How to grow salvia correctly. Sowing and caring for shiny salvia: description and photo of flowers

Salvia in our latitudes is better known as sage. There are quite a few varieties of this plant, but each of them has unique properties. Ancient people called salvia a flower that prolongs life and bestows knowledge, and today sage can become wonderful decoration any garden, even if this garden is laid out on the windowsill of a city apartment.

Salvia is a perennial plant, and this name covers many families and species native to all temperate and subtropical regions except Australia. It got its name from the Latin word “salvus”, which literally means “to be healthy”. Indeed, many of known species Salvias have been actively used in food since ancient times folk medicine and shamanism. Speaking of shamanism. There is one variety of salvia that was used (and in some countries is still used) by shamans to enter a state of trance and obtain visions. Salvia Divinorum is prohibited for cultivation in many countries, including Russia, because it can cause visual and auditory hallucinations. In this article we will talk about growing salvia for medicinal and decorative purposes. Good to know: Medicinal varieties This plant is called sage, and decorative plants are called salvia. In terms of versatility of use and effectiveness of treatment, salvia can only be compared with aloe - this plant can relieve many diseases. For example, a decoction of salvia allows you to quickly and painlessly eliminate the first signs of flux, relieve pain and the development of the disease. There are more than 900 plant species in total, but each of them prefers bright sunny areas, so choose an unshaded place for planting in advance. Salvia is a rhizome perennial, however, despite this, in Russia it is very often grown as a one- or two-year-old plant. It can easily overwinter under a thick layer of snow in the garden, but in a winter with little snow it will freeze. As for planting salvia at home, you don’t have to worry about this issue. The plant has erect or ascending stems on four sides, maximum height which is 120 cm. Green pinnately dissected or whole leaves have a whitish tint on the back side. During the flowering period, spike-shaped or paniculate (depending on the variety) inflorescences up to 20 cm in length appear at the tips of the stems. The bracts are painted in bright colors, for which the decorative qualities of the plant are valued. 25-30 days after the start of flowering, the seeds ripen in the form of 4 nuts, after which they can be collected and stored in a dark, dry place for up to 5 years. Salvia varieties Depending on agrotechnical characteristics and biological characteristics, three groups of salvia varieties can be distinguished: American subtropical, Mediterranean and frost-resistant species. Subtropical varieties in middle lane grown as annuals because they are not able to survive the local winter: Mediterranean species of salvia are more resistant to local frosts, but only if there is a snowy winter or prior insulation. They are less whimsical than tropical representatives and are better able to tolerate drought and insufficient soil fertilization, and “love” various mineral fertilizers. The group of Mediterranean salvia varieties includes: Frost-resistant varieties of salvia mainly grow in warm-temperate climates, but Ethiopian salvia can also be included in this group. These plants are different abundant flowering, starting only from the second year after planting in open ground. They are perfect for growing in the Russian climate. Types of frost-resistant salvia: How to grow salvia Growing salvia from seeds is important for one- and two-year-old varieties. Perennials can reproduce both by seeds and vegetatively - by cuttings or dividing bushes. As for the seed method, it can be grown with or without seedlings. In the second case, it is important to know when to sow salvia. In order for it to adapt and germinate on time, it is best to plant seeds in the ground in early spring or before the onset of winter, however, these instructions do not apply to all varieties. For example, sparkling salvia can only be propagated by seedlings. Useful information: You can find both seeds and granules in gardening stores. In addition to the seed itself, the granules contain organic components that increase the growth capacity and endurance of young plants. It should be taken into account that granules germinate more slowly than regular seeds. Salvia seedlings If you are going to grow salvia in seedlings, set aside time for this from mid-February to early March. The soil for planting seeds should be loose and moist with a temperature of up to 25C. Sprinkle the seeds with a thin layer of soil and cover the tray with cling film or plastic bag to create a greenhouse effect and prevent rapid evaporation of moisture. From time to time, spray the soil with lukewarm water from a spray bottle and cover again with film. The first shoots will appear in 2-4 weeks. After several true leaves appear, the film can be removed and diving can be done. In order for the plants to develop a sufficiently strong root system, this must be done twice. The first dive is carried out when 2-4 true leaves have appeared. Plants are planted in pots at a distance of 5 cm from each other. In this case, the cotyledon leaves need to be buried in the soil. The second dive can be done 20-25 days after the first, planting the salvia in separate pots with a diameter of 10-12 cm. After the development of 4 and 5 true leaves, the sprouts must be pinched to stimulate tillering. With the onset of April, it’s time to start hardening the seedlings, lowering the temperature at night to +10C. Planting in open ground As mentioned above, salvia grows well in light sandy soils, but ideally they should contain lime and humus. The plant needs to be provided good drainage so that moisture does not stagnate at the roots and does not provoke putrefactive processes. It is best to plant it in a well-lit area, free from other plants. All types of salvia, with the exception of sticky, can only develop in the sun. The sticky one also feels comfortable in partial shade. You can plant seedlings in early June, when the night frosts have passed. Planting and caring for salvia is, by and large, no different from working with other garden plants– it needs to be watered as the soil dries out, periodically weed and loosen the soil so that it is saturated with oxygen. For feeding, use universal mineral fertilizers, applying them as needed (usually 2-4 times during the summer). Be sure to feed salvia immediately after planting in open ground and after the buds appear, because Flowering takes a lot of energy from the plant. It is better to water salvia in the evening and not too much so that the water does not stagnate at the roots. WITH perennial salvia It’s a little more hassle than with one- and two-year-olds, since it needs to be periodically pruned to form neat bushes. Pruning also promotes lush tillering, preventing the shoots from stretching. When perennial variety completely fades, it is necessary to remove the remaining fading flowers and perform a “haircut” session before winter dormancy or early spring, when the plant has not yet “woke up”. At the same time, remove woody shoots so as to leave only young areas with buds. Most types of salvia bloom from mid-June until the first frost, but some varieties manage to bloom twice during the season. So, if after flowering you completely cut off the Forest Salvia, and then add mineral fertilizer, at the end of summer it will bloom again. Once flowering is complete, prune and mulch the plantings with garden compost to create comfortable conditions for wintering. If the salvia is young, it is recommended to additionally cover it with fallen leaves or spruce branches. Salvia diseases and pests Now you know how to grow salvia, and all that remains is to say a few words about its possible diseases and pests. This plant gets sick so rarely that many never encounter such problems in their entire cultivation practice. Pests attack it more often. Usually this is a garden aphid, which, if it appears on the site, indiscriminately affects everything, whiteflies or mites. Salvia can also be damaged by snails and slugs. And while insects can be controlled with insecticides, snails and slugs will have to be caught manually. Helpful advice: Make a trap for snails and slugs by placing containers of beer or fruit juice around the area - the sweetish smell of fermentation will attract pests like a magnet, and they will lose interest in the leaves of the plants. Finally, we suggest you look interesting video about salvia: Salvia: photo of flowers

