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sunimrette

Salvia winter care?

sunimrette
16 years ago

I was told that salvia should not be trimmed in the fall because that can lead to its crown rotting. So I left all my salvia species as they are- little skeletons. Does anyone know when the soonest is that I can go ahead and prune them to the ground? My in-laws are coming for a visit next month and my garden looks like a plant graveyard- I'd really love to neaten it up and put down some fresh mulch, but I love my salvias and don't want to loose them! Here we are still having occasional overnight frost, plenty of rain, paired with days that sometimes soar into the 70's (my poor, confused plants!) But our average last frost date isn't till April 1, give or take a week.

Thanks!

Rachel

Comments (11)

  • Donna
    16 years ago

    I wait until I at least see some good strong growth coming up from the base of the plant before I cut them back. If you do that, AND the plants are well mulched, you should be okay. If you have any doubt, trim the dead growth back, but leave some standing as insulation. Less dead will look neater.

  • sunimrette
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Thanks for the advice guys! Yes, I knew that it had to do with the stem being hollow and water getting in and rotting it... so I went ahead and trimmed back the lateral stems, leaving the main ones unharmed. Looks better, but still not great. I like the idea of putting a rock over it- they will only be in town for two days, and spending the nights in a nearby hotel, so they hopefully won't have too much time to scrutinize!

    Thanks!

    Rachel

  • qqqq
    16 years ago

    I never trim my salvias until Sprint. But it's not because of crown rot, it's because I just don't have enough time until Spring!

    I've never had crown rot.

    But I'll be on the look out. Learned something today. Thanks, Q

  • sunimrette
    Original Author
    16 years ago

    Well, I tried the bending it to the ground thing on my 'black and blue' salvia, but they all snapped away! So they have been unintentionally trimmed, and I am hopping that the weather stays warm enough to encourage new growth rather than rot. I'll be pretty sad if I loose it, it was such a pretty plant!

  • sunimrette
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Well the "black and blue" survived! It popped up a few weeks ago and is growing happily despite the abuse. Now I'm just watching my pineapple sage, hoping. I went ahead and trimmed that one down, though not all the way down to the crown. Has anyone else grown pineapple sage (salvia elegans) in NC and know about how late in the spring do they send up new shoots? I know the guides say it's hardy to 8a, but I'm only one county away from the start of that zone and we had a relatively mild winter.

    Thanks!
    Rachel

  • lavenderkitty
    15 years ago

    my first experience with salvia was buying them from Loew's. They were labeled as annuals, and as a neewbie
    I took the data and did not question it.
    After a prolific summer of never-ending bloom, from a plant who asked so little........a drink once a week if it was dusty hot. Other than that, I ignored the salvias and they grew and flowered steadily all through the broiling summer.
    They give you your moneys worth!

    Later that spring, as I was cleaning up the yard, I came upon dried-out tumbleweeds, the forlorn destination of my marvelous salvias only months before.
    As I was yanking them out of the ground, they sure did put up a fight to stay there...I guess if they could have talked they would have chanted, " we are here, we are here!!" But oh no, the tag from Loews said you are annuals, which means I must send you to compost heaven.

    Of course now, being more experienced and plain pooped out from the unneccesary work I create for myself, I embrace the "pereniall-ness' of salvias .

    My salvia get no special care. They do not get winterized.
    Surely, the plant dies back with the cold, and a small rosette of leaves may remain, as the plant snoozes through winter. Anything that looks dead, I leave it alone.
    When it starts hitting the 70s and 80s in April and May here in NC, and we get some rain, all live perennials make it known without a doubt they are here. At that time, I may cut off the old flower stocks from last year. The new stalks will come out of the base of the leaf mound.

  • bubba62
    15 years ago

    Hardiness and winter treatment depends on the species of Salvia, in my experience. I always cut back guaranitica ("Black and Blue", "Argentina Skies", etc.) in the winter - they are really ugly when dead, and I've never lost any in almost 20 years. They're basically weeds here, and develop tubers that allow them to survive much better than other varieties. "Purple Majesty", a hybrid of guaranitica (with gesneriflora, I think) is much less dependable, so I always take cuttings in fall.

    Rutilans (Pineapple Sage) and leucantha (Mexican Bush Sage) are more iffy, and I do tend to leave those stems in place until I see new growth in spring; they're not as invasive as the guaraniticas, but they are usually perennial. I take cuttings of rutilans every year, just in case, but they are fussy little critters in pots, and one of the only plants I grow which will flat out die if allowed to dry out even once. Oresbia is another species which has been reliably hardy for me without any special care or protection.

  • roslen939
    7 years ago

    what about the black&bloom will it stay outside and come back in spring RK

  • roslen939
    7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    did not get and ansure roslen9

  • k_arline33
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    I have purple Salvias and I cut them bac right before the fall and after the last flowering Leaving only a little green at the base. This year in April one cam back but the other ones on the other side of garden Have no sign of coming up yet. I've airfares the soil and fertilized, after taking up winter mulch !! Are my other Salvias going to come back this year .... please help ???

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