Coleus Indoors: Remove Fertilizer Spikes, Take Cuttings Instead

Why Soil Stays Wet

Fertilizer spikes leach salts; plants aren’t growing (dormant), so no uptake. Salt buildup = root damage.

Immediate Fix

1. Remove spikes.
2. Water gently to leach salts. Drain fully.
3. Wait 2 weeks before next water.

Better Strategy: Cuttings

• Coleus are tender perennials—hard to overwinter whole.
• Take tip cuttings (no flower spikes), root in water.
• Pot rooted cuttings in fresh compost.
• Grow under your fluorescent lights.

Parent Plant

• Don’t fertilize until spring.
• If cuttings root, you can discard parent.
• Cuttings survive better than mature plants indoors.

Key Insight

“Clear Crystals” pansies bloom year-round. Coleus? Not so much. Propagate, don’t preserve.