Author: Tamara Altova. 01 September 2018
Category: Garden plants.
Sage, or Salvia (lat. Salvia) is a genus of herbaceous perennials and shrubs of the Lamiaceae family, common in the nature of the New and Old Worlds. The name of the genus comes from the word salvus, which means “to be healthy.” According to The Plant List from 2013, there are 986 species in the genus. The salvia flower has been known since ancient times for its medicinal properties, but some species not only bring benefits, but can also provide aesthetic pleasure, since they are highly decorative. Those species of the genus that are grown for medicinal purposes are usually called sage among gardeners, and plants that are primarily valuable for their decorative qualities are called salvia.
Salvia (sage) flowers - description
The tetrahedral, erect or ascending, simple or branched stems of salvia can reach a height of 120 cm. The opposite leaves, located on long petioles, can be entire or pinnately dissected. Sage leaves are dark green on the upper side and lighter green below. Salvia flowers with a two-lipped corolla, the color of which varies from white to purple, form complex whorls of spike-shaped or paniculate inflorescences. The upper lip of the flowers is straight or crescent-shaped or helmet-shaped, the lower lip consists of three lobes, the middle of which is usually much larger than the lateral ones. The salvia fruit is formed from four nuts filled with seeds.
Seedling care
In the photo there is a salvia on the balcony.
Caring for salvia seedlings is easy. It is necessary to monitor the soil moisture, moistening it with settled water using a spray bottle. There is no need to flood the plants, but the soil should not be allowed to dry out. Spray the soil as soon as its top layer begins to dry out.
Seedlings planted in nutritious soil . I spray seedlings of any crops with whey, which is an excellent feeding and protection against diseases and pests. Read how to prepare and use whey here.
Picking salvia is one of the important stages of growing seedlings. It is recommended to do picking when the bushes have 2-3 true leaves. But at this time they are still very small, so I planted the seedlings in cups when they already had 3-5 true leaves. The plants took root well and grew quickly. For picking, you can take yogurt cups or 200 ml disposable glasses. Seedlings should be dug up together with a lump of earth. After planting, water it well and keep it in the shade for 2-3 days, then put it back on a well-lit windowsill.
You will be interested to know: Annual dahlias: planting and care, photos, when to plant seedlings in 2022
Growing salvia from seeds
Sowing salvia for seedlings
In our conditions, annual salvia is grown by seed, both seedlings and non-seedlings. In regions with a warm and mild climate, the seeds are sown in the ground in the spring or before winter, and in areas with cold winters and late spring, salvia is grown through seedlings, although in the southern regions the seedless method allows you to see the flowering of sage much earlier than when sowing seeds directly in priming. When to plant salvia seeds for seedlings? The best time is the end of February or the beginning of March.
Sow salvia seeds in a box with light seedling substrate, which can be purchased at a garden pavilion or in a specialty store. First, a layer of expanded clay is placed on the bottom of the box, washed with a strong solution of potassium permanganate, then the container is filled with soil, two weeks before, a spilled fungicide solution or a bright pink solution of potassium permanganate. There should be at least 2 cm from the surface of the substrate to the edge of the box walls. The soil is well moistened, after which the box is covered with glass or film and allowed to stand until the morning. Salvia seeds mixed with coarse sand are evenly distributed over the surface of the substrate, lightly pressed against it, sprayed with a spray bottle, covered with glass or film and kept at a temperature of 20-25 ºC until germination.
Caring for salvia seedlings
The seeds will begin to germinate on the 7-10th day, and as soon as the first shoots appear, the crops are moved to the lightest windowsill. For normal development, salvia flower seedlings require a 12-hour daylight hours, and if there is insufficient lighting, install an artificial light source above the box at a height of 20-25 cm - a gel lamp, LED or phytolamp.
Growing salvia during the seedling period requires regular watering and two pickings. When watering the substrate, moderation should be observed, since waterlogging can cause rotting of the base of the seedling stem, or black leg. If you find this problem, immediately remove the glass, stop watering for a while and, after removing the already laid seedlings, sprinkle the surface of the substrate with sand or sifted ash. If the soil becomes soggy, it is better to transplant the seedlings into a new substrate.
