It's probably too late to thin them by dividing them at the roots, but you can so the job by eliminating some of the stems. You'd do quite a bit of damage if you tried to divide the roots from each other at this point.

Many people do try to keep their coleus inside, with varying degrees of success. I'd recommend that you give them a very heavy 'haircut' before bringing them in, and finding a very bright location for them. Over the winter, you can use them as stock plants for stem cuttings for next season's crop.

I brought in about a dozen plants last winter, and not only did I overwinter them successfully in a northwest-facing window, but I had to keep cutting them back (so I started more from the cuttings.) I had plants coming out the ears! Quite frankly, I was so sick of coleus by the time spring came around, lol!

But I'll probably do the same thing this winter. Memory is short, and besides, I just can't stand to throw away all those perfectly good plants in the fall!

:)
Dee

I overwinter coleus and other tender perenials under grow lights in my basement. I use shop lights with one warm and one cool bulb and put them on a timer. This works well for me.

I grew some from seeds this spring as well, some I thinned and stuck in the ground, didn't do as well as the potted ones. But I plan on bringing them in this fall. I used to grow these as house plants way before they were grown for the garden. They do need a lot of light but mine have always done well in a direct sun window, no artificial light. I hope mine get as big as some I saw this summer, gigantuan ones, very pretty.

Thanks for all your comments. I think I will bring them in too this year!

I've used Coleus as a house plant for years -- they seem to root really easily - I just break pieces off when they get too large, and stick them back in the soil. They seem to take root 9 out of 10 times. I find this such a forgiving plant!

Are the new coleuses as easy to root as the old ones we grew for years? I used to do the same thing--just pinch off the top, stick it in water, roots came and I planted it. Easiest thing in the world. But the new coleuses have different ancestors, so to speak, and I wondered if anyone had done this with them. I don't want to bring a huge plant in--no room.

Yes, the new coleus varieties are just as easy to root as the old ones. Al