On Sat, 13 Oct 2007 15:06:42 GMT, "Paul O."
wrote:

Last spring I bought several Coleus plants. Thru the summer they got pretty
tall and bushy. How does winter effect them? We live in the Inland Empire of
Southern Calif. and freezing temps and frosts are not all that common,
however last winter we did have several nites of 32 deg. or so. I like the
Coleus but don't want to dig them up and toss them every winter. Thanks.


Coleus can not tolerate any frost. Most areas use them as annuals. I
have coleus with the original cutting from my 6th grade school
teacher. When predicted temperatures fall below 40 degrees, take a
few cuttings indoors to root in water (or better yet, vermiculite). I
never dig them up. Pot them up a month before the expected last
possible frost date (Jan to March), then transfer to the outdoor
garden. I like to use peat pots. Coleus do not make very good indoor
plants and are sensitive to various conditions. Also, during the
summer months, I frequently trim them back to avoid the leggy
appearance. Cuttings root very easily.