The first time salvia is picked is at the stage of development of two true leaves. The seedlings are transplanted into separate cups filled with the same seedling substrate in which the sowing was carried out. After picking, the seedlings are shaded from the sun for 2-3 days. When they develop three pairs of leaves, the tops of the seedlings are pinched for better tillering. In order for the seedlings to grow strong, they are planted a second time in pots with a diameter of 9 cm. Two weeks before transplanting to the flowerbed, the seedlings are subjected to hardening procedures: they are taken out into the open air every day, providing protection from drafts and gradually increasing the duration of the sessions. By the end of the two-week period, salvia from seeds should fully adapt to the environment in which it will soon find itself.
Sowing salvia seeds
The question of when to sow salvia for seedlings is not so simple, because it directly depends on the variety. Medicinal sage is sown at the end of February, since it blooms only in the fourth month, but decorative varieties can cope with this task in 2-3 months, and therefore they are sown in March. In any case, in order not to make a mistake with the timing, it is better to carefully study the instructions for the seeds.
The soil for salvia should have a pH in the range of 6-6.5 units. This can be prepared from a mixture of forest soil with sand and lowland peat in equal proportions, or can be purchased at the store. The boxes are filled with earth so that 2-3 cm remains to the top edge, and then the soil is thoroughly soaked.
Salvia seeds are small, so for uniform sowing it is better to mix them with river sand. By the way, many gardeners recommend not sprinkling the seeds with soil, but simply pressing them lightly into the ground with your palm. If you do this, the sprouts will rise with the seed coat on the cotyledon leaves. In principle, this is not scary, and over time the “headdresses” will fall off on their own or can be carefully removed.
After sowing, the boxes are covered with film or glass and sent to a warm (22-24°C) place for germination. The first shoots will appear in a week, but they will not be friendly - do not despair, the rest of the seeds will also sprout over the next 7-14 days.
Planting salvia in open ground
When to plant salvia in the ground
Salvia seedlings are planted in open ground in early June, when warm summer weather sets in. Almost all types of salvia have the advantage of being drought-resistant and grow well in full sun. The only exception is salvia adhesive, which prefers partial shade and rich, moist, nutritious soil, while all other species grow better on dry, lime-rich, not too light, but at the same time permeable soils.
How to plant salvia
Before planting salvia, the area is dug up and leveled. Holes with a volume of one and a half times larger than the root system of seedlings with an earthen ball are placed at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other. Seedlings are transferred from pots to holes, placed in the center, and then the remaining space of the hole is filled with soil. After planting, the surface of the area is compacted and each seedling is watered abundantly at the root. Planting is carried out on a cloudy day, but if the weather is clear, then it is better to plant the seedlings in the flower garden after sunset.
How and when to plant salvia seedlings
Picking seedlings is the process of transplanting seedlings from a common container or small individual containers into larger individual containers with a new soil mixture.
The optimal timing for picking seedlings is determined by the appearance of the plant - it should form two true leaves . As a rule, this moment occurs 1.5 months after planting the seeds.
It is recommended to plant salvia seedlings according to the following scheme:
- Pre-prepare planting plastic or peat cups (depth about 15-20 centimeters, diameter about 10 centimeters) and soil (use the same soil as for sowing seeds).
- Fill new containers with soil and make a small depression in the middle.
- Water the salvia seedlings thoroughly and allow the water to soak in.
- Now you should carefully remove the seedling from the soil; this is best done with a plastic spoon or small spatula. Weak and frail seedlings need to be discarded; they should not be transplanted to a new place.
- Plant the seedling in a hole in a new container up to the cotyledon leaves.
- Carefully water the plant in its new location.
If necessary, picking, for example, the new container turned out to be too small for the plant, should be repeated at the moment when the plant is in the phase of 4 true leaves.
Care after picking
Features of caring for salvia seedlings after picking are that the plants need to be shaded and protected from direct sunlight for three days . You can cover the window with newspaper or some other material.
