I already successfully grew two Salvias in pots, just on the window. It
was a year ago, but they didn't survie the winter, not because of
temperature, but probably because of lack of light and humidity (of
course i sprinkled them often). The leafs started to get brown from the
bottom to the top of the plant, so finally only over 1 meter high stems lasted which
also started turning brown, from the top to down.

Anywayz, i wanted my mrs.S back in business, so i recently bought 4
salvia seedlings. I kept them in small humidity tent. I had like 90%, and
temperature 24-28C. Unfortunately they died within a month, although
first two weeks they seemed to accommodate, and grew some new small nice green leafs.

Another attempt: this time 8 seedlings, and i build a complete new
growbox.
Here is a pic, there are still packed in plastic bags:

Its sealed, 90x80x210cm box, with mainly clear walls. I clean everything i put inside. there is ultrasonic humifider, and of course i also get temp and humidity readouts.
This time i keep the temp at 20C , and humidity around 65%. I use compact fluorescent bulbs, daylight and warm. I also feed them with CO2 (yeast reactors). Photoperiod 19/5.
The following pics are 10 days later:

They seemed to be fine, but after like one week i decided to water them
(distiled), and after that the leafs started to turn down, what you can
see on the pics. And i can feel it that they're gonna die like my previous grow:(
the next step will be probable all the leafs turning brown and black, even those fresh tiny small ones.

The leafs seems like getting thiner and lighter, and dropping. There are some wholes in some leafs, and some of them are geting bigger. It was very noticible with my previous seedlings, they were like cracking! I didn't notice any bugs tho.

The soil is really loose, and light, some perlite mix, so when i watered
them (a bit) it immediately went through the pot, i don't get it! why this plant is so sensitive to overwatering? i did it only once!

There are some brown and black spots and lines mainly on the stems, its rot:( but i use Bayer antifungus spray, i already sprayed them twice, and it seems to be
helpfull, at least those white mushy things disappeared.

But maybe there are some other causes.
I have contacted the guy who i bought Salvia from, and he said that he doesn't use any self controlled environment, just grows Salvia on the window, he doesn't even have any hygrometer. Just sprinkles them a few times a day.
wtf? i sprinkle them too, but not so often, like every 2-3 days with soda water, before i switch the light off.
What comes to my mind, is that maybe it is a bit to shocky for Salvia to change the environment so radically, maybe i should keep them on the window too??
I already learned that Salvia needs to grow a new set of leafs to accommodate to different humidity, maybe it just can't handle it.

This weekend I planned to repot them, but maybe i should wait? They will certainly get more water by placing them into bigger pots, so things could get even worse.

Any advice appreciated.
cheers.

I also killed two very small green flies, but they didn't move, so don't know if they were alive, but they might have caused those holes in the leafs.

It can grow into an enormous plant, with plentiful foliage for those growers who wish to use this for their own purposes..there are many websites that will offer more info. The plant can get very sprawling and untidy, but IF you can provide the right conditions for it to flower, it is stunning! Huge, furry, white flowers within a purple calyx. Not so different from S. 'Phyllis Fancy'.

But, this is perhaps not the correct forum to discuss this particular Salvia, as most of us are not into hallucigenic plants. Apparently, S. splendens (true species) has similar properties!

Many other Salvias with interesting scented foliage might have interesting side-effects if eaten/smoked, etc. I have never experimented...leave this to others who might be inclined. The divinely beautiful scent of the foliage of S. gravida and S. dorisiana indicates that there might be something interesting should they be dried and smoked, but I am not about to try this. Younger readers...let us know of any experiences. Another Salvia, S. confertiflora, which, although a beautiful plant, for me it has the most unpleasant-smelling foliage of all. Maybe this is poisonous?

Let us concentrate on the beautiful-flowering Salvias....ok S. divinorum is one of them...but for those into drugs, please write to other sites.

Sincere regards, Robin.

There are supposedly two different strains of this plant; one very difficult to grow and the other almost impossible to kill. I have the latter and the plants are kept outdoors all summer in very low humidity in dappled shade, although they are watered every three days during the 100 F summers. They generally grow to 7' tall over the summer and start blooming about this time of year when I bring them into the cold greenhouse, (minimum temp of 40 F.)

