Are coleus perennial: Is Coleus Annual or Perennial?

Is Coleus Annual or Perennial?

Coleus plants fill your garden with magnificent and brightly colored foliage of different patterns and combinations. They are also the easiest to propagate through stem cuttings from a robust mother plant.  Now, let us address the question of whether it is annual or perennial.

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Coleus is a perennial plant grown on the ground for several years in warmer climates or those geographical locations in the USDA hardiness zone 10 and warmer. Moreover, these colorful, tender tropical plants can’t survive even the lightest frost. As a result, they are mistaken for annuals when the first frost of autumn kills them.

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How long do coleus plants live?

In a tropical climate where they originated, coleus plants can live and thrive for several years. A gardener’s best advice is that when their lavender flowers blossom during their growing season, you must pinch them to redirect the plant’s energy to produce more brightly colored leaves instead of seeds.

The reason for this is flowering signals the end of the plant’s life cycle. Typically, plants die after producing flowers that provide seeds. Of course, you don’t want any of that to happen if you would love to continue enjoying your coleus plants.

On the other hand, if you grow them in a location with colder climates that experience winter, the first frost of autumn will kill them when they are planted on the garden beds or outdoors.

Now that we have established that they are perennials and sensitive to frost, there is still a way to enjoy them year after year, even during the snow season. Continue to read and find out how you can overwinter your favorite coleus plants.

Can you keep coleus over winter?

Coleus can be grown in pots indoors over winter. This low-maintenance plant can easily be propagated through stem cuttings. Now, if they are planted outdoors in garden beds, prune your coleus plant before the first frost falls.

In the next section, I have included the step-by-step process of how you can grow coleus from stem cuttings and sufficiently care for them during the colder months.

How do you keep coleus plants over winter?

As mentioned, coleus can be kept over winter indoors in pots. They thrive well in potted conditions with appropriate care. In addition, you can choose to overwinter them in a greenhouse, inside your house, or a garage.

If you initially planted your coleus in a pot, bring the whole plant indoors after removing all the bugs and pests from them. The best time to get your plants indoors to overwinter them is two weeks before the first frost date after autumn.

If you grew your coleus on the ground, you could follow these steps to keep them indoors:

1. Make sure that your gardening shears are clean and sanitized with isopropyl alcohol or wipes. Unsanitized gardening tools can infect your plant with bacteria which consequently kills the stem cuttings.
2. Pinch short cuttings of 2 inches (5 cm) from a healthy mother plant.  An excellent time to get your stem cuttings is before it gets cold outside and the frost damages the plant. If the mother plant has been damaged, the cuttings from it may not root successfully.
3. Plant the stem cuttings in moist potting soil. The soil must be kept moist and warm until the new plant is established. The leaves may droop or look wilted as they adjust to their new environment indoors. This is normal. It usually takes them a week of recovery.
4. Maintain the warm temperature for your coleus plants. It should not go below 50F. Moreover, coleus loves the temperature range between 60-75 F.
5. Keep them in the sunniest or brightest place. Supplement with grow lights if needed. Coleus plants lose their bright colors when they don’t get full sunlight. They fade and look lackluster when they are not given the appropriate light they need.

Does Coleus like sun or shade?

Coleus loves and tolerates full sunlight exposure.

My personal coleus plant collection includes 30 different colorful and vibrant varieties. A common observation is that their brightest and shiniest colors come out when basking in full sun.

Contrary to what most people say, I know, but I am writing this from the experience of growing my own coleus plants. My coleus plants are exposed to the hottest temperature of 104 F, and they thrive so well.

Sure they do just fine in the shade, but you wouldn’t see the array of their different colors and patterns. Instead, they’ll look lackluster and dull as time goes by.

Furthermore, they are water-thirsty plants, especially on a hot sunny day, so giving them adequate watering is essential for them to survive the hottest part of the day. Keeping their soil moist is the key to acclimate them to full sun.

Why are the Leaves on my Coleus plant scorching?

Scorching indicates that the leaves are not getting adequate water that suits their needs from the roots. What happens is the plant shuts down when it is exposed to too much heat.

The moisture in its leaves evaporates, which leads to drying up and scorching. The first sign of scorching is that the tip or edges of the leaves dry up or turn brown. This is the part of the leaf that is farthest from the roots and the first part to be dehydrated.

