Coleus is all about the foliage, no matter the varieity, Coleus doesn’t fail to delight with it’s mix of colours and leaf type to give an interesting pot plant or bedding plant for mild areas but you must keep pinching out the flower buds otherwise it can go leggy. That said, their delicate blue spires can be a joy to see above the multicoloured patterns of the foliage.

Sow Coleus seed indoors from March to May on the surface of a good quality seed compost, and cover the seeds with a very fine sprinkling of vermiculite, or compost. Place the seed tray in a propagator or seal it inside a polythene bag, keeping the soil damp but not wet until gemination. Do not exclude light as this aids germination.

When seedlings are large enough to handle, transplant into 9cm pots and grow them on in cooler conditions until large enough to plant outdoors.

When Coleus plants are well grown and all risk of frost has passed, acclimatise them to outdoor conditions over 7 to 10 days. Transplant outdoors in full sun in any moist, well drained soil.

TOP TIP

As a tender perennial if you can provide plants with a temperature of 5-10C through the winter, they may survive,otherwise treat as a half-hardy annual.



Coleus is actually an ornamental member of the mint family, native to Indonesia. Unlike Mint it’s roots will not spread across your garden and is safe to be planted in the ground.