Salvia has beautiful flowers, leaves and bush shape. She looks noble in the flowerbed and in the garden. Let's look at how and when to plant salvia, how to care for seedlings and combine them with other plants in the flowerbed. It is loved for its variety of colors, unpretentiousness, early and long flowering. Small flowers collected in complex whorled spike-shaped or paniculate inflorescences of red, white, pink, of blue color. New varieties are making this plant more and more popular. Wild salvia (sage) has medicinal properties, contains essential oils and is used in cooking. Sadovaya is a source of aesthetic pleasure.

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Seedling care

Most types of ornamental salvia, although perennial, do not withstand frost and are grown as annual plants with a long development period: 70-100 days pass from sowing seeds to flowering. When should salvia be planted at home? If you can provide the young shoots with additional lighting, sow in the first ten days of February. The last sowings are done no later than March 1-5.

The seeds do not need to be pre-soaked or treated with growth stimulants. Light nutrient soil is poured into a prepared container 5-8 cm high and disinfected hot water and, without waiting for complete cooling, lay out the dry seeds at a distance of 1 to 3 cm, depending on whether you plan to pick the seedlings. Salvia seeds are not very small, it is convenient to place them individually. They are sprinkled with a 2 mm layer of soil on top, lightly compacted, moistened, covered with film and placed in a warm place (+23...25°C). Usually there is enough moisture in the soil before the seeds germinate, and there is no need for watering, but if the soil is dry, spray it with a sprayer. When already swollen seeds are dried, there will be no sprouts.

Shoots usually appear after 10-15 days; they are placed on a sunny windowsill. During the day, seedlings should be illuminated for at least 13 hours. With a lack of light, seedlings stretch out and the leaves turn pale. To increase the intensity of natural light, reflective surfaces, such as frames with stretched foil, are placed on the windowsill with plants.