Another reason for this can also be that your coleus plant has been acclimated to a shady environment, and then you suddenly brought it out to the sweltering heat of the sun. They don’t like dry conditions.

Both of the situations can be corrected by giving your coleus plant sufficient watering during summer. This also applies when you harden them to full sun exposure.

Conclusively, coleus plants are perennials that can thrive for several years with the right growing conditions. You get to enjoy their eye-catching foliage throughout the year. This is possible because they can also be kept indoors to overwinter them.

How To Grow Coleus (Solenostemon)

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Coleus plants, also known as solenostemon, plectranthus or painted nettle plants, are grown for their velvety foliage that comes in combinations of bright red, burgundy, yellows, green, pink, brown and bronze.

Coleus look good in summer bedding schemes or as a filler at the front of a summer border, and are ideal for summer pots and containers. They are perfect for an exotic or jungle-style planting scheme. They can also be grown as house plants or in a conservatory.

Coleus is actually an ornamental member of the mint family, native to Indonesia. All species formerly in the Coleus genus have now been split into either Plectranthus or Solenostemon.

How to grow coleus

Grow coleus in a sunny or partially shaded spot to bring out their beautiful leaf colours. They do best in moist but well drained soil. Coleus plants are tender perennials, which means they won’t survive in cold weather. They are usually grown as an annuals in the UK, planted out in May when there is no threat of frost. To keep plants from year to year, bring them indoors in autumn, or take cuttings in summer that can be grown on for new plants the following spring.

More on growing coleus:

• Euphorbia, coleus and bidens window box
• Lantana, coleus and impatiens pot display

Coleus: jump links

• Where to plant coleus
• How to care for coleus
• How to propagate coleus
• Coleus problem-solving
• Buying coleus
• Types of coleus to grow

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Where to plant coleus

Planting coleus as a bedding plant

Plant coleus in a sunny or partly shaded spot, in moist but well-drained soil. Coleus are low growing, so they look best at the front of a border, combined with other bedding plants, or in pot on a patio. If you’re growing coleus as a house plant, grow it in a bright spot that gets a little direct sun.

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How to plant coleus

Planting coleus with lantana and impatiens

You can buy coleus as ‘plug plants’ (young plants) in early spring. Grow them on indoors until the weather warms up. Plant them out in the garden in May, once there are no more frosts forecast. Harden them off (acclimatise them to outdoor conditions) for a week beforehand.

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Prepare the soil by forking in some multipurpose compost. Dig a hole that is slightly larger than the original pot, add the plant and fill around it with soil. Water in well.

If planting in a pot, dig a hole that is the same size and depth as the original pot, and plant at the same level. Water in well.

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Caring for coleus

Frost damage to coleus foliage

Once planted, pinch out the growing tip (central stem) to encourage a bushier plant. Keep plants well watered in summer, especially if they are growing in pots.

If you’re growing coleus in pots outdoors, move them indoors in autumn before the first frosts. If you’re growing them as bedding plants in the ground, you could take cuttings in summer to ensure some plants for next year.

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How to propagate coleus

Taking coleus cuttings

Coleus plants are easy to propagate. Take cuttings in summer to increase your supply of plants, then grow them on for next season in a greenhouse or conservatory.

How to take cuttings

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Growing coleus: problem solving

Coleus has no problem with diseases if grown outside, but if grown in a conservatory or indoors, look out for pests such as whitefly, mealybugs and scale insects.

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Advice for buying coleus

• Coleus plugs and young plants are available from a range of garden centres and nurseries, with many offering online sales. You may find more varieties at a better price, online
• Avoid buying coleus until after all risk of frost has passed, unless you have a frost-free spot to store them before planting out
• Bear in mind that coleus are not hardy and are treated as annuals in the British Isles. Therefore buy them in spring for planting out after the last frosts. Avoid buying later in the season as they will survive only until temperatures fall again

Where to buy coleus online

• Thompson & Morgan
• Suttons
• Gardening Direct

Coleus varieties to try

• Solenostemon ‘Chocolate Mint’ – the semi-succulent stems bear velvety, maroon leaves edged with bright green and prominent, rounded teeth. The pale blue flowers are insignificant and can appear at any time of year
• Solenostemon ‘Trusty Rusty’ – the stems are semi-succulent stems and bear velvety, rust-colored leaves with a serrated, golden outer edge
• Solenostemon ‘Olympic Torch’ – the dark burgundy leaves are edged with a thin border of yellow-green
• Solenostemon ‘Saturn’ – the deep burgundy foliage has a central splash of bright lime green

Coleus – all about care

Caring for indoor plants lively houseplants. In this article, we will look at issues such as caring for coleus, watering and propagating coleus.

