![\"Salvia](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ongardening.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Salvia-africana-lutea-Beach-Salvia.jpg?resize=528%2C768\")
These form, size and blossom color qualities have supported\nthe development of a growing collection of salvias in my garden, to the point\nthat I have lost track of the number of plants, and of their names. I do\nrecognize the genus salvia when I come upon it; on a good day I can name\nseveral of the cultivars. My digital files include just about all these plants\nin my garden, and I do intend to map their locations, one of these days, as\npart of the ongoing mapping project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The recent annual Hard Pruning of the Salvias in my garden required\nsubstantial help. This necessary pruning process both supports and hinders the\nmapping objective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When salvias grow closely together their branches\nintermingle and merge into a botanical mass that defies mapping. Gardeners who\ngrow salvias know that they benefit from hard pruning in late winter or early\nspring, as new growth appears at the base of the plant. Hard pruning reduces\nthe plants to six-to-twelve inches tall. This treatment counters ranginess and\npromotes bushiness, which adds to their value in the landscape. It also\nsupports mapping by enabling the determined mapper to distinguish each plant\nfrom its neighbors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many salvias bloom throughout the year in our moderate\nclimate, and many have distinctive leaf forms that can be essential clues for\nidentifying the cultivars. These characteristics certainly help in mapping, but\nhard pruning hinders the process by removing all blossoms and perhaps all\nleaves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The ideal time for mapping a mature salvia bed, then, occurs\nafter pruning (while the plants are small in size) and after they begin\nproducing leaves and blooms (which happens in early spring). Salvias\u2019 growth\ncycles differ somewhat, so the plants are not all in lock-step, but this\nstrategy should work fairly well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another consideration related to hard pruning salvias: after\nplants have been pruned seasonally, they are most visible as individual plants,\nready for transplanting. As with any plant, transplanting should be done as\npromptly to avoid drying the roots. A good practice is to dig the hole for the\nplant\u2019s new location before digging the plant. This strategy avoids any lag\ntime between listing the plant and placing it in the new hole. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Salvias can be propagated also during the pruning season\nthrough stem cuttings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Salvia plants also can be divided at pruning time, but this\nmethod is not recommended generally because it leaves each division with a\nminimal boot structure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, salvia propagation can be done from seeds collected\nin the early fall, i.e., around September. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
One or several salvias can be botanical assets in your\ngarden. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Salvias are sometimes called \u201csuper shrubs,\u201d at least in this column, because they are easy to cultivate; diverse in form, size and blossom color; and well suited for gardens in summer-dry climates, like that of the Monterey Bay area. Many … Continue reading