After picking, it is necessary to ensure a temperature of 18-20°C . At the same time, the temperature should not be allowed to be higher.
Watering is also carried out as the soil surface dries, approximately once or twice a week. The plant should not be overwatered, as it does not like excess moisture.
It is recommended to pinch the top ; manipulation will help make the plant lush, but flowering will begin with a delay of about 7-14 days. You can pinch at the moment when three pairs of true leaves are formed.
If necessary, after picking, you need to add soil so that the plants are immersed in the ground up to the cotyledon leaves.
Caring for salvia in the garden
How to care for salvia
Planting salvia and caring for this crop in the open ground is work that even a novice gardener can handle. You will need to occasionally water the sage, apply fertilizer, loosen the soil in the area, remove weeds and wilted flowers. With insufficient or improper care, it may be necessary to protect the plant from diseases or pests.
Watering and feeding salvia
Salvia does not require regular watering, and in a season with normal amounts and frequency of precipitation, it requires almost no additional soil moisture, since one of the main characteristics of this crop is drought resistance. But sometimes in the summer there is abnormally hot and dry weather, and if this period drags on, the salvia will need to be watered with water heated in the sun in the evenings. The day after watering or rain, you need to carefully loosen the soil in the area and remove weeds.
As for fertilizing, they are applied twice: during the seedling period between the first and second picking and after planting in the ground, when the plant begins to form buds. Mineral complexes are used as fertilizers, and the concentration of the solution in the first fertilizing should be two times weaker than suggested in the instructions.
Salvia after flowering
Salvia blooms in June and fades with the first frost, although each species has its own flowering time. When the plant loses its decorative appearance, dispose of the bushes and dig up the soil in the area to the depth of a spade bayonet. Rare in our latitudes, perennial salvias are cut almost to the ground, and mulched on top for the winter with a layer of garden compost, under which the plant roots can easily overwinter. Young plants are additionally covered with dry leaves or spruce branches.
How to care for salvia seedlings after planting
High-quality and complete care is extremely important both before emergence and after. In the first case, it will help the seeds to germinate safely in the ground, and in the second, it will help to grow normal, strong and healthy seedlings. So, you need to care for salvia as follows:
- Maintain optimal temperature . Immediately after sowing the seeds, you need to move the box to a room where the temperature is stably maintained at 22-25 degrees Celsius.
- Monitor the optimal humidity until seedlings emerge - that is, ventilate the mini-greenhouse daily, removing the glass or film for a short time (about 20 minutes). In this case, you need to wipe the covering material with a rag to remove condensation and avoid excessive moisture.
- Immediately after the first shoots appear, you need to remove the lid or glass ; they will no longer be useful.
- Full lighting is extremely important for young plants. As soon as the seedlings appear, it is necessary to move the crops to a windowsill well lit by the sun (preferably southern or southwestern). The optimal length of daylight is at least 12 hours, so if necessary, you need to add additional lighting with lamps.
- Don't forget about regular watering , which young plants so need. Before emergence, you need to spray the soil with a spray bottle. After the shoots appear, you can water from a small watering can or other vessel, but do it carefully; when watering, the water should not get on the plant! You need to water as the soil dries out (approximately once every three to five days), and clean, settled water at room temperature should be used! And remember that you should not allow the soil to dry out or become waterlogged (there is a risk of blackleg).
- Fertilizers are very useful . For example, you can use fertilizer “Fertika”, “Agricola”. It is recommended to feed the seedlings only twice: the first time - two weeks after picking, and the second time seven days after the first feeding.
Pests and diseases of salvia
Salvia is extremely resistant to fungal diseases, but it is useless to fight viral or bacterial diseases; you just need to remove the affected plants from the area and prevent the development of these infections using agrotechnical and preventive methods. As for pests, salvia can suffer from aphids, whiteflies and spider mites, especially if the flower garden is located close to vegetable beds. Plants are treated with insecticidal preparations against aphids and whiteflies, and acaricides are used to get rid of spider mites.