Coleus is an evergreen perennial shrub. Coleus differ from their relatives by relatively fast growth. Of the features of care, it is worth noting that coleus need rejuvenation, that is, periodic pruning. Do not be afraid of this, otherwise the plant will lose its decorative appearance (it will leave a bare trunk with leaves on top).

chic coleus

Gardeners grow coleus outdoors as an annual plant or dig it up for the winter and transfer it to a pot.

Most growers agree that coleus flowers should be removed. Otherwise, the plant loses its presentable variegated color, all the power is spent on flowering, the foliage falls off. This, of course, is a personal matter.

If you are new to floriculture, start with coleus . Coleus is not a capricious houseplant. These indoor plants only need a sufficient amount of sunlight , as it is a heat-loving and light-loving indoor plant.

When caring for your coleus, avoid temperatures below 12 degrees.

For uniform growth of the coleus crown and symmetry of the bush, turn the pot regularly around its axis.

coleus mottled. Photo Mokina Natalia Krasnoyarsk

Watering and fertilizing coleus

Coleus owners should always keep an eye on the soil in the pot, the soil in the pot should always be slightly damp , especially in summer and when the heating is turned on.

Coleus do not need to spray leaves from the sprayer. When water drops get on the leaves, traces remain.

We feed the coleus from spring to autumn with complex fertilizer (for flowering and decorative leafy houseplants) with an interval of 1 time per week.

Coleus reproduction

Coleus can be propagated in two ways:

• • Seeds It is recommended to plant seeds in the spring in a small container under the greenhouse, when shoots appear, the greenhouse is removed.

coleus from seeds

• Rooting cuttings. Coleus cuttings are rooted in water or in moist soil. Cut cuttings are suitable for propagation after rejuvenation.

Coleus soil suitable for universal, which can be purchased at a flower shop or collected independently from equal parts of leaf and sod soil and a little sand.

Coleus pot choose according to the size of the root system.

Here is a simple indoor flower called coleus.

Thank you for reading the publication to the end!

Coleus home – photo, care, growing from seeds

1. Seven secrets of success:

1. Growing temperature : coleus prefers warm conditions throughout the year – the air temperature should be between 18 and 24 ° C.

2. Lighting : in the morning and evening, the flower should sunbathe for one 3 to 4 hours daily. Plants should be protected from the sun during the day.

3. Watering and air humidity : in spring and summer, watering should be plentiful, with drying of the soil surface to a depth of 3 – 4 cm. In autumn and winter, watering, especially when kept in cool conditions, is reduced to a minimum. Air humidity is increased only when the air temperature exceeds 18 degrees Celsius.

4. Pruning : the flower needs regular sanitary pruning, when weak and diseased shoots are removed, flower stalks are also pinched as soon as they appear, pinching the tips of young shoots to form side branches.

5. Soil : Coleus like a neutral to slightly alkaline substrate. Plants prefer soils with a high nutrient content. Suitable for cultivation in soils with excellent drainage.

6. Top dressing : from spring to autumn, the flower is fed 2 times a month with fertilizers for ornamental foliage plants. In autumn, top dressing is nullified and resumed only in spring, with the appearance of small leaves.

7. Propagation : coleuses are propagated by sowing seeds in spring, air layers, stem cuttings.

Botanical name : Coleus.

Coleus flower – family . Lamiaceae.

Origin of plant . The plant originates from Southeast Asia.

Description . The genus Coleus consists of 150 species of perennial and annual herbaceous plants and shrubs. Perhaps no other plant can compete with this species in the richness of foliage shades.

Multicolored, sometimes openwork, leaves vary greatly in shape and size in different varieties. The leaf arrangement is alternate.

Leaf blades may be heart-shaped, spear-shaped, carved, oblong-lanceolate. The upper side of the leaf blade often has a velvety pubescence.

leaf shades range from green with a variety of spots, stripes and streaks to red, pink, salmon, yellow, purple, burgundy and even almost black. The color scheme is very diverse, and does not contain, perhaps, only blue.