The main thing when growing seedlings is to get strong roots, so the seedlings dive. If drainage holes are not made in the seeding containers, then they must be made in individual pots to avoid rotting of the roots. Salvia is very afraid of stagnant moisture. Picking begins when 2-3 true leaves appear on the seedlings; the seedlings are buried down to the cotyledon leaves, this promotes the formation of new roots.

Some gardeners prefer to continue growing salvia until planting it in the ground in boxes or boxes. If salvia does not sprout, caring for the seedlings consists of providing nutrition; it is necessary to add soil as high as possible. Other gardeners carry out this procedure twice: in the phase of 2-3 leaves they are planted in large boxes, and after 3 weeks - in pots.

The necessary conditions

Salvia grows well in any soil mixture for seedlings. You can make soil for it yourself by mixing peat, sand and soil from the forest (1:1:1). The plant loves it in moderation wet soil. Optimal temperature after picking +15...+18°C, in April it is lowered to +10°C for hardening. When 3-4 true leaves appear, pinching is carried out, which stimulates tillering. Plants are fed if there is doubt that the bushes have enough nutrition. Home-grown bushes should have small buds. When they appear, the seedlings must be fed with any complex flower fertilizer.



It is undesirable if the seedlings have flowers on the windowsill; salvia will not be able to preserve them when transplanted.

A flower you like can be propagated vegetatively at home: take a cutting from a bush and put it in water. After it takes root (after 10-15 days), plant it in a pot as indoor plant. In winter it is necessary to maintain a temperature of +8...+12°C, in the spring it can be used as a queen cell. Any salvia is suitable for propagation by this method, since its natural life form is perennial. A bush grown from a cutting must be pinched.

Landing in the ground

Salvia is planted in a flowerbed in May if, according to weather forecasters, it is not expected in the next 10 days return frosts. During this time, the plants will have time to take root, and the drop in temperature will not be dangerous for them. At night you can cover the plantings with lutrasil. The plant loves sun and calcareous, permeable soil. Of all the species, only salvia adhesive can withstand partial shade. It should be noted that on too nutritious soil the plant forms bushes with large leaves and a minimum number of flowers. This often occurs from excess nitrogen in the soil, to which salvia is very sensitive. To restore normal development, 10 g of superphosphate is poured into 2 liters hot water and after a day the bushes are sprayed.



Transshipment of salvia, planting and care are not difficult. At what distance to plant seedlings, each gardener decides for himself: some prefer separately growing bushes, others strive to get a dense carpet of flowers. Dense plantings are not afraid of wind. Most often, a distance of 25-30 cm is maintained. A handful of humus and, if necessary, sand are poured into each hole. It is advisable to mulch the planted seedlings. If after planting there is an unexpected drop in night temperature and the seedlings are frozen, they will have to be pruned, as a result the appearance of flowers will occur a month later.

Further care for salvia is no different from caring for other flowers and consists of loosening the soil and fertilizing. The plant needs watering in dry weather until the flowers appear. Diseases practically do not affect her. Whiteflies, thrips, and aphids can cause harm. Snails and slugs eat the leaves. The best way to control pests is to use insecticides.

Salvia blooms from June until frost and produces a fruit of 4 nuts. Seeds remain viable for 5 years. If you have a varietal flower (not a hybrid), they can be collected and sown next year.



Annual plants

As already mentioned, mainly in our climate, the tropical perennial salvia is grown as an annual ornamental plant. Are different biological characteristics different kinds salvia, a description of the most popular of them is given below:

1. 1 In the flowerbeds of parks and gardens, sparkling or shiny salvia is most often found. Bush 20-80 cm high (depending on the variety). Plants with large irregular bright red pyramid-shaped flowers are known to everyone, although there are varieties with white, pink and purple buds, differing in the size of the racemes and flowering periods. Compared to red salvia, sparkling white has a less dense inflorescence, purple has more dense pubescence, and pink has a short flowering period.
2. 2 Salvia Mealy - a plant 60-90 cm high with loose inflorescences 15-20 cm long, predominantly blue-blue color range located on high shoots. The Anschultz variety has silver-white flowers. Drought resistant.
3. 3 Salvia red has straight, densely pubescent stems, ovate leaves and loose inflorescences up to 30 cm long.



