Re: pruning salvias
- To: M*@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Re: pruning salvias
- From: R* F* D*
- Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2000 11:59:45 -0500 (EST)
>Nan Sterman wrote:
>
>> I have several of the brittle, woody salvia-greggii type salvias that
>> are in dire need of pruning -- I think. All of the foliage is
>> towards the ends of the branches so the plants are all twigs in the
>> center and not terribly attractive. I have been hesitant to prune
>> them as I am concerned that cutting off all of the foliage will kill
>> the plant. What pruning schema shall I use?
>>
>> Thanks!
>
>Hi Nan:
>
>My woody salvias look the same way at this point! And while they break
>well into new growth from hard cutting +in early spring+, I'm not going
>to prune them now. I'm concerned that we'll get lots more rain this
>winter (I hope) and the plants will not be able to transpire that extra
>moisture at their roots if a great quantity of their leaves are removed.
>
>Rather, I remember something Alessandra posted at this time last year:
>fall pruning is best confined to shaping. So I went over +lightly+
>rounding them up. And will save my hard prune til the end of
>February/March.
>The exception is that monster, S. 'Waverly' which I think you could
>prune any time you are in the mood!
>
>Jan
Jan:
You are basically correct about leaving pruning of Salvia greggii /
microphylla plants for spring. These shrubs are adapted to fresh growth
coming from coppice at the base and from the growing ends of the "canes".
Think of roses and bramble fruit like raspberries, and you will get the
right idea. The very fine old flower stems can be cut, but if you cut the
stems too far back, you will remove a lot of the active leaf nodes. In
spring, there won't be the needed emergence of foliar surface to generate
growth. After a few seasons, you will be able to tell where the safe
trimming points are for your climate.
Many of them will look a bit ugly for a while, but unhampered spring growth
will result in a full bush (at which point when you can shape the shrub),
quickly followed by blooms.
The worst thing you can do is cut the shrub to ground level. Only the
rhizomatous microphyllas will survive this treatment.
Richard F. Dufresne
313 Spur Road
Greensboro, North Carolina 27406 USA
336-674-3105
World of Salvias web page:
http://www.eclectasy.com/gallery_of_salvias/index.htm
or
http://home.infinet.mindspring.com/~salvia/salvia.htm (to be phased out)