The edges of the leaf blades sometimes have teeth, the venation of the leaves is reticulate.

Flowering of is not of particular interest and flower stalks are pinched off so that the plant does not waste energy in vain.

The second name – “room nettle” is given to coleus for its external similarity with a garden plant.

Height . Grows fast and reaches height 60 – 70 cm .

2.Coleus – planting and care at home

2.1 Propagation, growing from seed

Coleus indoor flower is easily propagated vegetatively – by cuttings and seeds, its breeding does not cause any particular difficulties even for beginner flower growers.

1. Cuttings about 10 cm long can be taken when pruning in spring and summer.
2. Remove the lower leaves from cuttings to reduce moisture loss.
3. Prepare small pots or plastic cups for planting.
4. Drainage holes are made at the bottom of the cups and a drainage layer is placed.
5. Fill the pots with a mixture of sand and peat.
6. The soil is moistened with a sprayer with water at room temperature.
7. The bases of the cuttings are immersed in the soil by 1 – 2 cm.
8. Seedlings are covered with a transparent plastic cap and placed in heat – about 18 ° C.

Cuttings will root in about two weeks . Rooting goes well even in a simple glass of water. Successfully rooted coleuses put out new leaves.

Modern variegated coleus hybrids are easily propagated by seeds sown in spring .

Germination occurs at temperatures around 24 ° C . Shoots appear quite amicably.

The first picking of young bushes is carried out when they have 2 – 3 true leaves.

Coleus seedlings are planted outdoors in May when the danger of frost has passed.

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2.2.Soil

Indoor Coleus prefers fertile, evenly moist but well-drained soil. A mixture of garden soil, leaf humus, peat, coarse river sand with neutral or slightly alkaline pH is suitable.

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2.3. How to care, pinch

Usually coleus is unassuming and easy to grow even by novice flower growers, however, this plant also requires compliance with certain agricultural practices – growing features.

Coleus needs to be pinched regularly to maintain a compact shape and better branching.

Appearing inflorescences it is advisable to immediately remove so that the plant does not waste its energy on inconspicuous buds.

If you will grow the shrub as a perennial plant, then in early spring, with the beginning of growth of , cut the stems of to 1/3 of the length. Pruning is carried out only with a sharply sharpened, sterile instrument.

With proper pruning, you can even form a stem tree or bonsai.

In summer, the plant will appreciate being outdoors protected from wind and rain, while the temperature not should fall below 10°C .

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2.4. When it blooms

Coleus at home sometimes throws out small blue, lilac or white flowers, but they are not very attractive and better than them delete .

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2.5. Coleus transplantation

This species is often grown as annuals, but can sometimes be transplanted into fresh soil in a larger pot.

New planters are planted in spring .

Young plants are transplanted several times a year, as they grow, transplanting is easy.

9 can be used instead of transplant0011 transshipment , transferring the flower to a new container along with a clod of earth – while not disturbing the roots.

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2.6 Diseases and pests

• Tips of leaves turn yellow and dry out due to lack of moisture, lower leaves fall off. When watering is resumed, the plant often regains attractiveness, but the lower leaves do not grow back.
• Coloring leaves fades with a lack of lighting.
• Coleus rots with insufficient drainage, excessive watering.

Red spider mite, aphid, scale insect and whitefly.

Insect pests

Insect name	Signs of infection	Control measures
Whitefly	Small light dots on leaf blades, yellowing and leaf fall. Disturbed white, small butterflies take off from the surface of the leaves	Chemical preparations : Zeta, Rovikurt, INTA-VIR, Fufanol and even Karbofos, Actellik, Aktara, Konfidor, Komandor, Tanrek. Folk remedies : soap solution, garlic solution, yarrow and tobacco infusion, dandelion infusion, sticky traps for adult insects
Spider mite	Inconspicuous cobwebs on the leaves, yellowing and falling of foliage with extensive damage. The surface of the leaf plates becomes dead and covered with small cracks. Plant development slows down.	Folk ways . Plants can be washed in the shower and left in the bathroom in a humid atmosphere for half an hour. Irradiation with an ultraviolet lamp every week for 2 minutes. Chemicals based on pyrethrum, sulfur powders, Fitoverm, Aktellik.
Aphid	Sticky droplets appear on leaf blades, leaf blades curl and deform, tender buds and young leaves wither. On the tops of the shoots, buds or the underside of the leaf plates, insect colonies can be seen. The flowers of an aphid-infested plant may become misshapen.	Folk methods : nettle infusion, decoction of rhubarb leaves, wormwood, soap solution, tobacco and dandelion infusion, onion, marigold, yarrow, tansy, dusting with virgin ash. Chemical preparations : Sulfur powders, treatment with green potash soap of green mass without getting into the ground, Decis, Aktellik, Fitoverm.
Shield and false shield	Sticky droplets on leaves, yellow small spots on the surface of leaf blades. With a large spread of scale insects, they contribute to the drying and falling of leaves. Flowers slow down their development	Folk methods of struggle . Spraying with soapy-alcohol solution. Scale insect larvae do not like garlic infusion, they also use pyrethrum-based products. Chemical preparations . Fitoverm, Aktellik, Fufanon.

