Coleus is a fantastic houseplant. Even the coleus with the most unusual of leaf shapes, colors, and patterns. Coleus is a super easy plant to grow and is great for beginners. The coleus plant is not difficult to care for- in fact, it thrives on neglect! Coleuses have been cultivated for centuries as ornamental plants because of their colorful leaves which come in many shapes, sizes and variegated patterns. 

Water

Watering Your Coleus There are two things you need to remember when watering coleus: they like to stay moist (but never soggy), and they hate dramatic temperature changes. Allow coleus soil to dry out slightly between waterings; coleus does best if watered thoroughly until the excess moisture drains out the bottom of its container. Waterlogged coleus will fall over or rot at the base, so it is important not to over-water coleus.

Growing Conditions

Light

Coleuses prefer bright filtered light; at least six hours daily. - Soil should be moist but not too wet or dry (easily potted). 

Climate & Temperature

Outdoors

Coleus does best when temperatures remain between 70 and 90 degrees F (21 and 32 degrees C). If coleus leaves droop or turn yellow, the soil may be too dry or too cold. 

Indoors

As a houseplant coleus prefers dry air and lots of light with a minimum temperature of 60 degrees F (15 degrees C). 

While coleus can grow under many conditions, always remember that coleuses prefer moist soil that drains easily. Keeping coleus' root ball evenly moist will provide your coleuses with all the conditions they need to thrive indoors.

Propagating Your Coleus 

Propagation by leaf or stem cuttings allows a gardener to develop coleus of any size, shape, color or variegation. It's quick and easy! Many coleus varieties produce plantlets at their bases that can be cut off, potted up, and will grow into full-sized plants in no time. The easiest coleus varieties to propagate are those with paniculate flower clusters; each branch of these flowers forms a coleus plant.  Coleus can be propagated from coleus stem or leaf cuttings. Most coleus varieties produce new leaves at the end of each stem that easily break off with your fingers. 

Water Propagation Technique 

If propagating coleus with water your style, follow these easy steps to coleus propagation by water!

1. Take a coleus cutting about 3-4 inches long and strip off any large leaves along the stem. 

2. Fill a glass or jar with tepid water. 

3. Place the coleus cutting in the glass or jar, making sure that at least half of it is beneath the surface of the water. 

4. Change out the water daily. 

5. New coleus leaves should appear within one to two weeks, followed shortly by roots along the base of your coleus cutting! 

Once this occurs, you can plant your new coleus in potting soil and treat it as you would any coleus plant. Coleus prefers bright, filtered light and coleus cuttings need about six hours of direct sunlight daily. As a houseplant coleus prefers dry air and lots of light with a minimum temperature of 60 degrees F (15 degrees C). 

Soil Propagation Technique 

1. Fill a coleus pot with moist coleus potting mix and water it until the soil is uniformly wet. 

2. With a clean razor blade or sharp knife, cut off a coleus stem at an angle just below a node – the small bump found along the stems of coleuses where leaves emerge. 

3. At this same node, make another angled cut down to meet the first one you made. This second incision will remove all but one of the nodes from your coleus cutting. 

4. Pot up your coleus cutting in moist coleus potting mix and water it well. Place coleus cutting in coleus potting soil mixture where cut end is just at the surface of the coleus potting soil; you can use a glass jar or even require coke bottle to raise up your coleus from the surface of your coleus propagation container. 

5. Once this occurs, you can plant your new coleus in coleus potting soil and treat it as you would any coleus plant!

Leaf Propagation Technique

Another method for coleus propagation is coleus leaf propagation by sticking the end of the coleus leaf into coleus potting soil mixture which will produce new coleuses. Soil should be moist but not too wet or dry (easily potted). Use coke bottle or jar lid to prop up the stem of coleus leaf cuttings. 

1. Plant a jar lid at the end of coleus leaf cutting; this will keep it moist under base of coke bottle or jar lid. (it is not necessary) 

2. Place jar lid with coleus leaf cutting into coleus potting mix; put tip onto surface of mixture, leaving about 1/2 inch beneath the top of the mix; leave part exposed so you can set a glass over coleus leave cutting without dirtying glass.

3. Place coleus in coleus propagation container or where cut end is just at the surface of coleus potting soil; put glass over coleus cutting and secure with coke bottle or jar lid underneath. 

Any type of coleus propagation allows you to obtain many different types, colors and sizes for your collection!

Feeding Your Coleus

Fertilizing Your Coleus Coleus plants do not require much fertilizer; however, coleus that are placed in poor light may benefit from a weak liquid fertilizer twice during their growing season for stronger leaves and stems. If you do fertilize coleus, use a water-soluble 20-20-20 fertilizer (20 percent nitrogen, 20 percent phosphate, and 20 percent potash) at half strength.

Remember that coleus plants are sensitive to sudden changes in soil conditions; do not fertilize coleus plant after it has been repotted, but slowly introduce small amounts of fertilizer over the next couple of weeks. Coleus plants should only be repotted if they have outgrown their current pot or they begin to fall over. These coleus propagation steps will ensure healthy coleus plants for many years! 

After reading this article, coleus care should be a breeze for you.  If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out by DM through our Etsy store or leave a comment below!

Good luck with your beautiful new Coleus!