My seedlings have matured

My favourite plant in my garden is Salvia "hot lips" It is looking very sorry after the big freeze however (I gave it a light pruning just before DOH) my new puppy has also destroyed one. From one of the bits he tore off I stuck in the root forming hormone and in a pot in the shed, though I don't have high hopes!. I took some cuttings in Autumn last year and they rooted and grew for about 4 months on my kitchen window sill then they all died off - I think it was the central heating.

Any advice on taking cuttings from this plant would be much appreciated.

 

Ellie. 'Hot Lips' is a Salvia microphylla (micro = small, phylla = leaf). Whilst I don't have that one, I have another variety. I think its brilliant, it has such a long flowering period anything up to 6 months, should be much more appreciated.

I don't know why your cuttings should die off. My usual problem is that I forget to water them over winter, on the grounds that the plants outside don't need watering! It is generally easy to take Salvia cuttings, but you need to keep them in a propagator or in a plastic bag to keep the moisture in. Until they get roots they cannot absorb any moisture, so its a race to grow roots before they dry out and die. I am doing some at the moment in a heated propagator in my light box. I have covered the base of the propagator with water, so that the cuttings are in a 100% humidity environment. I have done several batches this way and so far I have never had any problem with mould, but that is always the worry. They need as high a light level as you can get. Its the light that gives them the energy to grow the roots.

 

Thanks Peter,

Yes I managed to get them rooted and they put some growth on then slowly one by one they started to die - It was extremely cold outside and we had the heating on constant (they were on the kitchen windowsill) and I put it down to that. I'll give them another go when there are some nice new shoots. I have just checked my one in the shed and it is still alive. Very much a shot in the dark with that one. It is a big hardwood cutting, not in a propagator but in a pot on a gravel tray covered with water. Who knows it might root - I think I might stivk a plastic bottle over the top. I may try some new ones in my heated propagator.

You are right about the flowering, mine went on forever last year, despite being in a largely shaded area. I planted them with hardy geraniums who's purple flowers and leaves filled the bottom areas of the salvias and they looked great together. - It was my favourite bit of the garden. Here is a picture (not quite on the same scale as the previous photo!)



Cheers EGW

 

Hi Peter,

My one salvia experiment this year is a plant of salvia guaranatica "Blue Enigma" - have you tried it at all?

Also, have you been to Newby Hall? They have wonderful salvias there, esp in the Autumn garden later in the year. (I think James Compton who has done a lot of work with Salvias is one of the family who own the place)

If you don't already know about it, Robin Middleton's website www.robinssalvias.com is a mine of information.

Keep us posted on how they all do!

 

Is salvia a really big family of plants like roses? I'm just surprised someone can grow just one type of plant.

 

Ellie - that looks lovely. Did it survive the winter OK outside. Salvia microphylla is reasonably hardy - about 97% but not quite 100%. So it might be worth taking cuttings as an insurance policy.

Tigerlily. I do have 'Blue Enigma', Christopher Lloyd regarded it as the best guaranitica, its very nice. I live close to Newby Hall, but have to admit that I have not seen it in Autumn. As a member of the RHS I can get in free early in the season, but have to pay later on - I am going to have to find where I left my wallet one day :D . Yes I do know Robin Middleton's site. In fact it was he who very generously sent me a load of seeds, which I am now growing. Now Robin is someone who really does know what he is talking about.

 

Newbie. Yes the Salvia genus is huge, it has about 900 species. And whilst all Roses look superficially similar to me, there is a lot of variation within Salvias. I am growing about 50 different types at the moment, but I am also growing 150 to 200 other sorts of plant as well. So I am not totally dedicated to them. These are just three different looking Salvias.


Salvia involucrata


Salvia leucantha. Looks like and feels like velvet.


Salvia 'Mystic Spires'. I would regard this as possibly the best garden Salvia. It's very upright and long flowering.

Many Salvias flower for a long period of time. Some have lovely flowers, but quite a lot have small flowers but, like Pointsettias, they have colourful bracts (ie leaves). A lot of the colour in the pictures above is provided by bracts rather than flowers.

 

Hi Peter,

I know this is not related to this thread, but what is the flower on your avatar? One guy was looking for that answer and I couldn't find it in my flower books.

 

Can I just say...just in case you are wondering...I don't think that I am in any way related to Robin Middleton