Coleus plants are highly valued for their vibrant, patterned foliage. Regular trimming is necessary to ensure they maintain a dense, attractive appearance. Without intervention, Coleus focuses energy on upward growth, resulting in a tall, sparse plant. Pruning encourages the plant to branch out laterally, creating a more compact and foliage-rich display.
Defining the Need: When and Why to Trim Coleus
The primary goal of trimming is to counteract apical dominance, where the main stem grows vigorously and suppresses side shoots. Trimming the growing tips redirects the plant’s energy, promoting the development of dormant buds and resulting in a fuller silhouette. This prevents the plant from becoming “leggy,” where the stem stretches out with leaves only at the top.
Trimming should begin when the Coleus is young, typically once it reaches about six inches in height, and continue regularly throughout the active growing seasons of spring and summer. Another reason to trim is to remove the small flower spikes that appear at the stem tips. Allowing the plant to flower consumes energy that should be used to produce the colorful leaves, which are the plant’s main ornamental feature.
Executing the Cut: Step-by-Step Trimming Technique
To perform a trim, use clean, sharp shears, scissors, or simply your fingernails for soft, new growth.
Pinching for Routine Maintenance
When dealing with soft, newer tips, the technique is called “pinching.” This involves removing the topmost set of leaves and the tiny stem tip immediately above them. Pinching is effective for routine maintenance and encourages two new shoots to emerge from the cut point.
Making Substantial Cuts
For more substantial cuts on longer or woodier stems, locate a “node,” which is the point on the stem where a set of leaves or a side branch emerges. Make your cut just above a pair of leaves or a set of nodes, ensuring the cut is clean. The two growth buds situated at that node will be stimulated to grow, creating two new branches. This strategic cutting forces the plant to adopt a dense, branching habit, improving the plant’s overall shape.
Maximizing Trimming: Using Cuttings for New Plants
The healthy material removed during trimming can be used to easily grow new Coleus plants, a process known as propagation. Select stem cuttings that are four to six inches long from a healthy, non-flowering part of the plant. Remove all leaves from the lower two-thirds of the stem so that no foliage will be submerged in water.
Place the prepared cuttings into a glass or jar filled with clean water, ensuring the leafless part of the stem is fully underwater. Roots typically begin to form from the submerged nodes within one to two weeks. Once the new roots are about one inch long, the young plants are ready to be transplanted into a pot filled with soil.