Among the numerous species, salvia variegated stands out. It is original with its bright leaves-bracts, which are pink in color with green veins, giving the plant a decorative appearance before the flowers appear and throughout the growing season. However, this species is not used in culture due to the need to use supports, without which the plant will lie down.

Perennial salvia

By biological features Salvia is distinguished between annual and perennial. The latter are not afraid of frosts down to -18°C. Salvia oakberry is grown as a perennial plant and is considered the most frost-resistant and unpretentious of all species. The height of its stems reaches 60 cm, inflorescences up to 40 cm. Depending on the variety, pink, purple or lilac-purple flowers bloom from June to mid-September. The most common varieties of Salvia oakberry:

1. 1 Plumosa. Its bright purple flowers are collected in short (20 cm) but very dense inflorescences; the bush up to 60 cm in height is distinguished by its decorative appearance and flowering atypical for this species.
2. 2 Marcus. The height of the bushes is 20 cm, so it is used as a ground cover plant. Blue-violet flowers occupy almost the entire part of the stem.
3. 3 Ostfriesland. Bush 60 cm high, highly branched. Its special decorative feature is that the dense inflorescences are located at the ends of the branches, and when flowering the plant is completely covered with purple buds.



The names of the varieties: Pink Glade, Lilac Glade, Lilac Queen - they themselves speak about the color of their flowers. The perennial salvia bush must be formed for better branching and the formation of new shoots. Pruning is done in the fall. Salvia crosses easily, so its different varieties are best grown in different places garden

How to grow salvia oakberry? Varieties of perennial sage are propagated in the following ways:

• seeds;
• dividing the bush;
• cuttings;
• air layering.

In addition to the oak forest, silvia meadow, nutmeg, and lush are cold-resistant.



In combination with other plants

Salvia is usually planted in the flower bed after daisies, forget-me-nots and other spring flowers. It is often planted next to bulbous plants: when they fade, the overgrown sage will cover them. For flower beds, plants with a long flowering period that do not lose their decorative effect for a long time are usually chosen. Salvia is one of them. The formation and thickening of its branches occurs quickly. The classic combination of red glossy salvia and petunia is considered outdated by many. But try to choose colors in a new way with a gradual transition from one color to another, for example from red to pink. The combination of pink salvia with pale blue lobelia looks romantic.

When creating a flower bed, you need to think in advance how the plants will combine in color and height. Considering that in flower beds warm colors in combination with cold ones they create a harmonious contrast; red salvia is often planted with ageratum and cineraria. Red flowers look good next to green spaces. If you plant blue salvia with the orange ones, they will look even brighter. IN small garden bright salvias are planted in small groups; plants in blue shades in combination with white ones look more harmonious and lighter.

Most often, salvia is placed in the center of the flowerbed, framed by lower annuals that cover bottom part bushes The loose inflorescences of some species do not form bright colorful spots, but fit perfectly into any landscape.

Salvia is often planted in pots and decorated with verandas, gazebos, balconies and other recreation areas.




The zenith of summer has arrived and every plant is trying to make a statement. Flowering is a continuation of the species. Bloom, saturate the seeds with vitality and go into the shadows, giving way to a new generation. blooms its panicle of tubular flowers at the height of summer, when pollinating insects with long proboscis are most active. With its victorious bloom, it fascinates and delights. How to grow salvia and create a composition?

Origin and cultivation of salvia

Salvia and sage are one family of Lamiaceae. The name of the flower is translated as a sign of its usefulness - to be healthy. Many people know about the benefits of the sage plant. It is used in medicinal purposes from the time of Ancient Egypt. Salvia is usually called decorative forms that have common ancestors with sage. In addition, in Europe, sage is called salvia.

The plant is cultivated in many forms and is a wild plant throughout America and Europe. The numerous genus is represented by more than 900 different varieties. Among the salvias there is even a hallucinogenic variety. The plant loves bright places and light soils.




Planting and caring for salvia

Urban landscaping cannot do without salvia for many reasons:

1. Salvia blooms continuously throughout the warm period until frost.
2. This beautiful ornamental plant does not grow and holds the created composition well.
3. Gas pollution from transport does not affect the decorative appearance of the plant.
4. By choosing different shades of inflorescences you can create any composition.

But gardeners love the plant no less, who begin to sow salvia at home when winter is just in full swing. In addition to the victorious scarlet color, salvia panicles amaze with a variety of tones. You can make a multi-level planting, selecting salvia according to the height of the bushes. But the main step in obtaining long-term flowering will be growing salvia seedlings.