But, please don't ask me for any cuttings, (someone always does when I post about them), as I had to treat them with Bayer's Shrub and Tree systemic pesticide a week ago due to a bad infestation of mealy bugs. I wouldn't want to be responsible for sending anybody these pests or having someone try to smoke the leaves and poison themselves sick or worse. The pesticide is supposed to be active for a year or more...

Mike

On some of them i noticed cracks and holes:

I was even trying to save them by making new cuttings from still healthy parts of the plants:

As i wrote in my first post, i watered them only once! but it seemed like the plants started to feel really bad after this, began to rot

Salvia cutting died within a day, i guess the cutting was to small, stem to thin. Because long time ago i used to make such cuttings and they're growing new roots just in a glass of water! but had much bigger stem.

leafs dropping, to much water i guess

The whole grow went down:(

Anyway, i got a second chance!! i ordered another 8 salvia cuttings!! its cold outside (around 0C) but somehow they survived the journey:

I just unpacked them and put in the same growroom, but of course i took everything out what could be infected from previous grow.

They look ok, right out off the box:

But i'm so afraid that i will fail again. This time i'm planing not to separate the grow-room from the rest of the room so well, i left the door open, so there is an air flow. This way, there will be no need for any CO2 feeding, cause there is a constant ventilation now.
I set the humidifier to make some steam around the plants, but it doesn't make the grow room to humid because its open now.

I really don't know if repoting to a bigger pots would make any improvements at this stage?? while the cuttings are still very small. The soil in those pots is rather lose and kind of wet , so i'll hold on with watering.

any advices appreciated, cheers.

one cutting have two strange leafs, they look like were eaten by some bugs, but i didn't notice any, is it some disease what could spread to other plants?

i read about soup solution, but i'd rather look for some spray in a gardenshop

I found such description on the net, and it could be it!!

"Cyclamen Adult mites are too small to be seen with the naked eye. Adults are amber or tan-colored and semitransparent while the young stages are white. They are found mostly in protected places on young, tender leaves, buds and flowers. Damage, caused by removal of plant sap, will result in leaves becoming twisted curled and brittle. Buds may become deformed and have a streaked and blotchy appearance. Blackening of injured leaves, buds and flowers is common.
Houseplants lightly infested can be immersed pot and ali, for 15 minutes in water at 110oF. May also use Kelthane as a spray."

So i bought an antinsect spary, (scotts brand), it says its very strong, even poisones to humand and bees. I sprayd a few cuttings, will see what happens.

Here is an update to my grow log:

the problem with leaves is developing:( and i noticed that leaves started geting small brown spots, like from burns or something. I dint add any fertilizers! i use only pure distilled water (from the store).
The more the leaf is curled, twisted, the more brown spots it gets.
Here are some pics if sb would like to study them:

Those new light green leaves look like from overwatering, but thats impossible because i didn't even water them, since repoting to bigger pots. The soil is dry, and i even built a wicking system to avoid overwatering, don't know how will it work out, becuase i just made it today.

Metal rodes as a 'table' for pots:

Polypren ropes come out of the pots and go to the water cointainer below:

And i stil have 4 more cuttings but they need to be transplated to bigger pots. I don't know what to do, maybe i should try hydro? i already bought all the equimpment, maybe i'll try, at least one of them.

I don't think my ligting causes any problems, its two tubes, 1350lm cool white and 550lm fluoro (pink light).

Thats all sucks:( i'm doing my best and finally they will be all dead:( most probable, because of the same things, leaves curl, brown spots,.. i experienced with my two previous grows, and now the symptopms are the same:(

the only difference is, that now i dont have any problems with rot and fungus, thats because i cut on humidity, its self controlled at 40% in my room.
Previously my almost sealed growbox had about 90% which did not work at all!! caused stem and leaves rot. Now the stems look ok, but leaves are terrible :(

Take each Salvia out, and get a plastic shopping baggie, not the opaque kind, but the ones you put fruits in that are rather clear.

Now for each salvia you'll be using 1 bag.

