7 Coleus Pruning Tips for Big, Bushy Plants

Coleus plants are perennials that many gardeners treat as annuals since they’re frost-tender. They grow leaves in red, pink, green, yellow, and orange patterns! Some have serrated leaf edges, while others have giant leaves like ‘Kong’ varieties. 

Coleus grow handsome without help, but they appreciate pruning and pinching to keep them looking their best. They’ll sometimes grow spindly in shady conditions or will sprout flowers that detract interest from the leaves. Give your shrubs attention to these aspects, and they’ll thank you with dozens of new leafy sprouts. 

Pruning guidelines change during the seasons as coleus plants change. We’ll cover exactly what to do for each season and discover the best pruning methods for the species. Whether you’re growing cuttings, potted plants, or outdoor shrubs, these tips will help you form your specimen into the shape you desire. 

Grow Bushy Varieties

Start by choosing coleus strains that stay bushy naturally. ‘Oriental Splendor’ and ‘Giant Exhibition’ grow gigantic leaves that make the plants appear bushy, especially if you prune them to be low-growing. Other dwarf strains like ‘Carefree’ or ‘Wizard’ stay dense and shorter than a foot. They won’t grow big, but they’ll have many leaves on a small structure.

For big, bushy plants, choose a tall variety with big leaves. Light green types prefer partial or full shade, while those with red pigments tolerate full sun. Some new varieties of coleus are also full sun lovers, like ‘Inferno’ or those in the ‘ColorBlaze’ series.

Choose full sun lovers for the biggest and bushiest specimens—more sun means more energy, which translates to the shrubs having more stems, leaves, and vibrant colors. Partial shade coleus can grow big and bushy, but they’ll take longer on average than their sun-loving relatives. If you can’t decide on a type, try a seed mix with a few varieties in one packet, then pick your favorite after seeing how they perform.

Pinch Stems Often

Frequent pinching is the key to lush, luxuriant coleus specimens. Starting in early spring use your fingertips to pinch healthy stems with more than four or six leaves. Wherever you pinch, two new stems grow. This creates a lovely, dense plant with little effort. But if you forget to pinch, the stems may grow long and spindly. 

Pinching may not be helpful if you grow these perennials as annuals in short summer zones. There’s simply not enough time during the growing season for these plants to reach full size. Every pinch halts growth—although it creates a bushier plant, it also takes more energy from the species. Your seedlings have to heal their wounds and sprout two new stems where one was.

A workaround for gardeners with short growing seasons is to start seeds super early indoors, about three or four months before your last average frost date. Start pinching them indoors as the days lengthen, and situate them near a bright window. They’ll grow thick and lush inside, so they look amazing outdoors all summer.  

Cut Out Dead or Diseased Wood

The one pruning technique you can do year-round is cutting out dead or diseased wood. Dead branches are unsightly, and they can allow pests or diseases to start feeding on the wounds. Prune off branches cleanly with pruners or snips depending on how thick the branches are. 

Coleus rarely receives diseases, though it is possible. Remove any limbs with leaves with leaf spots, mosaic virus symptoms, fungal molds, and mildew. Hot compost the debris, bury it deep below the soil, or dispose of it in your yard waste trash bin. 

Use Clean, Sharp Tools

When pruning coleus shrubs you want to use the sharpest tools for the cleanest cuts. Clean cuts promote healthy, quick healing without diseases or pests. Whether using scissors, herbal snips, or old-fashioned pruners, a little bit of monthly maintenance keeps your tools in optimal shape. 

Which tools to use depends on how thick the plant is. Use loppers or pruners for large branches on mature specimens and herbal snips for thin stems. You’ll only need your fingers to pinch soft, new growth. If you only have pruners, use them on smaller stems instead of herbal snips.

It’s ideal to clean and sharpen your tools between uses, especially if you recently pruned diseased plants. Sterilize tools by scrubbing them with rubbing alcohol and a metal scrubber. The alcohol removes stuck plant sap and debris and cleans the blade of plant pathogens. To sharpen your pruners, use a handheld sharpener like this one from Felco. 

Remove Flowers

All coleus flower as fall and winter arrive. They’re photoperiod-sensitive, producing blooms when days shorten and nights lengthen. They’ll push flowering spikes out of each stem that elongate and open dozens of small, violet blossoms. 

If you like the coleus flowers, let them grow. Otherwise, you’ll want to remove them before they sprout to encourage more leaves and stems. The blooms take energy from the shrubs in increasing amounts as seeds form. Seed formation is energy-intensive—you can redirect their resources where you’d like for a denser, bushier, and bigger plant.

Remove flowers by pinching buds as they sprout. They’ll look different than leafy sprouts, as they have a pyramidal shape with sheathes on them. Pinch them at their base above the next set of leaves. Wherever you pinch or prune, two new sprouts will emerge!

Avoid Pruning During Winter

It’s best to prune during the growing season when coleus is actively thriving. Winter temperatures, even when plants are indoors, cause slow sprouting and fewer leaves. Some plants may drop their leaves as they adapt to low light conditions and cooler temperatures. 

Pruning, as we said before, takes energy from the plant since it has to heal and sprout anew. If you prune during the winter, you’ll shock your plants! They might not recover or will be slow to start new growth in spring. Halt all pruning a month or two before your first frost date in fall, pinching only if flowering sprouts appear. 

You’ll want to avoid pruning coleus plants overwintering indoors. Unless they grow year-round indoors, these shrubs are still trying to adapt to your house’s climate and conditions. Pinching and pruning create wounds that may fester and struggle to heal until spring, leading to a weak plant. The only thing you’ll want to pinch indoors is flower buds—this helps the perennials focus on growing roots in the cool seasons.  

Resume Pinching in Spring

As days lengthen and warm in spring, coleus plants prepare to sprout new leaves, stems, and buds. Transition them slowly after all danger of frost has passed. Bring them outdoors during warm days and indoors during cool nights. After two weeks of special care, they’ll be ready for their permanent location outdoors.

After this transition period, you can start resuming pinching. Wait until your plants display new growth with leaves and shoots for best results. This ensures you don’t slice into dormant coleus and shock them before they’re actively growing. 

Pinch frequently early in the growing season for bushy plants in summer and fall. Early pinching creates many stems from low points on the plant’s base, creating a large, airy canopy. You can remove any crisscrossing branches or ones that reach across the center of the plant. With continuous pruning, pinching, and care, your coleus will be the most bodacious ones on the block!