Information about Salvia

Botanical name: Salvia sp.

Common name: Sage

Flowering time: Summer, fall

Flower colors: Purple, pink, red, white, blue, yellow

Height: up to 3 feet

Salvia is a large genus of plants estimated at nearly 1000 species, commonly named sages. Sages come with a multitude of sizes, shapes, colors fragrances and blooming periods. They also can be treated as annuals, biennials or perennials. All Salvias have in common the need for full sun and well-drained soil. Well mixed in your garden, Sages can give you long periods of flowering with a large choice of colors.

Planting Salvia

Usually, Salvias are full sun plants but some species can grow well in partial shade. They need rich well-drained soils, so consider to add some sand and organic matter to improve texture.

Salvias are not frost tolerant, they need heat all the time. To avoid frost risk, start you Salvia indoor in late winter in pots, provide heat and bright light, and wait for the cold period to pass before transplanting it in your garden.

If you are willing to plant directly in the ground, do it after the risks are gone:

• Dig a hole twice the diameter of the pot
• Put a layer of compost in the hole
• Put the plant in the hole considering to place the top of root ball in the same level with soil surface
• Gently fill around the plant
• Water it closely
• The plants must be 1 to 3 feet apart depending on the species (width)

You can buy Salvia seeds from Walmart or SeedsNow

Caring for Salvia plant

Watering

An excess of moisture in soil can cause rot Salvia’s roots, so there is no need to extra water in rainfall season. Overexposing your plant to sunlight may wilt it; in this case, you should proceed to additional watering without sinking your Salvia. Watering may preferably be done on the evening or early morning.

Pruning

Properly dead-heading Salvias may get you more blooming volume and period. Pruning must be done once or twice every year, just follow each flower stem from the top to the first point of branching where new buds are formed and cut the stem just above the branch point.

Fertilizing

Salvias tolerate poor soil and most of cases you don’t need to fertilize. Otherwise, applying aged compost and some wood mulch in spring can provide sufficient nutrients to keep your plant healthy and growing. Over fertilizing Salvias and rich soils may cause leggy plants and the stems will often collapse.

Recommended Salvia species

Annual Salvias

Saucy Red (Salvia splendens): It grows up to 3 feet, red blooming all the summer.

Sallyfun Deep Ocean (Salvia farinacea): 2-3 feet, violet-blue blooming all the summer.

Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans): 2-3 feet, red blooming all the summer

You can buy Salvia seeds from Walmart or SeedsNow

Perennial Salvias

Red Swing (Salvia greggii): 2 feet, red blooming all the summer.

May Night (Salvia sylvestris): 2 feet, purple-blue blooming late spring and late summer.

Blue Flame (Salvia pachyphylla): 3 feet, pink-blue blooming all the summer

You can buy Salvia seeds from Walmart or SeedsNow