Check the soil at the site first of all. It should drain well, first and foremost. The addition of compost or other organic amendments can improve a soil's consistency, water and oxygen retention, etc.

Then, you can review your maintenance practices. Plants should receive ample water when they need it, occasional fertilization, weed removal, etc. Most coleus needs to be deadheaded regularly to remove flower heads before they go to seed.

If you are going to try seeds again, be sure to provide a good potting medium while you are growing them on to a suitable size for transplanting. The plants should have a robust root system by the time you're planting, something that doesn't disintegrate in your hand when you remove it from the container. What you grow to be transplanted into the ground should be every bit as good or better than the nursery products.

I prefer to grow my annuals and perennials in the larger size cell packs or even 3 or 4 inch plastic pots. It's a much larger finished product that is ready to take off in the garden or in a larger container planting.

Soil is probably poor. Me, I grow coleus in terra cotta pots. This way, I know the soil is excellent.

Also, coleus can take quite a bit of sun and heat, esp. the dark colored ones like "black dragon". From sunrise to 2pm, full sun is not a problem.

I grow some coleus from seed, but am always amazed at the newer varieties that are available at nurseries, so I am unable to resist buying some plants in 4-inch pots.

"kong", "black dragon" & "giant exhibition" are the types I start from seed.

To start from seed: get some seed starting soil. wait til the temps get warm (probably late April or May). sow in 6-packs. once seeds germinate and get a couple of leaves, separate the individual plants...one plant into one cell of a 6-pack. grow them on, pinching to make them bushy. then you can plant into bigger pots or put them in the ground.

If you buy plants from a nursery, coleus are very easy to propagate to increase the number of plants. Just pinch off a stem with a couple of sets of leaves, set the stem in a glass of water. in a week or so, roots will grow on the stem. pop it into some soil & you have another plant. since pinching is a good idea to increase bushiness anyway, why not increase your plants by utilizing what you pinch off.

Coleus like good soil, warmth, moisture, some sun & fertilizer. That's all there is to it.

I have a dud spot for coleus in my yard too. I am going to have the soil tested because a lot of things are stunted there. Maybe the previous owner did some dumping, I don't know but I more suspect a combination of pests. I know at least something eats the leaves - maybe weevils - I never see them. I really suspect the roots are foodstuff for something.
How early did you start your seeds? I start coleus seeds in winter under lights to give them a head start. I did get some good sized plants this way. Some seedlings just are more vigorous than others though.
Then your packs - I suppose you are aware that some plants get bound if left in the packs too long and don't perform well in the garden.
Maybe next year, you can try some in the ground and some in pots and see how they compare.

I agree that part of the problem may be that seedlings are left in packs or small pots too long and suffer permanent growth retardation even after being transplanted.

Many of the best coleus are vegetatively propagated and not available from seed. Cutting-grown plants generally adapt very well to the garden.

It's true that the best plants are from cuttings but the seeds were fun too. Some were duds but I really enjoyed a couple of them.
Three seedlings in one pot.
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If I have the type of coleus that is grown from seed, like the Kong or Exhibition, can I take cuttings from the mature plant and root them?

Cuttings from mature plants will do fine. I usually take about a 4" piece from the plant. I take the bottom 2 sets of leaves off and put it in a vase of water. I keep it out of direct sunlight. When the roots are about 1/2" or so, I plant them in soil. These are great houseplants too. I put mine in a south or west window. A lot of people pinch off the flowers. Also pinch the branches every so often to make it fuller. I pinch off the flowers on my outside plants until early August. Then I let some of the flowers grow because I like them.

Kat

Has anyone had trouble with the coleus "Stained Glass Copper Works"?
I've got it in a bed with "Dipt in Wine"-- they're both sun coleus.
So, identical conditions...and different results.
Dipt in Wine is doing fine, but Copper Works is very small, hardly any bigger than it was at planting (early June).
Theories?
Just a weak cultivar?

I find that coleus not getting enough water will remain small and stunted.....that of course plays into the poor soil statement, because hard impervious soils can be difficult to really keep moist more than an inch or two down even with a generous watering. In fact, water deprivation is one cultural way we keep impatiens and coleus short in the greenhouse situation. It forces high bud counts, at the expense of size.

I have the copper coleus and mine didn't get as big as dipt in wine. Lisa anyone patient enough to grow coleus from seed, hardened them off and have them live is doing something right. I would buy a few small pots of sun coleus stained glass is one, alabama sunset, dipt in wine etc and put them in a 24 inch pot with a good soilless mix. Big pots don't have to be watered often. They will grow like mad. If your shade is too deep nothing does very well.

I think some of the newer varieties just donÂt do as well. For a number of years I have been buying Giant Exhibition (mixed colors) and Black Dragon. No problems with any of them: both got big and healthy both in the garden (soft, well-amended soil) and in pots.

Then in the last few years I have tried Stained Glass, which grew a bit then stopped. All it wanted to do after that was make flowers. All of which I nipped off but it never made any more leaves or bushed out. 2 years ago I fell in love with Wizard Pineapple: a great yellow-green color. I bought a lot, put it in pots and in the ground. None of them ever got taller than 3 inches at most, then followed the same pattern as the Stained Glass. Just in case it was a fluke I bought more Wizard Pineapple this year and they followed the same pattern. All they want to do is make flowers. Side by side, planted in the same pots, and in the same locations in the garden, the older varieties are growing like mad, and respond to pinching. The new ones are dwarf little midgets. Pinch a flower and they just make a new one, not a leaf. All were planted immediately after purchase and had no chance to become rootbound. All have plenty of water and sun.

This year I saw a really charming new kind called Coral Sunrise. Wavy-edged green with a coral stripe down the middle. They were only in inch or 2 high when planted out. Those did not grow AT ALL. They are the same size now as when planted 2 months ago. Phooey.

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Nice pictures. What kind are these?

I don't keep track of the names, but the ones with the daylily are sun coleus. I know dipt in wine is a good one, I get new ones every year. They have different growth habits. You can look at web sites where they are sold and find them. I buy mine locally for $3 or $4 for a little pot. I think mine are very common varieties. I take cuttings and keep them over the winter. The bottom picture with the blue ball has shade coleus on the right, sun coleus on the left. For shade coleus, I pick colors that I like best that come in 4 packs or 6 packs at local green houses. They are so cheap considering that the seed is like dust and you have to start in Jan. I am not that patient. For me the sun coleus are more vigorous and can fill a 24 inch pot in the summer. When you pinch them back you can make more plants with your cuttings.

I have a small greenhouse in central Ohio and have kept several varieties of coleus over the winter with almost too much success. Dipt in Wine, The Flume, Kingswood Torch and Big Blonde got bigger and bigger even with me pinching them back (and starting new plants). When I take cuttings or pinch them back, they put out 2 sets of double leaves at the cut sight. How can I get just one set of leaves on the stem like the original?

I've never had Coleus grow well in shade. I don't bother putting them in mostly-shady spots anymore. I prefer caladiums, impatiens, and begonias for shady spots.

WOW barbara.. I tried overwintering 6 different types in my house and FAILED miserably. I have one left, I think its Coral Sunrise-and it doesnt even look happy to be alive! In spring we always put Coleus in large pots that get a TINY bit of early morning sun and then no more..they go CRAZY! (I do throw some SprayNGrow on them, not sure if it works or is coincidence :) ) I tried starting from seed to and FAILED (small 8x10 unheated greenhouse)will try what someone above said about pinching off and starting some new plants when I buy them in 4" pots because I am ADDICTED to these things but boy it adds up when you go to buy them!