Salvia leaves can be damaged by slugs and snails. To protect plants from mollusks, pieces of bark or slate are laid out around the area, which will make it difficult for pests to move, and a small ditch is made around the flowerbed and filled with large crushed stone. You can also catch slugs with bait: dig a glass jar into the ground, literally flush with the surface, and fill it a third with beer or a fermented sweet drink - juice, compote, honey water. Once trapped in a jar, slugs will no longer be able to get out of it.
When to plant salvia seedlings in different regions of Russia
Salvia has been quite popular lately. Most often it can be seen in city flower beds. Summer residents and gardeners also love this flower and are happy to plant plants in flower beds and flowerpots. It takes 3–3.5 months from sowing seeds to flowering. Hybrid varieties bloom 2–3 months after sowing.
The time for sowing seeds is different in each region and in each specific area. They begin to sow seeds from the second half of February to mid-March. Early sowing is due to the fact that seeds take a long time to germinate and seedlings grow slowly. In the northern regions, where spring comes later, sowing begins in late March–early April. In central Russia and the Moscow region, they sow from late February to mid-March. In the southern regions - from mid-February. In Siberia and the Urals, it is better to sow seeds for seedlings towards the end of March. In order for the seedlings to turn out strong and healthy, they must be sown correctly and surrounded with care during the development period.
Types and varieties of salvia
Salvia species are divided into four groups, and we will introduce you to representatives of each of them.
The first group includes salvias that grow in humid subtropical and tropical regions of America. In their natural habitats, these species live for several years, but in our climate they are grown as annuals. They are demanding on temperature and soil moisture and are damaged even by minor frosts. The first group includes such popular salvias as the bright red, powdery and most commonly grown salvia, shiny or sparkling. Salvia divinorum, or Salvia divinorum, also belongs to the first group.
Salvia vermilion is native to South America. This is a subshrub or herbaceous plant from 50 to 70 cm high with straight, densely pubescent branching stems, finely serrated along the edges, petiolate ovoid leaves with a heart-shaped or truncated base and a pointed apex and loose inflorescences up to 20 cm long of 4-8 flowers with a scarlet-red corolla. The long and flexible stems of this species are prone to lodging and require staking, but bright red salvia can also be planted in hanging structures. The best varieties of the species, which are grown specifically as hanging ones, are:
- Lady in Red - a bush 35-40 cm high with bright red flowers;
- Cherry Blossom is an early blooming salvia with pink flowers up to 40 cm high.
Mealy salvia is found in the wild in New Mexico. This is a non-capricious plant characterized by long flowering. The short-haired stems of salvia reach a height of 60 to 90 cm. Petiolate, oblong leaves wavy at the edges can be bare or slightly pubescent along the veins. Whorls consisting of 5-28 dark blue and sometimes white flowers are formed on tall peduncles. The axis of the inflorescence and the calyx are covered with dense pubescence, dark blue or light gray, respectively. The most famous varieties of mealy salvia:
- Victoria is the most famous variety, blooming luxuriantly with dark blue flowers;
- Anschuld - a bush with silvery white flowers;
- Strata is a compact bush with blue inflorescences.
Salvia splendor, or salvia sparkle, is most commonly found in nature in Brazil. This is a perennial plant, which in our climate is grown as an annual crop and forms densely leafy bushes of an obovate shape. Salvia sparkle has opposite, entire, ovate leaves that are dark green above and light green below. Large, irregularly shaped bright red, white, purple or pink flowers are collected in 2-6 pieces in a brush up to 25 cm long.
Plants of this species have become widespread in cultivation since 1822, and today Salvia sparkling is represented by a large number of varieties. Among the cultivars with red flower colors, the most popular are Vesuvius, Fire Flame, Flash, Fire Star, Scarlet Pidgey, Sahara, Fireball and Salvator. Among the varieties with pink flowers, Sizzler Orkid is most often grown, but the two-color hybrids Vista Sharlach Bicolor and Salsa Bicolor are in highest demand. On sale there are mixtures of Parade and Phoenix varieties with flowers of different colors.
