What is the best temperature for Coleus?
Coleus is a tropical plant which means they tend to thrive in higher temperatures. Any low temperature or even temperatures resulting in light frost is enough to weaken them until they cannot survive anymore. Any temperature below 60 degrees is quite harmful to them. Coleus plants are known to love warm and humid conditions.
What happens to coleus in the winter?
With a little extra effort, you and your coleus can make it through the chill and back to thriving in the heat and humidity. Even if your plant comes out on the other side of winter with a few brown leaves, that dull damage gives way to a rainbow of pink, green, yellow, burgundy and purple foliage once the sun shows its face again.
Can you plant Coleus outside in winter?
When transferring to soil or moving around potted plants, coleus should only be set outdoors when all danger of frost has passed for the season. For coleus planted outdoors, the best protection against freezing is covering.
How do you take care of a Coleus?
Cover your coleus up and take care of it like you usually would. Wait until spring arrives before indulging in recovering your plant. Once spring has arrived prune away all the slimy and mushy parts of the coleus that might start to smell a bit. Do not over-prune it as it may stress out the plant too much.
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Is 40 degrees too cold for coleus?
Cold nights in the 40-degree Fahrenheit range can damage the coleus. This is true even if there is no frost. Generally speaking, coleus plants are too tender to survive temperatures at the literal freezing point, which is, of course, 32 degrees.
When can I put my coleus outside?
Monitor the temperature in spring. Begin moving the coleus outdoors after all frost danger has passed and the average daily temperature remains above 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can coleus survive 32 degrees?
The short answer is that coleus are not frost-tolerant plants. While not impossible for them to regrow after a frost, most will likely die if they are exposed to colder temperatures and are hit by frost. They will not survive in areas that get below 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
Can you keep coleus as a houseplant?
Coleus can make great houseplants, and in the spring (if you choose), you can put them back out in the yard. The only other alternative would have been to cut them back all the way to the ground and leave them to re-emerge in the spring.
Can I bring my coleus inside for the winter?
Coleus is very frost-sensitive, so bring the plants inside if cold nights threaten. By mid-May, the plants should be ready for your garden or containers. Cuttings may also be taken from a large, healthy plant in late spring.
How do you keep coleus alive in the winter?
During the winter, coleus will lose its color. The plant that you brought indoors will lose some leaves and get straggly. This time of year the plant is entering its dormant stage and as tempting as it is, do not pinch it back. The goal at this point is to keep it alive by watering and monitoring for insects.
How much cold can geraniums tolerate?
During winter, geraniums grow best with night temperatures of 50° to 60°F (10° to 16°C) but will survive if they drop to 32°F (0°C) and/or rise above 80°F (27°C), as long as they are kept relatively dry. When new growth appears in the spring, cut off all the old leaves.
Can coleus survive outside?
When nighttime temperatures rise above 50 degrees Fahrenheit, it's safe to move them outdoors. Transition the coleus by bringing them outside during the day and indoors at night, suggests the University of Minnesota Extension.
How hot can a coleus plant survive?
Ideally, the coleus likes it nice and hot – temperatures up to 95 degrees, according to the National Garden Bureau – but it can survive temps in the 60s, 50s and even 40s.
How to protect coleus from freezing?
If you've covered your coleus in clear plastic to help protect it from freezing, remove or ventilate the plastic covering to prevent too much heat from building up under the cover when the sun reappears. If you're expecting cold temperatures for another night, it's OK to simply ventilate the cover rather than remove it completely. Opaque covers can typically be left on for a few days at a time, as they won't amplify the heat from the sunlight as much as a clear cover, notes NOLA.com.
What is the best cover for coleus?
For coleus planted outdoors, the best protection against freezing is covering. The University of Florida IFAS Extension advises the use of an old sheet, blanket (nothing too heavy for tender coleus) or painter's drop cloth. A clear plastic sheet or opaque plastic cover, such as a tarp, will do the trick too.
How to help coleus grow?