How and when to sow salvia for seedlings

The plant from seeds blooms in the fourth month, and therefore is grown as an annual crop only after sowing in February or early March. Salvia seeds can be bought at a specialty store, or you can get them yourself. They ripen after the flower falls after 50 days. Seed germination lasts up to 5 years.

It is still better to purchase varietal seeds in specialized stores

Before sowing seeds, it is necessary to prepare the ground for seedlings. It should be light and nutritious. Two weeks before sowing salvia for seedlings, the soil should be treated with a composition that enhances biological processes in the dormant soil. Sift the earth, moisten it and add a teaspoon of EM-1 Baikal to a bucket of earth. The warm soil will become fertile in two weeks, and at the same time thread-like weed seedlings will emerge, the seeds of which will inevitably hatch in the living soil.

Place the box with the prepared soil in a tray, level it and sow small salvia seeds mixed with sand for a more even distribution. In order to press the seeds to the ground, you need to moisten the ground with a fine spray and cover the surface to retain moisture. Planting and caring for salvia during seed germination are decisive for the further production of healthy seedlings.




Shoots will appear in 10-14 days. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the soil at this time, preventing the coma from drying out. Watering must be done through a tray. The soil will be saturated with moisture through the drainage holes; then drain the water from the pan so that there is no excess moisture.

During the germination period, prevent plants from being pulled into a string and lodging.

Seedlings in the cotyledon stage can stretch out if they are in a shaded place or if night temperatures are high. Then you should add soil to each sprout, preventing it from falling. Watering should be done without wetting the leaf blade. When growing salvia seedlings from seeds, this period is considered the most critical. Lighting and reduced temperature will allow you to get strong seedlings at the first stage of planting

Picking salvia from seeds must be done after the appearance of two or more true leaves, while deepening the sprout to the cotyledon leaves. The first pick can be in a common container at a distance of 5 cm between plants. The second thinning of the plants is carried out a month later in separate cups, with a good capacity of the earthen coma, since they will have to develop for another month and a half.

Whether it is necessary to fertilize salvia when growing seedlings will be determined by the condition of the plants. If the bush is not developing well, you can feed the flowers in a low concentration. But with each plant transplantation, fertile soil is used and there must be enough nutrition.

When planting and caring for salvia, you need to make the plant bushy. After 3-4 pairs of true leaves appear, the top should be pinched to allow axillary shoots to begin to develop. At the same time, you need to arrange containers with plants so that there is no shading. From the end of April, the temperature at night is lowered to 10 degrees, hardening the salvia before planting in the ground.

So, in order to grow salvia seedlings from seeds, the following conditions must be met:

• prepare fertile land and quality seeds;
• observe temperature regime and lighting conditions at each growth period;
• avoid over-drying and excessively moistening the earth clod;
• while pinching the plant.

Planting salvia seedlings in the ground

Planting and caring for salvia open ground is making the right choice places for or discounts. The place should be well lit, the soil should be light and fertile, with good moisture holding capacity. For vigorous flowering, you can add phosphorus-potassium fertilizers in instant form. When planting, add guest ash, a spoonful of superphosphate and a liter of well-rotted organic matter to the hole. Carefully roll the bush into the ground and deepen it slightly. Water warm water and cover from the sun for several days until the plant takes root or plant in cloudy weather.

Plants are placed at intervals of 20-30 cm, depending on the height of the bush and its tendency to branch. Water the plant moderately; if the earth clod is dry, watering watering should be carried out only in the evening. Flowering of the plant occurs 100-120 days after germination and does not stop until frost. Flowering will be abundant if used for prevention and to increase immunity foliar feeding based on the drug EM-1 Baikal.

Plant pests and diseases.

Salvia is not affected by fungal diseases. Therefore, you will only have to fight the insects that have colonized the plant. Pests include whiteflies and thrips. Therefore, salvia plantings should be kept away from vegetables, since the whitefly will subsequently settle on them. In addition, sage can be colonized by aphids and spider mites. The decorative quality of plants suffers. Therefore, strong preparations are used, which are best not used on vegetables during the fruiting period.

Snails and slugs love to feed on the tender foliage of salvia. If they are present in the garden, then it will be beneficial not only for the flowers to catch them. Classic method Traps made of bark and slate placed under the bushes will help. But even the neighbor’s shellfish can crawl into containers with beer and fermented fruit juice.

