How to prune coleus plants – pinching and trimming

You prune coleus mainly to make the plant bushy and dense. Always cut above a leaf pair. That is where the plant stops growing taller and pushes out two new shoots from the leaf axils instead. The more you cut, the more branches form and the bushier the plant gets. Pruning, trimming and pinching are different words for the same thing.

How to make the cut

Use clean scissors and cut just above a leaf pair. Every cut gives you two new shoots, so the plant gets denser with each round. New shoots don't take long when the plant sits somewhere bright and warm.

Pinching coleus

Pinching means cutting off the top of the stem so it branches out instead. Wait until the plant has at least three leaf pairs. Make the cut low down and the plant will push out new shoots near the base and grow dense right from the start. Repeat on the new shoots once they've grown out.

Cut low for a bushy plant

The way to a bushy plant is to cut low and cut often. Ideally, cut as far down as possible. With every cut the plant branches, and after a few rounds you have a dense bush. Start early. It's easier to build a bush from the start than to rescue a plant that's already tall and leggy.

Can you cut a coleus all the way back?

Yes, coleus handle hard pruning. Cut as far down as you want. If you leave one leaf pair, it catches the light and the plant gets going again faster. In fall it's enough to cut the plant back a little before overwintering. Hard pruning works best in spring, when the plant starts growing again. During the growing season you can cut anytime.

Cut off the flowers

Is the plant starting to flower? Cut off the flower buds and make the cut two leaf pairs below the bud. If you cut too high, the plant often blooms again because it has already switched into flowering mode. Without flowers the colors last longer, since blooming otherwise drains energy from the leaves and makes the plant leggy. You can read more in Coleus flowering.

Make cuttings from what you remove

Every piece you cut off can become a new plant. Put the cutting in water or straight into soil and roots appear in about one to two weeks. The full guide is in Coleus cuttings.

Want a tree instead?

Instead of cutting low, you let the main stem grow tall and keep it clear of leaves. Top the stem only once it has reached the height you want. The full guide is in Coleus tree.