How to Care for Sun Coleus

Grow sun coleus outside as a perennial only if you are in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 10 or up. This tropical plant cannot tolerate even light frost and is not able to reseed itself if the winter temperature drops below freezing.

Select a planting site for sun coleus in partial shade. These varieties of coleus can grow in sun but still prefer some shade. The best soil for sun coleus is sandy loam, which provides the fertile soil and good drainage this plant requires.

Plant sun coleus seeds to a depth of 1/2 inch, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Remove the weaker seedlings as they grow to obtain a final spacing of 1 to 2 feet between mature plants. A sun coleus reaches a height of at least 2 feet when it matures.

Water sun coleus plants with 2 inches of water per week to keep the soil moist at all times. These plants require regular watering and do not tolerate drought.

Pinch off growing flower buds and weak stems to obtain a bushier growth. Gardeners typically grow sun coleus plants for their leaves, so heavy foliage is usually more desirable than tall growth for these plants. Sun coleus can develop into an evergreen bush with blue flowers in areas where it is hardy.