The second group of salvias is represented by plants from the Mediterranean. They are perennials that are grown as annuals in cool climates. Compared to representatives of the first group, Mediterranean species are less whimsical, and they can be dug up for the winter and kept in a bright, cool place, and again planted in the garden in the spring. This group includes salvia green (variegated), whorled, dandelion-leaved and Yurisich. However, only one species is popular in gardening.
Salvia variegated, or green, is found in nature in the territory from Southern Europe to Western Asia. The Horminum variety of Salvia variegated with brightly colored bracts has a high decorative value. This plant reaches a height of 40 to 60 cm. It has numerous straight, branching stems, covered with simple and glandular hairs, petiolate oblong leaves, crenate along the edge and also pubescent, and simple inflorescences up to 30 cm long, consisting of pinkish or pale purple flowers with correspondingly bright pink or blue-violet bracts. The best varieties of the species:
- White Swan - bushes up to 60 cm high with creamy white bracts, but on some plants the upper leaves are purple or pink;
- Pink Sandy - salvia up to 60 cm high with pink bracts;
- Oxford Blue is a bush up to 70 cm high with violet-blue bracts.
Sometimes all these varieties are sold in a mix called Bouquet.
The third group includes salvia species that winter in open ground. As a rule, these are herbaceous plants from temperate zones of the Old World. These include salvia oak (forest), sticky, meadow, lush and Ethiopian. For ornamental gardening, only lush salvia, which has a hybrid origin, and forest salvia are of interest.
Salvia lush is a natural hybrid of Salvia sylvestris, a perennial plant reaching a height of 60 cm and blooming profusely with spike-shaped inflorescences of blue-violet flowers. The best varieties:
- Snow Hill - bush with white flowers;
- East Friesland is a compact plant with dark purple inflorescences;
- Blue Hill - a variety with lilac-blue flowers;
- Blue Queen is a drought-tolerant salvia with blue-violet flowers;
- Rose Queen is a plant with pink flowers.
Salvia oak, or forest, grows in dry meadows and steppes of Western Asia and Central Europe. Its stems are branched, straight, pubescent, from 30 to 60 cm high. The lower petiolate leaves with a sharp apex, a rounded or heart-shaped base and a crenate edge have a slightly wrinkled texture. The upper leaves are sessile and small. Inflorescences up to 40 cm long are formed from whorls, each of which consists of 2-6 flowers with a violet-blue corolla. Salvia forest is represented by the following varieties:
- Mainakht is an early variety with dark violet-blue flowers;
- Plumosa is a plant with dark lavender flowers on peduncles up to 40 cm high;
- Marcus is a low-growing variety (25 cm) with dark blue flowers;
- Adrienne - salvia with white flowers;
- Caradonna is a variety with almost black stems and dark purple flowers.
The fourth group is formed by rare and less cultivated species of salvia: swamp, lavender, azure, nutmeg, rejected, drooping, silver and scabiose. So far, these plants are found only in collectors' gardens.
Care
After the plant is planted in open ground, it is necessary to ensure proper care:
- watering;
- weeding;
- loosening the soil;
- feeding
Salvia does not require regular watering, but on hot days it is necessary to moisten the soil more often, it is better to do this in the evening.
Feeding is carried out in two stages in the summer season. The first bait is applied when the plant is at the seedling stage, the second during the baconization period. How to feed salvia? Usually fertilized with special mineral complexes.
How long does a flower bloom? The first inflorescences appear in mid-June and continue to delight their owners until the onset of the first frost. As salvia blooms, it does not grow, which in turn is convenient for creating various compositions in landscape design.
Diseases and pests
The main enemies of salvia are insects:
- Whiteflies often settle on vegetable crops. When planted close to vegetables, they can quickly settle on flowers. They drink the sap from the plant, causing the leaves to become covered with a white coating. Hitting the flower in a short time. If you don't chemically treat it, it will die.
- Aphids also feast on the sap of the plant. The leaves turn yellow, dry out, curl and fall off. The flower is covered with sugar grains. The damaged plant must be treated with insecticides.
