I have grown all the plants you are asking about but S.subrotunda.I have prunned my greggi,microphylla,coccinea
S."Purple Magesty" ,miniata,coccinea,blepharophylla,darcyi,S."Mystic Spires ,rutilans, van houttei and S."Blue Chiquita" .
All benefit from a hard prune down in the south.I have one microphylla, farinacea and a few of the jamensis hybrids that I don't prune it seems to set them back in my climate. for some reason.Colder regions don't want to to this as it will damage or kill their plants. I would say depends on cultivar,species and geographic location.
Art

Hi, Art, and thanks. I live in the "temperate" south or upper south in zone 7, so the ones I have mentioned will either die and reseed, or at the minimum die back to the roots every year. So all spring growth will be from either seedlings or new growth on existing roots.

I guess my main concern was are these naturally shrubby plants, or do they need some assistance in the form of pinching/pruning. I don't want to end up with a few long stems and little flowering.

Seedlings can probably be pinched back when they develop the second set of true leaves, or not??? I am not familiar with the growth habit of some of these. I am assuming, based on my experience with Salvia coccinea 'Coral Nymph', a common one I know, that returns from seed each year, that pinching is not really necessary because it comes up late - around late July here - and I might be pinching off flowering growth at that point. It seems to branch naturally on its own.

So that leaves the others and the species, S. coccinea, which I don't know whether or not grows like the hybrid, blooms late like the hybrid, in which case it probably wouldn't be a good idea to pinch. I guess I need to do some reading.

Ok - you've inspired me to do some research. Thanks!

Susan

Susan:
Pinching does help with getting more shrub like plants.
I would wait on seedlings to start branching on their
own then pinch. The key is don't be afraid to experment with how you want to grow your Salvias.
Art

Thank you so much, Art. I did do some research and there is not much discussion on pinching/pruning, so was about to give up.

Susan

Subrotunda needs no pinching although it probably wouldn't hurt. It is considerably larger the coccinea in both directions. It might not be a bad idea to pinch greggii and microphylla seedling in the way Art suggests. I will be interested to know how much progress the last two make for you in their first year from seed. Here in my section of zone 7 they appear as volunteer seedlings once the soil warms up and this seems to be too late for good progress the first year. I just leave them in place and only consider using them if they survive their first winter. If you are starting them indoors you could very well get better progress than I see. The particular garden where mine volunteer is very barren and is never watered.

Are you talking about the darcyi and coccinea, Wardda? You don't think they will grow enough to flower from first year seedling? I planned to either start indoors or WS in March. May do both to see which one works best.

Susan

Coccinea should bloom about 2 1/2 months after sowing the seeds.

I guess I should have read the above posts more closely. I'm just assuming the plain coccinea is about the same as lady in red, which is the one I have experience with, and I see you already have experience with coral nymph.

No, I failed to mention I was talking about greggii and microphylla - sorry.