To help your coleus develop a strong root system when it's young, harden off the plant to ease it into outdoor temperatures and conditions like wind and direct sunlight. Wait until average overnight temperatures are above 60 degrees before hardening.
What zone do you plant Coleus?
How to Care for a Coleus. The coleus plant (Plectranthus scutellarioides) is a herbaceous tropical perennial that flourishes in sultry USDA hardiness zones 10 and 11, according to The Old Farmer's Almanac. Even in mild, warm or balmy climes where coleus care is a relative breeze – regions like Texas, Louisiana and Florida – occasional temperature ...
When will coleus grow again?
Though it's important to remember that the coleus is a tender tropical that isn't always meant to be permanent, it's possible that the plant will grow once again from the surviving base when spring arrives.
Can you bring Coleus indoors?
Like just about any container plant, your potted coleus plants can be brought indoors to protect them from a winter freeze.
What climate does Coleus thrive in?
As a tropical plant, coleus thrives in hot, humid conditions. In temperate climates, the barest hint of frost will spell the end of the plants. Make sure to take cuttings of any favorite plants before the weather turns cold.
How to grow Coleus?
Mulch will help the soil retain moisture longer, but don't use cedar mulch, which can be toxic to coleus. Also, don't let the mulch touch the stems, as it can promote rot and hide slugs.
How to grow coleus in a container?
To grow coleus in a container, start with a large pot that the plant can grow into; otherwise, you'll be repotting this fast-growing plant before you know it. In mixed container plantings, coleus usually serves as an upright "thriller" plant in the center of the container, surrounded by "fillers" and "spillers.".
Is Coleus a part shade plant?
Coleus is a classic part-shade to full-shade plant, but light exposure depends on the variety. The old-fashioned seed-grown coleus does best in part shade to full shade, but the newer cultivars have their best color if grown where they can receive more sun. However, it also depends on your climate.
Can coleus be used as a bedding plant?
Coleus is normally used as an annual bedding plant or in outdoor container gardens and baskets. In colder zones, container plants are sometimes moved indoors to overwinter. Warmer zones can grow coleus as garden perennials, where they can grow to resemble small shrubs with thick woody stems. When planted in the ground, coleus plants are often massed for dramatic impact; they can also be used as edging plants.
Do you need to fertilize Coleus?
Fertilizer. If you have rich soil, you may not need to feed coleus plants at all. If you have poor soil, give the plants a monthly feeding with a balanced fertilizer mixed at half strength. You’ll get the best color from your coleus leaves if you go easy on the fertilizer.
Is Coleus a mint plant?
Coleus plants are in the Lamiaceae, or mint, family, characterized by square stems and opposite leaves . However, the foliage can vary widely in shape, style, and color.
How to keep coleus from growing?
Pinch back the uppermost tips if the coleus is growing long stalks, and remove flower buds to prevent seed formation. Water once the soil has dried to a depth of two inches in the container. Now that you have the knowhow, you can add a pop of color to your garden with coleus.
How much light do coleus plants need?
Do not keep your indoor coleus plants in the dark. Plant them in a container at least 12 inches in diameter, and place them near a window that gets six or more hours of sunlight per day. Provide additional light, if needed, with a fluorescent lamp designed for gardening purposes.
How to grow Coleus in partial shade?
Some coleus prefer bright sun, but most do best and achieve the most vivid color in partial shade. Check the soil pH before planting, and adjust your soil if it is too acid . Coleus prefer a soil pH at 7, or slightly above. Add powdered lime to the soil if it is too acid, and avoid mulches made from pine or cedar needles or their bark.
What is Coleus mulch?
Inorganic mulch. Powdered lime. All purpose fertilizer. Coleus plants, part of the mint sub-branch of the nettle family, are a vividly colored, leafy plant that makes a great garden border. Their leaves can be red, pink, green, yellow, white, and in striking blends of these colors.
Can Coleus grow indoors?
Coleus also grow well indoors in containers , and can survive and thrive for years in the right conditions. Here are some mistakes to avoid when growing coleus outdoors or indoors. Continue reading below Our Video of the Day.
