The coleus comes from the warm south-east of Asia and is quite sensitive to cold. It does not only suffer when there is frost, but already in autumnal temperatures or cold winds. It will survive a summer in the garden but not a European winter.
The coleus must be overwintered in a bright, warm place
Can the colored nettle overwinter in the garden?
At temperatures below about 15 °C, the coleus begins to wither and shed its leaves. She does not know these temperatures from her ancestral homeland. You should therefore not wait until the first frost before bringing your plants indoors, but act in good time.
Garden owners with little space to overwinter their plants may simply buy new coleus in the spring and dispose of the old ones in the compost. Alternatively, you can also grow new plants from the cuttings of your colored nettles over the winter and then plant them out next spring. This is a good idea if your colored nettle is a bit older.
The right winter care for the colored nettle
Cut back your coleus in the fall and give it a bright, warm spot for the winter. The temperature there should not fall below 15 °C. Your colored nettle does not need fertilizing during this time and you can also limit the watering a little. Only in spring do you go back to "normal" care and after the ice saints the colored nettle can go back to its usual summer place.
The best winter tips for the coleus:
- relocate early to their winter quarters
- Do not let the temperature fall below 15 °C
- do not fertilize
- pour a little less
- possibly pull cuttings
- use as a houseplant
tips
During the winter, the garden nettle is a beautiful ornamental plant for your living room.