Salvia for landscape design - video







Without the striking spike-shaped inflorescences of salvia, it is difficult to imagine flower beds on personal plots and city flower beds. Long and Lush flowering plants, not demanding on the soil and are well known to most gardeners. But few people suspect that the genus to which Salvia splendor belongs includes several hundred species and varieties of garden salvia. Among them is sage.

Plants of the genus Salvia belonging to the Lamiaceae family are found throughout the world from Europe, Eastern Siberia and Asia to the American continent. Most of them are perennials up to 120 cm high, with erect stems covered with oblong leaves and two-lipped flowers collected in spike-shaped inflorescences. Seeds from cultivated and wild plants ripen within a month after flowering ends and can be used for planting for up to 3 years.

The leaves of many salvia varieties are elongated, whole or, much less commonly, pinnate. The color of flowers is not limited to the bright red we are used to today. This is rather an exception to the rule. Wild species amaze with their rich palette from white to deep purple, and therefore are of increasing interest to gardeners. But according to established tradition, the name “Salvia” is firmly attached to the varieties of sparkling salvia, and plants with blue tassels are often called sage.




Salvia sparkling: photo of flowers Salvia splendens

The most famous of garden species Salvia is a native of Brazil that has been used in cultivation for almost 200 years. At home there are bushes or herbaceous plants with stiff, erect, tetrahedral stems, they can reach 20–80 cm in height and bloom en masse throughout the summer and fall.

Before the active breeding work the brushes of Salvia brilliantis, photos of whose flowers today amaze with the richness of colors and splendor of inflorescences, were not so spectacular. Gardeners had at their disposal only varieties with red corollas and calyxes, loosely sitting on the peduncle.

Today, in addition to red flowers, you can increasingly find salvia shiny white, violet-lilac, and even two-colored.

Salvia officinalis

Medicinal salvia - sage, well known to people for thousands of years, is used in medicine, perfumery and cooking. The plant's homeland is the Mediterranean states and the Asia Minor region. IN favorable conditions the perennial subshrub reaches half a meter in height, and in Russia can only be grown through seedlings as an annual crop.

Sage is easily distinguished by its oblong silvery leaves and purple flowers collected in sparse vertical inflorescences.

Salvia medicinal and garden varieties with variegated leaves, bloom in midsummer.

Red Salvia (Salvia coccinea)

From the photo of the flowers, red salvia is very similar to both medicinal sage and its more spectacular relative, salvia brilliantis. The subshrub from Brazil is cultivated as an annual in European countries and Russia, but even in this case the plant grows to 50–70 cm.

This species has straight, pubescent stems with ovate leaves and carmine-red flowers, collected on sparse spike-shaped inflorescences of 5–8 pieces. The corollas, no more than 3 cm long, bloom in mid-summer, and the plant remains decorative until the coldest weather. If we compare red salvia with brilliant varieties, the first one loses in brightness, although it has been used by flower growers for a hundred years longer.




Today, interest in moisture-loving salvia, which prefers sun and warmth, is constantly growing. The plant reproduces well by seeds and can be planted both in open ground and in greenhouses.

Salvia microphylla

This variety of salvia - sage, growing wild, is still found in southern Europe, France and Mediterranean countries. It's perennial here evergreen, grows up to 100–120 cm. Salvia blooms from June until the end of October.

But small brushes of carmine flowers are not the only characteristic kind. The greens and stems of the evergreen subshrub contain many aromatic essential oils used by perfumers and doctors.

Salvia farinacea

A picky plant that blooms from August until the end of autumn appeared in Russian flower beds from Central America. Salvia mealy has slightly branched straight stems up to 90 cm high. The inflorescences reach 20 cm in length and impressively rise above the neat pyramidal bushes.

Calyxes, corollas and top part The peduncle is colored in blue or purple tones, which persist even when the plants dry out.

The leaves are elongated, ovate and, unlike many types and varieties of salvia for the garden, do not have a characteristic edge.

Salvia viridis

The value of this native of southern Europe and Asia is not bright inflorescences or essential oils, and in variegated brightly colored leaves-bracts on the upper part of 40- or 60-centimeter stems. The oblong leaves and shoots are pubescent.