- Thrips are very small pests that can be quite difficult to detect. As evidence that the plant has been attacked by thrips, the leaves curl and dry out. The plant is treated with the same preparations as for aphids.
- The spider mite sucks the life-giving fluid from the flower. The plant is covered with a thin web. Diseased bushes are removed from the ground and burned.
- Slime and snails attack salvia and eat the tasty leaves. In small quantities, they can be collected by hand. If there are too many of them they set traps. Placing dishes with fruit juice or beer on the site. The fruity and beer aroma will distract pests from the flower.
Salvia is an ornamental plant that, with proper planting and care, can decorate flower beds, plots, and gardens until the coldest weather.
Properties of medicinal sage - harm and benefit
Medicinal properties of sage
The most famous species of the Salvia genus is medicinal sage (lat. Salvia officinalis) , which is known to almost everyone who suffered from toothache and gumboils. This plant with oblong leaves and purple inflorescences reaches a height of 50 cm. The species has been in cultivation since 1597. The following varieties and garden forms of Salvia officinalis have been bred for decorative floriculture:
- Purpurascens is a plant with purple-violet leaves;
- Crim de la Crime is a variety with variegated leaves;
- Tricolor is a plant with beige-yellow leaves with purple splashes.
As a medicinal plant, sage is widely used in folk medicine. Hippocrates also pointed out its healing properties, who recommended taking the plant to prolong youth and restore strength. Sage inflorescences and leaves contain essential oil, which includes linalool, aromatic resins, acetic and formic acid, flavonoids, tannins and pinene. The roots of the plant contain coumarin, and the seeds contain fatty oil. Thanks to its composition, sage has a pronounced antimicrobial, restorative, anti-inflammatory, emollient, diuretic, antiseptic, astringent, antipyretic and hemostatic effect, it can reduce sweating and increase the amount of gastric juice, increasing the secretory activity of the digestive organs.
The healing properties of sage determine the use of its preparations in the treatment of kidney and liver diseases, digestive organs, viral infections, sore throat, mumps, gingivitis, neuritis, polyarthritis, radiculitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia, pyelonephritis, diabetes, headaches and gynecological diseases. And when used externally, sage helps heal wounds, ulcers, boils, burns, frostbite and skin diseases.
The leaves and tops of sage stems are harvested as medicinal raw materials, from which decoctions, extracts and essential oils are made.
Salvia officinalis - contraindications
Sage is an excellent remedy for many diseases, but it is not suitable for everyone. Plant preparations can cause allergic reactions, so a skin test must be performed before using them. Sage is contraindicated for women during pregnancy and breastfeeding: it can reduce the level of milk production, and sometimes the use of sage preparations leads to convulsions. Sage should not be used for epilepsy, severe cough and acute kidney inflammation.
In addition, it is unacceptable to take medications for more than three months, as this can lead to addiction and cause irritation of the mucous membranes. In any case, before using sage preparations, it is better to consult a doctor.
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Preparation of planting material and propagation
Salvia red perennial (the photo of flowers in the article shows the growing process step by step) blooms when it reaches the age of 2-3 months after sowing the seeds. Therefore, the plant is planted at the beginning of March or at the end of February in order to decorate your front garden with beautiful flowering bushes by the beginning of summer.
To grow salvia you need seeds, nutritious soil and desire. Seed germination is quite high, lasting up to 4-5 years. Since planting material does not need stratification, their preparation is carried out just before sowing.
Plant seeds can be purchased in specialized stores, which is very convenient, since manufacturers have already taken care of the quality of the material and its treatment with disinfecting solutions and a growth stimulator.
Such seeds are planted directly into the ground and do not require additional preparation.
You can also obtain seed material yourself from last year’s faded plants. It should be noted that granulated seeds prepared by the manufacturer should be sown a little earlier than regular seeds, since in order for sprouts to appear they still need to get rid of the outer artificial shell.
If you decide to propagate salvia with seeds collected yourself, you need to wait until the flowers fade. Planting material is collected from brown wilted flowers. They are cut off from the peduncles in advance and placed in a dark, dry place.