• Whitefly

• Spider mite

• Shield

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2.7. Watering

In summer, the soil must be evenly moist , excess water must be drained from the sump. In autumn and winter, the frequency of watering will depend on the temperature of the content – the cooler the wintering, the less the frequency of watering should be.

Water until the top layer of soil is about 5 cm thick . let dry before every watering.

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2.8.Holding conditions – temperature

Grows well at normal room temperature . A range of 18 to 24 ° C is considered ideal. Variegated, decorative coleus, unfortunately, does not differ in frost resistance.

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Top dressing is carried out only after abundant watering, introducing mineral fertilizers into well-moistened soil.

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2.10. Lighting

Prefers a brightly lit location with direct sunlight in the morning and evening. Brightly colored varieties of coleus are especially photophilous.

This flower can be grown in partial shade, but with a lack of light, the color of the leaves fades, the plant looks lanky, however, with excessive light, the leaves may fade.

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2.11. Spraying

If the room temperature exceeds 18°C ​​, the plant must be placed on a tray with damp pebbles.

It is not advisable to spray hairy leaves, and if spraying is indispensable, then spend it in the morning so that the leaves have time to dry before dark.

Hard water on velvety leaves causes unsightly white spots.

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2.12. Purpose

Very attractive ornamental leafy plant. Compositions from several varieties of coleus look great.

Varieties of drooping stem coleus look great in pots when grown as ampel plants .

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2.13.Note

Mature plants often expose stems at the bottom and become less attractive.

The color of the leaves sometimes becomes less intense – such coleuses are changed to fresh ones.

The plant has phytoncidal properties and is capable of killing airborne pathogens.

Coleus is not poisonous, so if your cat decides to eat its leaves, only the plant will suffer of the two.

It is believed that the smell of dog coleus, one of the varieties of the plant, repels dogs and cats.

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2.14. Hydroponics

Grows well in hydroponics.

3. Varieties and types of coleus:

3.1. Coleus Blume – Plectranthus scutellarioides

This species is currently assigned to the genus Plectranthus or Spurflower, is a perennial herbaceous plant resembling nettles with brightly colored leaves. Stems erect, ribbed, rarely branched. The leaves are broadly lanceolate, with small teeth along the edge of the plate, their shades include perhaps all the colors of the rainbow except blue, and in all sorts of combinations. There are variations with corrugated edges of the sheet plates. Plant height is very variable and can range from 15 cm to 90 cm. For indoor cultivation, it is worth choosing low, compact varieties. Flowering is inconspicuous and may even go unnoticed – the flowers are small blue or white.

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colored leaves, but also colored ribbed stems.

The shape of the leaves is variable, the leaf blades can have teeth of different sizes, corrugated edges, or even just deep cuts down to the veins. The flowers are small, blue.

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3.3. Coleus Wizard Jade

Low, strong, original plants that reach 15 – 35 cm in height. Young leaves of this variety have a pleasant orange middle – with age it fades and becomes almost white. The edges of the leaf plates have small teeth and are painted in a light green hue.

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3.4. Coleus forskohlii – Coleus forskohlii

A perennial evergreen plant that is unlikely to draw attention to itself against the background of its fellows. It is a low, strong species with green leaves covered with pubescence, resembling nettles.

The main feature of this plant is its use in medicine as a fat burning agent. It is believed that preparations based on coleus forskolia are especially effective in increasing metabolism and removing fat from the abdomen.