| The best time to take cuttings is when the plants are in active growth. The more robust the cuttings, the faster they will root. Are you in a coastal sand hills, with lots of pine and shiny-leaved understory shrubs? What is your USDA floral zone? Soil type is an important detail, as is drainage. Both sandy soil and red clay will need humus. Leaf mold from oaks and especially maples mixed with aged manure and/or coffee grounds is a very good way to start. A slow release fertilizer applied at planting and again 3-4 months later is also good. Hardwood bark mulch (no wood fibers) not only holds in moisture and root coolness and keeps out weeds, but also breaks down into a welcome humus. How much mulch and humus you need depends on the average soil temperature. The hotter and sandier the soil, the faster mulch and humus will disappear. All varieties of Salvia guaranitica, involucrata, and puberula are good hummingbird plants. A lot of other sages, with blooming spread out over the year, will be good to add to the mix. These include S. miniata (red, summer), S. holwayi (red, autumn & winter), S. reglas (tree-like, orange late summer to frost), and S. miniata (tall, yellow, autumn). S. mexicana also will be good. Many of the autumn sages also bloom in the spring before guaraniticas start, providing you are in a warm enough USDA zone. There are others, but the choice depends on your microclimates. |
