Coleus Seeds, Pinto Mix
Pinto Mix Coleus leaves arranged on a white background.
A close-up of colorful Pinto Mix Coleus leaves on a slate background.
A circular design made of Pinto Mix Coleus leaves on a slate background.
Pinto Mix Coleus growing in the Baker Creek trial gardens at the Mansfield, Missouri, farm.
Pinto Mix Coleus growing in the tile garden at Baker Creek.
Pinto Mix Coleus growing in the tile garden in front of the Baker Creek Seed Store.
Pinto Mix Coleus flourishing in a garden at the Baker Creek location in Mansfield, Missouri.
Coleus Seeds, Pinto Mix
Pinto Mix Coleus leaves arranged on a white background.
A close-up of colorful Pinto Mix Coleus leaves on a slate background.
A circular design made of Pinto Mix Coleus leaves on a slate background.
Pinto Mix Coleus growing in the Baker Creek trial gardens at the Mansfield, Missouri, farm.
Pinto Mix Coleus growing in the tile garden at Baker Creek.
Pinto Mix Coleus growing in the tile garden in front of the Baker Creek Seed Store.
Pinto Mix Coleus flourishing in a garden at the Baker Creek location in Mansfield, Missouri.

Coleus Seeds,
Pinto Mix

4.737 Reviews#FL319 · 50 seeds
Price
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Description

This is the kind of foliage that made Victorian gardeners obsessed—rare colors, soft scallops, and living patterns that changed from plant to plant. Pinto Mix carries that legacy forward with a vivid blend of magentas, pinks, and greens that practically glow in the garden. Incredibly easy to grow in sun or shade, it fills beds, containers, and porch plantings with constant color from spring through fall. If you want maximum visual impact with minimum work, this is one of the most rewarding plantings you can make.

Plant Details

Botanical Name
Coleus scutellarioides
Life Cycle
Annual
Days to Germinate
10–20
Days to Maturity
70–84
Planting Depth
⅛ in.
Plant Spacing
6–8 in.
Ideal Temperature
70–95°F
Frost Hardy
No

Growing Guide

When to Grow

Start Pinto Mix indoors 8-10 weeks before your region's last frost date, and move the transplants outdoors only after all danger of frost has passed. You can also direct sow, again after all danger of frost has passed and once the soil is quite warm. These plants are not frost hardy. Days to maturity run 70-84.

How to Sow and Plant

  • Seeds germinate in 7-14 days.
  • Surface sow seeds and lightly cover with a thin layer of fine potting soil.
  • A humidity dome will help to keep seeds moist and warm until they germinate (dome is not necessary, just helpful).
  • Direct sow after all danger of frost has passed and soil is quite warm, or start indoors 8-10 weeks before last frost and transplant out.
  • Ideal germination temperature is 70-78 F.

How to Grow

  • Plants prefer shade or part sun and rich, well-drained soil with plenty of moisture.
  • Space plants 12-18 inches apart.
  • Keep the small, inconspicuous flower spikes pinched back (like basil) to encourage healthy bushy foliar growth.
  • Plants easily propagate from cuttings.
  • Before first frost, take cuttings and root for indoor winter house plants. These super cold-sensitive plants will be killed even by light frost.

PESTS/SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS

A number of soft-bodied insects may attack your coleus, from mealybugs to aphids and spider mites. Be sure to treat these infected plants regularly and thoroughly with organic approved horticulture soaps.

How to Save Seeds

Seed saving is possible with coleus, but be aware that there will always be a bit of genetic variation in plants grown from seed.

  • Allow flower spikes to mature on plant before harvesting seeds.
  • Store in a cool, dark, dry place.
  • It is also possible (and very easy) to propagate coleus from cutting; simply snip and root a few cuttings in late summer and keep indoors overwinter as a house plant. Propagate cuttings from this mother plant in spring and transplant rooted cuttings outdoors after frost.

FAQ

How deep should I plant Coleus Pinto Mix seeds?

Surface sow the seed and cover it with no more than a thin layer of fine potting soil — the listed planting depth is just ⅛ inch. Ideal germination temperature is 70-78°F, and seedlings typically appear in 10-20 days.

Does Pinto Mix want sun or shade?

This very low-maintenance ornamental can be grown in shade or sun. In hot-summer areas it prefers filtered shade; elsewhere, full sun suits it.

Should I pinch the flower spikes on Pinto Mix?

Yes. Keep the small, inconspicuous flower spikes pinched back, much as you would with basil, to encourage healthy bushy foliar growth.

Customer reviews

4.7 / 5 37 Reviews

What gardeners are saying

  • Wide color variety: Bold patterns from lime green to deep burgundy.

  • Easy from seed: Tiny seeds, but germination runs high indoors.

  • Huge leaves, tall plants: Hand-sized leaves on bushy plants up to two feet.

  • Shade and containers: Thrives in shady beds, window boxes and pots.

  • Growing tips: Slow to size up; start indoors early with a heat mat.

More to grow!

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