How to Grow Salvia splendens? A Detailed Guide to Sowing Time, Blooming Months and Flower Meaning

Salvia splendens, also known as scarlet sage and ivory red, is a plant of the genus Salvia in the Lamiaceae family. It has vivid red color, a long flowering period and strong adaptability, and is the most commonly cultivated herbaceous flower in cities and gardens across China. So, when should you sow Salvia splendens? How many months after planting does it bloom? What is its flower meaning? How do you grow it?

1. When should you sow Salvia splendens? How many months after planting does it bloom?

In North China there is no restriction on the sowing season for Salvia splendens, while in other regions spring is preferable. Salvia splendens flowers relatively late; when sown in spring it blooms from September to October. If you want to advance the flowering period or harvest seeds, the seeds should be sown in a greenhouse or hotbed in early March. Apply a small amount of base fertilizer in the sowing bed, level the bed surface and water it thoroughly; sow after the water has seeped in, cover with a thin layer of soil, and the seeds germinate 8-10 days after sowing. It grows for about 100 days before blooming, and the flowering period lasts about two months. For cuttings, softwood shoots are mostly used, preferably from March to May or from September to October, carried out together with pinching off the terminal buds.

2. What is the flower meaning of Salvia splendens?

The flower meaning of Salvia splendens: the red salvia represents a heart in love, the white salvia represents abundant energy, and the purple salvia represents wisdom. The red-flowered varieties are most commonly used for Salvia splendens; in the crisp autumn air the flowers are dense and the colors brilliant. It is often used as the main material for flower borders and flower beds. It can also be planted in ribbon flower beds or in naturalistic pure plantings at the edge of woods. It is often combined with light yellow canna, dwarf marigold, light blue or water-pink peony, China aster, dwarf ageratum and others. The dwarf varieties of Salvia splendens are even better suited to flower beds; apart from the white-flowered varieties, which have a good ornamental effect when combined with red-flowered varieties. Generally, the ornamental value of white-flowered and purple-flowered varieties is inferior to that of red-flowered varieties.

3. How do you grow it?

1. Sunlight: Salvia splendens is a light-loving flower, and the cultivation site must have ample light, which is very favorable to its growth and development. If light is insufficient, the plant tends to grow leggy, with slender stems and leaves and light green leaf color; if light is poor for a long time, the leaves turn yellow and drop. If flowering plants are placed in a location with poor light, the flowers are often not vivid and tend to drop. It is sensitive to photoperiod, and short days promote the opening of Salvia splendens flowers.

2. Temperature: Salvia splendens is relatively sensitive to temperature when grown; the seeds germinate at 21-23 degrees, and are very hard to germinate below 15°C, with uneven germination below 20°C. During the seedling stage, 7-13°C is suitable in winter, and during the growing period from March to June, 13-18 is best. When the temperature exceeds 30°C, the growth and development of the plant are hindered and the flowers and leaves become smaller. Therefore, during the high-temperature period in summer, cooling or appropriate shading is needed to control the normal growth of Salvia splendens. Being kept at a low temperature of 5°C for a long time makes it prone to cold damage.

3. Pruning: Salvia splendens must be pinched back immediately after planting out, and pinched at least 2 times during the growing period, so that the plant becomes short and sturdy with more flowering branches and dense flower spikes.

4. Pests: If Salvia splendens is grown under high temperature, high humidity or insufficient light, it is prone to rot disease, so attention must be paid to regulating temperature and keeping the air circulating. In addition, Salvia splendens is prone to pests such as red spider mites and aphids, which can be controlled by spraying a 1500-fold dilution of omethoate emulsifiable concentrate.

5. Fertilizing: Salvia splendens is fairly simple when it comes to fertilizer; generally, as long as basic fertilization is carried out on the soil where it is planted, it is enough.