The grains fall off very quickly, so it is very important to collect them promptly after drying. The collected seeds are sent to a paper bag, where they are stored until sowing.
Material collected independently, before sowing, goes through a preparatory stage, which is carried out according to the following algorithm:
- Germination test. Seeds are placed in warm water for 1-1.5 hours. The pacifiers immediately float up and should then be drained along with the water. High-quality, fertile buds remain at the bottom.
- Disinfection. The seeds are wrapped in a piece of gauze and placed for 25 minutes in a weak solution of potassium permanganate. After soaking, the seed must be washed.
- Drying. Before sowing, the material is dried well on a paper towel under natural conditions. It is not recommended to place them in the oven or on a radiator, as the middle of the grains will dry out and not bear fruit.
After all the preparatory stages, the seeds are sown in deep containers filled with nutritious soil mixture. After the first two true leaves appear, the sprouts are planted in separate containers. And in early June, seedlings are planted in open ground.
There are 3 more ways to propagate salvia:
- cuttings;
- dividing the bush;
- air layering.
Salvia propagation methods:
Method | Description |
Cuttings | The most common and widely used method involves cutting small cuttings (shoots) 10-15 cm long. It is important that renewal buds are already formed on these cuttings. The cut cuttings are placed in a glass of purified water, cut side down, and placed in a shaded, warm place. The water in the glass should be changed periodically. After 2 weeks, the sprouts will produce roots, and when their length reaches 1-2 cm, the shoot can be planted in the ground in a permanent place. The first days the plant needs careful care: watering, spraying, shading. If the weather is cool outside, it is advisable to provide the sprouts with a greenhouse shelter, which is removed daily for ventilation. |
Dividing the bush | This method is quite difficult to perform, but if you know the rules and techniques, you can get two from one beautiful bush. The procedure is performed at the end of summer. Carefully dig up the bush, trying not to touch or damage the main root. The root system of salvia is branched, so the rhizomes of the children are carefully separated from the buried mother bush along with the earthen lump. The mother plant is planted back in its place, and the second bush is planted at a considerable distance from the mother bush. Too dense growth of salvia leads to the stems of the bush stretching upward and poor flowering. |
Air layering | A fairly simple and effective method of propagating salvia. To obtain a young bush, the branches of the mother plant should be bent to the soil and sprinkled with a layer of earth. After about 2 weeks, the buried branches will begin to take root. And after another 2 weeks, the root of the new bush will become so powerful that it can be separated from the main stem and planted separately on the site. |
Salvia is a plant capable of easy crossing, which is why gardeners recommend planting different varieties away from each other.
Kinds
There are a large number of varieties of culture, differing in appearance and properties.
Sparkling
Along with medicinal sage, it is the most common variety. It is valued due to its bright appearance and unpretentiousness in terms of care and cultivation.
Bright red
An annual variety with bright red flowers. Capable of reaching one and a half meters in height.
Mealy
It has a small height - up to half a meter and blue flowers. A perennial plant, but grown in Russia as an annual.
Whorled
Whorled sage is a perennial plant with a thick brown rhizome and several erect stems. The inflorescence is simple or with a pair of branches, containing up to forty flowers.
Dandelion leaf
It has a straight and poorly branched stem. The leaves are pinnate, the inflorescences are whorled, the flowers are light, with a pink tint.
Dubravnaya
The branches reach a length of 1.2 meters. The leaves are large, the flowers are bright red, violet, white or purple.
Sticky
The bushes can reach a height of 90 centimeters. The shoots are straight and glandular. The flowers are pale yellow.
Curvy
Compact variety, up to 60 centimeters tall. It has spike-shaped inflorescences, pink or blue-violet flowers.
short
Grows in height up to 50 centimeters. It has several different varieties, differing from each other in appearance and flowering speed.
Muscat
Subshrub up to 120 centimeters high. The stem is straight, the inflorescences are paniculate-branched.
Lyre-shaped
It has purple foliage and very compact sizes - up to 25 centimeters in height.