How To Grow Salvia From One Plant Forever

Salvias are one of those plants that can really make a garden pop. They also come in hundreds of different varieties, so no matter what kind of look you want, you will always be able to find one that fits your needs. The catch is that salvias are either annuals or short-lived perennials. Sooner or later, they will die, and you will have to buy either new plants or grow them again from seed. And that can be a problem. Store-bought plants can be pretty pricey, and growing salvias from seed is painfully slow. That's where asexual propagation methods, such as stem cuttings and division, can help. The best part? You can use these methods to keep growing salvia from one single plant forever.

Another benefit of these methods is that they produce identical copies of the parent plants. Seeds often do not, especially with the hybrid varieties. Plus, snipping stem cuttings regularly encourages heavier flowering in salvias, and dividing salvias keeps runaway growth under control. Salvias grow quickly and can look unkept if left unattended for too long. All you have to do is keep your salvia plants happy and healthy, and you can enjoy an endless supply of these plants with these propagation methods.

Start by picking a healthy salvia plant to take stem cuttings from. Cuttings taken from healthy plants give better results and root more easily. The best time to take the cuttings is in spring or early summer. Nevertheless, once you have chosen a plant to take stem cuttings from, find a stem that is at least 3- to 6-inches long and has no flowers. Also, make sure the cutting you take has a node near the bottom of the stem and that you are using clean and sharp tools.

Then, if you are not going to plant the cutting immediately, put it in water to keep it fresh. Otherwise, dip the bottom end of the stem cuttings into rooting hormone. This is not necessary, as cuttings will grow even without it, but it can help improve the chances of success. Also, make sure to remove any leaves from the bottom part of the stem cutting, leaving only one to two leaves at the top.

Then gently insert the cutting, about 1 to 2 inches deep into a small pot filled with a 50-50 blend of perlite and sand. Salvias are one of those plants that grow well from softwood cuttings. All you need to do is make sure to keep them warm and moist. Then, in about three to four weeks, they will take root, and you can then replant them wherever you want.

Salvias grow fast. Some varieties of salvias can grow as much as 5 to 6 feet in a single season. Therefore, it is a good idea to divide salvias every three to four years. Not only will it give you an endless supply of new salvia plants, but it will also help revive growth on the older plants. Plus, propagation by division is probably the most straightforward way of propagating salvias. Nevertheless, the best time to divide salvias is in early spring, just before the new growth shows up on plants.

Start by digging up a mature plant from the ground. Then split the root ball into several smaller pieces using a sharp knife. Doing it with gardening shears instead might make the task easier. But no matter what tool you use, just make sure each section has a healthy quantity of roots and leaves. This will help the plants establish themselves quickly when replanted.

Also, it is best to replant divided sections as soon as you can. There are two ways to do it. If the split sections are large, you can put them directly in the ground. However, if the sections are on the smaller side, it is best to grow them in pots first during the summer and plant them in the ground in the fall. Just make sure you deadhead your salvias in the summer for healthy future blooms.