In what season does scarlet sage generally bloom?
Scarlet sage, also known as firecracker red and ivory red, is a subshrub-like herbaceous plant in the genus Salvia of the mint family (Lamiaceae). Its inflorescences are slender, its color is a brilliant red, its flowering period is long, and it is highly adaptable. It prefers warm conditions and a sunny, well-lit environment, and it is the most commonly cultivated herbaceous flower in Chinese cities and gardens. Let us take a look below at what season scarlet sage blooms!
In what season does scarlet sage bloom?
The flowering period of scarlet sage is from July until the first frost, and the flowering period is long; from late summer to late autumn it blooms continuously and the flowers do not easily fade. Scarlet sage can be controlled by short-day treatment and pinching to regulate its flowering period. Short-day conditions favor flower bud differentiation in scarlet sage. If sown early in spring, the short daylight favors reproductive growth; for seedlings sown later, to promote earlier flowering, shading treatment can be applied in the morning and evening. Generally, with 8 hours of light per day, it takes 57 days before it can bloom; if there are 16 hours of light per day, then it takes 82 days before it can bloom.
What is the flower language of scarlet sage?
Scarlet sage represents the heart of love, a string of white represents abundant energy, and a string of purple represents wisdom. Red-flowered varieties of scarlet sage are commonly used. In the crisp, clear days of autumn, the flowers are dense and the colors are brilliant. They are commonly used as the main material for flower borders and flower beds, and can also be planted in ribbon flower beds or in natural-style pure plantings at the forest edge. They are often arranged together with light yellow canna, dwarf marigold, light blue or water-pink water peony, China aster, dwarf ageratum, and others. Dwarf varieties of scarlet sage are even more suitable for flower beds. Apart from white-flowered varieties having a relatively good ornamental effect when combined with red-flowered varieties, the ornamental value of white-flowered and purple-flowered varieties is generally inferior to that of red-flowered varieties.
Methods for making scarlet sage bloom in all four seasons
1. Sowing in stages: The flowering period of scarlet sage can vary according to how early or late it is sown. Generally, open-field sowing is mostly done in April to May, and the natural flowering period is in September to October. From sowing to flowering, scarlet sage needs 6 to 8 months, with slight differences depending on how early or late the season is and on the variety. The sowing date can be calculated backward from the desired flowering period.
2. Propagation by cuttings: Using cutting propagation to shorten the seedling stage can advance the flowering period by 2 to 3 months. Cuttings can be taken at the appropriate time according to when flowering is needed. First cut a tender branch about 10 cm long and insert it into a medium such as plain sandy soil or perlite, with an insertion depth of 2 to 3 cm. After inserting, spray thoroughly with water, then keep the room temperature at 20 to 25 degrees. After about 25 days it can take root. With careful management, after 40 days it can be planted into a flower pot with a pot mouth diameter of 15 cm. After the seedlings have recovered, appropriately apply some quick-acting fertilizer, and at the same time keep the soil moist; after another 2 months it can bloom.
3. Pinching multiple times: Generally, when the seedlings grow to 5 leaves, keep 2 leaves and pinch. When the side branches grow another 5 leaves, they can be pinched again. In this way, pinching can be carried out repeatedly many times. On the one hand, this can greatly dwarf the plant; on the other hand, it can relatively delay the flowering period. In addition, all the flower buds of the whole plant can also be removed all at once, and its subsequent flowers will still bloom fully. In this way, the flowering time can also be relatively delayed by about 1 month.