Inflorescences reach 30 cm and combine up to 6 medium-sized pinkish or light flowers lilac shade. Salvia or sage begins to bloom in June, and appearance The plant lasts throughout the growing season. The only feature that makes it difficult to use variegated forms in culture is the lodging of the stems if supports are not installed in time.

Salvia verticillata

The whorled variety of sage grows wild throughout Russia, in Western Europe and some areas of Asia. You can recognize the few varieties of salvia by their purple flowers, collected in dense whorls located on high peduncles. The stems of this species branch only at the base and grow to a height of 50 cm. The leaves, like the shoots, are heavily pubescent and attached to the stems on long petioles.

Whorled salvia begins to bloom in July, and until September you can see its elegant inflorescences in forest glades and garden plots.

Clary sage (Salvia sclarea)

Powerful meter-tall plants are grown in annual or biennial crops. On straight stems covered with oblong leaves, serrated along the edges. This type of salvia produces abundant green mass. The leaves sometimes reach a length of 30 cm, but as they move towards the inflorescence they become smaller.

What makes the plant decorative is not the inconspicuous flowers, but the leaves-bracts. Today there are varieties of salvia with white, pink or purple corollas. Blooming from June to September, the sage species is well known as a valuable medicinal and essential oil plant.

Salvia nemorosa

Growing in the Russian forest-steppe zone, the sage species has powerful stems up to 30–60 cm high and dense, candle-like inflorescences reaching 40 cm in length. Both the corollas and large bracts are purple or azure in color.

If hairs are noticeable on the stems, then the pointed long leaves of Salvia oakberry are completely smooth with teeth along the edges. The decorative effect of the plant lasts from mid-summer to mid-September.

Salvia (Salvia pratensis)

The half-meter-tall plant is distinguished by many straight, branching stems and flower stalks strewn with purple corollas. Meadow sage is similar to oak salvia, but the latter is much more powerful, and its shoots are not so branched. Each whorl contains from 4 to 6 flowers; occasionally small leaves can be seen on the stems, which become much larger towards the basal rosette.

Meadow sage blooms in two waves. The first, like many species and varieties of salvia for the garden, begins in June, and the second flowering revitalizes the area in September.

Salvia flowers - video




Salvia or sage is a herbaceous or shrubby perennial or annual plant, belonging to the Lamiaceae family. The plant is distributed on all continents, with the exception of Australia. Salvia is translated into Russian as “to be healthy”, this is true, because medicinal properties sage have been known for a very long time. perennial has long become a permanent inhabitant of our garden plots.

Usually, for convenience and to avoid confusion, ornamental flowering plants are called salvia, and medicinal and spicy plants are called sage.

general description

Salvia is a rhizomatous plant with tetrahedral, erect or ascending stems, depending on the species, reaching from 40 cm to one and a half meters. Leaves are entire, elongated, opposite, with dark green the upper side of the leaf and the whitish underside. Root system well developed taproot gives a lot of laterals, from which it departs a large number of thin roots. The flowers are small, collected in large inflorescences up to 20 cm long. There are from 30 to 90 flowers in one inflorescence. The traditional color of salvia is red. There are also varieties with white, pink-lilac, and purple flowers.



Varieties and types

About 700 annual, biennial and perennial herbaceous species are known. Many of them are popular ornamental plants.

Numerous representatives of salvia are divided into three groups:

1. Representatives of the subtropics, which cannot tolerate frost, are grown as annuals.
2. Species of Mediterranean origin are more cold-tolerant, but must be brought indoors for the winter.
3. Perennial salvias that grow in the temperate zone, in open ground, but require shelter for the winter.

This article is devoted to the consideration of representatives of the third group, which can winter in the open ground.

Salvia officinalis () is an ornamental, medicinal and spicy plant, usually growing up to 70 cm in height. The most decorative varieties:

• Nectar is a bush up to 1 m in height. The leaves are pubescent, light green, the inflorescences are purple or blue;
• Semko Patriarchal - up to 70 cm with long leaves;
• Breeze - up to 60 cm with serrated leaves, blue-blue inflorescences;
• Aibolit - up to 120 cm, leaves are pubescent, wrinkled, dark green.

Salvia brilliantis - originally from Brazil, 20-60 cm high. The flowers are spectacular, fiery red in inflorescences 14-20 cm long. Very thermophilic. Grown as an annual.



Salvia Foresta begins to bloom in June; its inflorescences are blue or lilac-violet. The most popular varieties:



• Blue Queen with blue inflorescences;
• Pink Queen with pink inflorescences;
• Marcus – purple inflorescences.

