How to Plant Coleus in Full Sun

Purchase seedlings or transplants from a local garden store. Look for high quality transplants in the spring.

Prepare the soil. Coleus does well in the garden. Choose a site where water drains well and add compost each year. Be sure to add organic mulch after planting to conserve water and reduce weed issues.

Coleus does well in containers. Coleus colors are a great accent to pots with numerous other plants. Use high quality commercial potting soil in containers with drainage holes or try self-watering pots to reduce your effort with watering.

Choose coleus varieties for a full sun location. Full sun varieties are usually larger, 2-3 feet (0.5-1 m) tall and wide. Plant full sun varieties 2-3 feet (0.5-1 m) apart in the garden. Use just one or two in a container because they get big.

Choose coleus varieties for a shady location, if you wish. Shade loving varieties are usually smaller, 1-2 feet (0.3-0.7 m) tall and wide. Plant shade loving varieties 1-2 feet (0.3-0.7 m) apart in the garden. Plant shade loving varieties where they get 2-4 hours of full sun each day. Look for the new trailing varieties that will trail over the edge of a container.

Purchase transplants grown from cuttings at a garden store. Coleus is very easy to propagate from cuttings. Simply take a young stem with leaves and place it in a glass of water. Roots will be visible in 7-10 days. The best varieties of coleus are grown from cuttings and sold with brand names.

Coleus is also grown from seeds. Search online for the varieties you like. Follow the seed packet directions when planting seeds. Sow the seeds indoors, under lights, 8 weeks before the last frost in your area.

Water the coleus plants thoroughly after planting in the garden or a container. Do not water again for 5-7 days. Allow the roots to get established in their new home rather than damage them by overwatering. Water as needed throughout the summer. Like most plants coleus needs about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of water every week from rainfall or irrigation. Somewhat less when temperatures are cool. Purchase a drip irrigation system and system timer. It can be purchased from a hardware store.

Apply fertilizer regularly. A water soluble fertilizer is the easiest to use for fertilizing coleus. Apply every 2-3 weeks for pots and window boxes and every 4-6 weeks in the garden.

Care for coleus plants is easy. Remove flower stalks if you wish and prune branches that get too large during the summer.