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marymilkweed

Yellowing Leaves on Mexican Bush Salvia

marymilkweed
15 years ago

I am new to growing saliva and to this board. I have some yellowing of leaves at the base of my Mexican Bush Sage. The plants have been in the ground about 2 1/2 months and appear to be healthy and blooming otherwise. Are they getting too much or too little water? They are growing in full sun in fertile soil. Any help would be appreciated.

Comments (6)

  • CA Kate z9
    15 years ago

    That stem is probably getting old and will be replaced by new growth --- at which point you can remove the old one.

  • hybridsage
    15 years ago

    Need more information Please.What is your soil like?
    I would assume you have sandy soil as opposted to clay.
    How has rainfall been in your area? Are leaves yellowing on
    the interior part of the plant or all over? If your are
    in sand and rain/irrigation has not been on a daily basis
    it may be to dry.You may need to work in compost to retain
    moisture & mulch helps with this too .FYI: Mine usually yellows if it is to dry the leaves will wilt in the hotest part of the day and not recover until watered.We will wait for more info before going any further , Thanks!

  • rich_dufresne
    15 years ago

    "I noticed you had some experience with these. I have 3 in my front beds that are thriving and doing well (this is their 1st year). But, this week, almost overnight, the leaves started yellowing... from the bottom upwards. It is a leafy, full, bush, so I thought it was healthy, other than this sudden issue. Any ideas?"

    I agree with hybridsage and his concerns. Yellowing and leaf drop is inevitable with most Salvias. This is especially true if there is a quantum increase in temps, with a hot spell. A cold spell, sudden changes in soil moisture, and loss of nutrients also can cause this.

    It is usually with only the lower third to half of the bush that leaf loss is normal.

    The South African sages differ in holding on to their leaves, but this is a defense mechanism to deal with hot day temps and loss of moisture in a really hot and dry climate. They do poorly in humid climates, especially in rainy summer weather.

  • jameshtsun_gmail_com
    15 years ago

    I have exactly the same problem with my newly planted mexican sage. I am using pure compost and water once every week. I don't soak the plant, just make sure
    it is moist. The bottom leaves turn yellow and fall off almost overnight. Sometimes only a couple, and sometimes I almost notice there are a dozen turn yellow overnight. It is quite frustrating! My garden soil is clay. But as I said, I
    use pure compost in the hole I dug before planting.

    I have noticed that the yellowing is most active right after I water the plant.

    Any inputs?

    Thanks a lot

  • hybridsage
    15 years ago

    I have clay soil here also so incorporate sand into
    your planting mix. Raised beds are key to growing anything
    in clay. I would also keep the compost out of the mix.
    Being clay does not drain well it will stay wet for longer
    periods of time which can cause plants to rot. Being your plant is new let it dry in between waterings so the oxygen
    can get down to the root system. Do you use wood mulches
    in california or rock? We use wood mulch here to keep the
    soil moisture and temperatures more consistant especially
    for new plants.

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