Re: Salvia pruning ( was Indigo Spires)
- To: MEDIT-PLANTS@ucdavis.edu
- Subject: Re: Salvia pruning ( was Indigo Spires)
- From: R* F* D*
- Date: Thu, 30 Sep 1999 22:19:53 -0400 (EDT)
At 04:18 PM 9/29/1999 +1200, you wrote:
>While on the subject of Salvias perhaps someone could give me an answer
>to my probably very simple-minded query. I really don't grow this genus,
>but was given a couple of plants of S bethellii and these seem to be
>surviving as just a single straggly stem. I would like to cut them back
>this spring before they get growing too busily and wonder how low I can
>go without killing them. If I could get them to sprout low down I guess
>it would make much more substantial and attractive plants.
>TIA
>Moira
Moira:
When you prune a tropical Salvia, leave some foliar surface (about 1/3 of
the original) for the first stage of pruning; this will keep the plant
growing and force axillary growth. If this results in a plant that is too
big, cut again after the axillary growth has become established.
You will definitely set back salvias by `ankling' them (cutting them down to
their ankles, leaving stubs with several nodes). They can take up to 6
weeks to come back (if at all), based on food stored in their roots. I've
killed a lot of plants this way, especially during the loading of my stock
into cold frames and my greenhouse for the winter.
Salvia involucrata cv.`Bethelii', like S. guaranitica and S. madrensis,
develops extensive underground roots and should come back. Check the root
ball before pruning to make sure you have a robust root system.
(Robust has just become an overused word these days, as far as I can tell.
I think it started with Y2K software solutions and military campaigns)
Richard F. Dufresne
313 Spur Road
Greensboro, NC 27406
336-674-3105
