My salvia just finished blooming and I'd like to promote another flush of flowers. Do I snip individual blooms just beneath the faded flower or should I cut back further? How much of a difference does it make?
Would veronica be handled the same way?
Thanks!
how far to cut back salvia?
I do both...while it is in a flush of blooms, I may cut them back just to the branching of some new flowers that are coming out. Once there are no more flowers or it is looking sparce or raggedy (is this a horticultural definition? lol) I cut them to the ground. In a short time, new foliage appears, followed by more flowers. The next flushes of flowers are usually shorter, but often more compact. I can get two and sometimes three flushes of flowers in a season. I love it when the 'Blue Queen' salvia blooms in October and I can put the orange pumpkins near for a great contrast!
Oh, BTW, after you cut them back, make sure to fertilize them to help them along.
Even if you do not save seeds, let some of the flowers go to seed and scatter them around for more volunteers to show up by next season-more for you, or to give to friends!
Hope this helps you. Enjoy your salvias!
RatherB
Well, my DH mowed down my salvia in the backyard earlier this year using the weed eater and it came back bigger than ever and is blooming like crazy.
I cut my veronica off underneath the bloom stem about a month ago and it's flowering again like crazy! The flower stems aren't as big, but there are sooooooo many of them it's unbelievable!
Stephanie
Scattering seeds - would this be with salvias like May Night? I never knew they would self sow; maybe not in zone 4B?
yes, they will in 4b. :)
Thanks! I'll cut the salvia way back and see what happens!
i just cut mine back last night due to this thread....we will see what happens...
what about indigo spires salvia....should i cut it back too?
Do the seeds start to grow in the fall, or next spring?
I will have to check this out!
I haven't looked that closely but I believe it's in the spring since I dug out all the volunteers I could find and gifted them last fall and now I'm finding a few more babies.
Wowie Zowie! There ARE tiny seedlings just coming up under the salvia I cut back awhile ago! I just crumpled the cut off tops and left them around the plant for a temporary mulch... Thank you SO much for pointing this out; I really wanted to increase my stock of May Night.
I always cut mine back to about 2 inches from the ground and throw the tops in the compost, but will lay them around the beds now! I love DG! So many great little tips I didn't know I needed. : )