I have several salvias that I purchased in the little square pots (Mystical Spires, Indigo Spires, Coral Nymph, Hot Lips, etc.) that are blooming. I'm wondering if I snipped off the blooms if that would encourage the plants to get fuller. Yes? No?
And how long would it take to get my next flush of blooms? :)
Thanks very much.
Jo
Would like to encourage salvias to get fuller
you can cut them down almost to nothing and they will come back very full. i wouldn't do that if you haven't put them in your garden yet. you can just snip the blooms after they are finished though. as you said, that will promote fuller growth. those first two get absolutely huge so allow enough room.
Thanks! If I want that beautiful blue color but would prefer smaller plants, could you recommend another variety for me?
Jo
there is a very compact one called 'Marcus'. this is my first year for it so i can't tell how big it will get. my Mystic Spires was supposed to be an improved version of Blue Spires (not so out of control) but it gets gigantic every year. i have to snap stems to keep it from blocking the sun to other plants. ps. i got Marcus from bluestone (my favorite online place for plants-small but vigorous and fast growing and absolutely cheap! LOL)
Salvia patens stays quite short and compact, and is a beautiful blue.
My Mystic Spires also behaves very suspiciously like Indigo Spires. I just picked up Marcus yesterday...nice little plant, beautiful deep color.
yes, i think the Mystic thing was a hoax! lol
Ugh Not good news! I've planted two Indigos and two Mystics! I think they are going to take over my perennial bed.
they are really beautiful though. you may love them! you can always dig them up, trim them way back and plant them somewhere else. as long as you water good till they get going again, you won't lose them.
Well, I already have gorgeous blooms on my - so far - tiny plants, so I'm definitely leaving them in for the next couple of months. I love these blooms.
my Salvia "Marcus" is so tiny and is right next to S "Blue Hill".Both planted the same time last year from a 3"pot. Blue Hill is blooming its head off right now and seems to have tripled in size , while marcus doesn't even seem to be starting to grow this spring.Will 'Marcus" catch up in size?
not exactly. 'blue hill' is 36" at maturity and 'marcus' is 18" at maturity-or so the literature says.
Thanks for the info. i didn't realize there was that much difference between the two varieties. I found a "White Hill" on the sale rack at Lowe's this past weekend and snapped it up. Looks to be healthy, just a little leggy and not blooming. I'll let it get settled ,give it a trim and see what happens. can't hurt for $1.25.
I never saw a salvia I didn't love. We whack them to the ground several times a year and they are magnificent looking............any and all salvias but I am partial to the purples and blues.
Well, so far my favorite is Victoria Blue. This first few weeks it's a bloom machine, and the color is gorgeous. The folage is also different, which is a plus. I can't wait to see what size my plants will be by the end of the summer.
My Hot Lips are already pure coral red. No more white, but I still love them.
if anyone here likes hot pink, Salvia greggii 'Wild Thing' is wonderful. my little Marcus' have only been in the ground for a couple of weeks but are already blooming beautifully.
I don't think Victoria Blue gets very big and out of control. Good luck
I am glad I read this about mystic spires. I had it one year and it grew about 36", but maybe it was a fluck. I lost it over the winter and was searching in vain for a new (small cheap) one. Wouldn't want to pay alot for one that didn't fit in!
My neighbor has Victoria Blue. It stays compact. Probably needs to be trimmed in the summer,as theirs got leggy.