Salvia Dubravnaya is quite cold-resistant. Varieties:



• Plumosa - with dark lavender inflorescences;
• Amethyst - with pink-violet inflorescences;
• Lilac glade - with blue-violet inflorescences;
• Pink glade - with soft pink inflorescences.

Salvia Lugovaya blooms from early summer with white or purple flowers.

Salvia whorled - purple in color, blooms in July-September. There is a white variety called Alba.



Salvia Transylvanica tolerates partial shade. Blooms throughout the summer with lilac flowers.

Salvia Blue blooms in July-September with blue flowers. There are large-flowered varieties.

Reproduction

Salvia reproduces using seeds, layering, and cuttings.

Salvia produces a lot of seeds - there are up to 180 of them in 1 g. Ripening occurs in seed pods within a month after flowering. The seeds are located at the bottom, so after ripening they easily fall to the ground. They are collected in several stages as they ripen. Germination lasts from 2 to 5 years.

Salvia propagates well from semi-lignified cuttings until the end of summer. Cuttings are cut up to 15 cm long, placed in water or planted in light soil. The roots will appear in a couple of weeks, and after another two weeks they can be planted.



It is very easy to propagate the plant using air layering. The plant branch is pressed to the soil, securing it with a metal bracket. Next spring, rooted young plant cut from the mother bush and transplanted to permanent place.

Growing and care

Salvia is grown by sowing seeds into seedlings. They start sowing at the end of February. A shallow box is filled with light soil and watered. The seeds are mixed with sand, sown, then sprinkled with a few millimeters of soil mixed with sand, carefully moistened, covered with glass, placed in a warm place at + 20-25 o C. Shoots appear on 7-10 days. As soon as the seeds sprout, they are exposed to light. When the first true leaves appear, the seedlings are planted in separate pots and protected from the sun for several days.



For better growth seedlings use growth stimulants. Before planting in a permanent place, the seedlings are pinched several times to obtain more compact bushes.

Landing at a permanent place is carried out when it is stable warm weather. Flowering begins 12-13 weeks after sowing.

Caring for salvia is not an easy task. This is enough capricious plant requiring constant attention and care.

Salvia needs light, organic-rich, sandy, moisture-absorbing soil. Planting sites need good lighting and should be protected from the wind. The soil is dug up, weeds are selected, if necessary, filled with humus and lime. Bushes are planted at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other.

If the plants will grow in landscape groups, fill the hole with humus before planting. Transplant the plant from the pot into the ground, being careful not to disturb the roots.

Salvia care consists of regular:

• Watering;
• Loosening;
• Weeding;
• Feeding;
• Scraps.

Watering is done as needed, when the soil dries thoroughly, and should be watered in the evening. Remember that sage does not like stagnation of water at the roots. We fertilize at least twice a season - the first time the seedlings before planting, and the second time during the formation of buds. Use complex fertilizers.



Perennial sage needs formative pruning, which:

• Stimulates tillering;
• Does not allow shoots to become bare and stretch out;
• Increases the growth of young shoots.

After flowering, all dry flower stalks are removed, and at the beginning of the growing season, old shoots are cut short.

Diseases and pests

Salvia rarely gets sick. Among the pests, slugs, snails, aphids, mites and thrips can be a real problem.

If you are using a plant for medicinal purposes, collect slugs and snails by hand, but if it is only an ornamental plant, scatter any slug killer under the bushes.

To combat aphids and spider mites, it is better to use folk remedies using ash laundry soap.

For the winter, mulch the plantings with humus and cover with spruce branches.

Use in landscape design

Salvias grown in a perennial culture will be an excellent background for the round heads of noble flowers, and their blue-violet palette will perfectly set off yellow, red, and orange flowers. It is suitable for gardens decorated in various styles:

• Classic garden - a combination of sages with roses, lilies;
• Alpine slides - combination with daylilies, irises of suitable sizes;
• Rustic style - varieties of salvia oakberry with cereals, herbs,.

Use in folk medicine

Salvia officinalis is widely used in medicine and cosmetology. It is used as an anti-inflammatory, disinfectant, and astringent.

The leaves and flowers have medicinal properties. They are harvested in early summer, with the beginning of flowering, when the weather is sunny, dry. Dry the raw materials in a warm, shaded, well-ventilated place.