Take the baggie and breathe in it, as though you were hyper-ventillating, until the bag is completely fogged. Your trying to get to near 90% humidity, and better yet, a huge concentration of carbon-dioxide and nitrogen. Place this baggie over your Salvia, make sure its really puffed up, really foggy, hot and humid, lots of CO2, that's the key, and most importantly that its sealed around the plant so as not to mix with the outside air. Repeat the same procedure every hour or so.

I will gurantee that your plants will REALLY spruce up, and the leaves will become erect and firm.

The key is in the HIGH concentrations of CO2 and atmospheric nitrogen. I was told by a very experienced botanist that this plant will absorb alot of it's nutrients through the LEAVES, as well as the roots.

From the set up you've shown, I think that your plants we just simply suffocating! You breath oxygen, they breathe carbon dioxide, get a clue!

As far as bugs and pests go I would try spraying VERY small amount of soap mixed with water on the leaves.... don’t forget the underside as well.

My plant does have brown spots on the older leaves but the new growth does not. I think this may be the initial shock from being mailed 2,000 miles. Haha.

I believe it is a very resilient plant, you just have to keep it in one spot and give it ample time to adjust to its surroundings.

Also you don’t need to water it every day unless it is in very hot temperatures. Over watering seems to be the cause of your problems but then again I am no expert. Maybe try not using a humidity tent on one of your cuttings.

Anyways I'm sure you will get it down.

~Seth

PS
Im not sure how to put photos of my salvia on this site but I would be happy to if someone were tell me how it's done.

Also how much fertilizer are you using? And what kind?

Hope that helps! :)

Brenda

I have been growing coleus for the past year and I am considering getting salvia.d.

Regarding difficulty, How different are these two to grow from each other. I live in South Africa and our climate here ranges from warm summers and freezing winters.

Things I have noticed from coleus:

They are hyper sensitive to seasonal change, they get the seasonal info from photo periods. Shorter periods kick them into blooming.

I found that having a grow light does not change this behavior if they are exposed to the outside light as well.
Theory:When creating a false season, NO TRACES OF THE SUN SHOULD FIND IT'S WAY TO THE PLANT. Can someone verify this??

Cuttings:
Automatic on plant cuttings that has new leaves in progress.

Cuttings die if they are busy growing flower heads. Not conclusive, can someone verify??

It takes a considerable time (a week, half a week) to change the plant from flowering mode to new leaf growth mode. How much exactly???

If I pinch the flower head from the plant, the plant sprouts flower heads on other nodes. If I pinch a whole chunk along with the flower heads the plant starts new growth instead.

What I would try in this situation is supplying each plantlet with its own humidity hood,
...Remove all traces of sunlight from the growing area
...Put the lights on a timer for 11-12 hour light cycles.
...Make sure the light strength are enough for vigorous growth.
...Regulate the temp to 20 degrees Celsius.
...Water smaller amounts, about 100ml per plant, every second day.
...Do not touch or move the pots once they are placed the way you want them. Not until I see any new growth. Even if they wither completely.
...How cold is your water when you water them? Wont hurt to get it up to 20 degrees Celcius before watering.

That is what my thumbs tell me.

Regards
Zaorr

Entheogen.com, and the 4 or 5 Yahoo groups are a good starting place.

Plant needs air movement, and cool (66-75F) temps to thrive, free draining soil, bright cool blue flouros or partial "cool" sun outside.

good luck to all, Jupe

My plants are dying like flies...

this is my second one now....

it seems to have died today.

the reason i had humidity so high is because the last cutting i had seemed to like it....
any time the plant was looking a little weak, some humidifier would perk it right up...

i'm just feeling really let down....
if anyone had some tips for me, or some cuttings that they would be willing to sell me cheap, i would be grateful....

i already spent way too much on this crap, and now i'm about to give up...

my humidity was at 99%, and the temp was at 90*....

i assume i cooked it.... problem is... ambient temperature in my room is 88* right now....

today i left my humidity tent loose... and i come back to a dead plant....

HELP!!!

I'm surprised you got seed. I was sure there were no pollinators - that it's a cultogen...

All y'all are growing bacteria! Set your plants free!!!