When Does Scarlet Sage Bloom? A Detailed Guide to Growing It in Pots
Scarlet sage (Salvia splendens) is a herbaceous plant of the Lamiaceae family; it blooms continuously from late summer to deep autumn, and its flowers drop less easily. The strings of fiery red flowers spread over the ground like firecrackers that have crackled and burst all over the ground during the New Year. So when does scarlet sage bloom? Here is the guide to growing it in pots!
I. When Does Scarlet Sage Bloom
1. The flowering period of scarlet sage
Scarlet sage blooms in a fiery red display and is a fairly common flower for festivals, with a very long ornamental period; usually it can bloom from summer into autumn. Under natural conditions, the flowering period of scarlet sage is from May to November, but with reasonable control during cultivation, scarlet sage can have flowers in all four seasons.
2. Controlling the flowering period of scarlet sage
When controlling the flowering period of scarlet sage, the most commonly used methods are pinching and short-day treatment, as well as controlling the sowing time.
Pinching can be carried out throughout the growth of scarlet sage. Generally, once the plant reaches 20cm in height it can be pinched to encourage branching; after the branches have grown for a while, a second pinching can make the plant short and sturdy with abundant branches and leaves. If it is pinched once in late August, it can bloom around National Day.
Short-day control can promote flower bud differentiation in scarlet sage. Sowing early in spring, when daylight hours are short, is more favorable for growth, but if planting is done relatively late, short-day treatment is needed; specifically, shade the plants in the morning and evening, and about 8 hours of sunlight per day can make them bloom faster.
Controlling the sowing date of scarlet sage can control the flowering time. If sown in late August and potted up in November, then with suitable light and temperature it can bloom around May Day. Sowing in spring and pinching several times can make it bloom around National Day.
In addition, scarlet sage can also be made to bloom in all four seasons. If the entire inflorescence of scarlet sage is removed, then the follow-up flowers can come into full bloom after 25 days. Be careful to strengthen water and fertilizer management and provide sufficient light and good temperature. If 0.2% potassium dihydrogen phosphate is sprayed on the leaves, the flower color will be even more vivid.
II. How to Grow Scarlet Sage in Pots
1. Control light and temperature
After planting scarlet sage, place it in a shady spot for 3 days to let it recover. Then put it in the sunlight to ensure sufficient light. To make it easier to control light intensity, a simple frame can be built above the flowerpot. When the light is too strong, especially at midday in summer, shade it by 50%. Once it is in a low-temperature condition, plastic film needs to be put on for appropriate insulation; usually this can be done at night or on cloudy and rainy days.
2. Maintain water and humidity
Scarlet sage likes a humid environment and should be sprayed with water once a day, except on cloudy and rainy days. When watering, the difference between soil temperature and water temperature must not exceed 5°C. When the temperature is relatively high, frequently spray water into the surrounding environment to lower the temperature and increase air humidity. Clean the branches and leaves regularly to improve photosynthesis, once every 15~20 days.
3. Mainly apply fertilizer outside the roots
Soil provides an important guarantee for the growth and development of flowers, but to ensure that the plant grows robustly, relying only on the small amount of water, fertilizer and air in the soil is far from enough; fertilizer outside the roots also needs to be applied. The specific method is as follows:
One week after potting, apply fertilizer outside the roots once. Then for the next three days, spray it once a day. Choose a fertilizer mixed from urea plus potassium dihydrogen phosphate and a small amount of calcium superphosphate. Choose early morning and evening for spraying.
In the subsequent care, combine watering with fertilizing, and apply fertilizer outside the roots 8~12 hours after watering. Note that on windy days or when light is strong, it can be applied around the plant.
4. Control the flowering date
Sowing in different seasons results in different flowering times. Sown in spring, it blooms in autumn; sown in autumn in a greenhouse, it blooms in April~May of the following year. During the flowering period, the following methods can be used to control the flowering period:
Cut off the branch tips with flower buds in time to appropriately delay the flowering period.
After each flowering ends, remove the spent flowers in time and strengthen water and fertilizer management; scarlet sage can send out new branches and bloom again, extending the flowering period.
5. Prune and pinch in time
After potted scarlet sage survives transplanting, it needs to be pinched 3 times to inhibit its growth and promote the sprouting of side buds. In this way, the plants that grow are short and sturdy, with more flower heads.