So this fall I have taken coleus cuttings...two are rooted in soil, and I have a bunch rooting in water. Once I get them all into pots, what are the best conditions to overwinter them indoors? Few sunny windows here during winter (I live in the Pacific Northwest) and my usual "winter plant room" where my cactus collection rests is on the cool side. Do I need grow lights? Warmth? Any suggestions welcome!

As long as temps stay above 50°, you should be OK. Aim for the most possible light. Behind the cacti would probably work well, if there is space. I usually leave most of mine in water because they fit on a windowsill that way. but either way seems to work well.

purpleinopp said:As long as temps stay above 50°, you should be OK. Aim for the most possible light. Behind the cacti would probably work well, if there is space. I usually leave most of mine in water because they fit on a windowsill that way. but either way seems to work well.

thank you purpleinpop...I was hoping to leave them in water because of the space issue; can probably manage the warmth issue too

Happy to suggest! I've been doing this for decades.

How is it going? I have space issues too. After I repotted these snake plants, I put some of the most sparse Coleus cuttings in, and by now they are starting to look amazing! Coleus really deserves more credit as a great houseplant, at least over winter. I can't say much about having one inside at other times.





If aesthetics are a concern, not just making use of a room where nobody but "me" goes, a pot is probably going to win almost every time. My snips in water are OK, but can only maintain a small amount of leaves. They look pale compared to these plants in soil... but I haven't spent a minute trying to decide how much water to give. LOL! ; )

What a great idea to tuck Coleus cuttings in with other houseplants, Tiffany!

It's probably something I saw someone else doing, but it has gone well when I've done it. : ) So easy to cut off chunks in the spring & scatter back into the landscape.

How are the conscripted-to-indoors Coleus doing out there?

Some died and the rest are leggy, but I plan to root the leggy tops in time for outdoor spring planting.

Mine are large so I'll be taking cuttings soon.

Coleus plants that didn't get a "good light spot" are very faded & leaning, but these will be snipped into a bunch of individuals when it's time to garden outside again.

They all bounce back so beautifully in February in a very sunny window.

How did the Coleus do out there this winter? I've had to trim the plants in the pics I put on 12/5 3x since taking that pic. I was curious and now I know, one-way window film doesn't seem to slow growth much, if at all, but the colors are as if the plants are in a lot less sun.

Starting to put Coleus back in the landscaping and snip longer stems to make more of what survived. It will be a few months before they get kickin', reveal their true colors, and I'll take a roll call to see who is missing. I know none of 'Burgundy Wedding Train' has survived but otherwise I'm not sure from the fading and stretching.

Mine did great in the very sunny, bay window in the kitchen.

I'm sure. I need about a dozen of those windows! LOL!

mine did great up until I thought I'd take a new cutting off the original cutting because they were so bushy and healthy. Soon after everything started looking sort of pale and thinning out. Lost most all of them but it was a learning process for sure!

I am hoping to have a window full of coleus this winter to revive my spirits and have something to paint in various still lives. I have a too sunny east window and I am thinking of using those plastic grid cubes that you can put together.

I am hoping to dig up the out door plants and put them in a couple large pots.

I didn't save as much Coleus as I usually do because I found mealybugs on some of them. But I did get through winter with some interesting specimens.

This sad stem didn't look like much until it got in the ground and is now planning an explosion of new growth.


The red Coleus in this pot started as a little sprig with just a few leaves. Over the course of winter, it kept leaning farther and farther, until it was dangling. Now it looks really great and gives me ideas about Coleus as a dangling plant. There are leaning/dangling cultivars, but this is an upright type.