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Should I take in my Salvia Amistad over winter?

misskeatesmisskeates Posts: 2
in Problem solving
This year I bought 3 Salvia plants, they are growing beautifully in my border and still look fantastic. I am not sure if I need to dig them up and take them into the shed for winter? 
TIA Charlotte 
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  • Busy-LizzieBusy-Lizzie Posts: 24,043
    Mine have survived outside for 4 years now. I'm in Dordogne, SW France, but it can get very cold here. Last winter it rained all the time, but my soil is well drained.
    Dordogne and Norfolk. Clay in Dordogne, sandy in Norfolk.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Take some cuttings as insurance and then put a mulch on the crown of the plant (base of the shoots) to give it some insulation from frosts - unless your soil is likely to get waterlogged in winter which they won't like at all.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    It may depend on where you are. In the south of the UK you are probably fine, a harsh northern winter might kill them off as they are a bit tender. I have a similar salvia guaranitica to Amistad (Black and Blue) planted this year, and am going to chance leaving them in the ground and piling on lots of mulch for protection once they go over. This should be quite soon, like Lizzie, my winters get very cold - I am due -3 on Wednesday and down to -8 is quite normal here.
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I've had Amistad in the ground for 4-5 years and not lost any yet, and it was very cold last winter especially.
    I mulch over the top of them when they die back after frosts. They are planted in free draining soil, so the roots aren't wet over winter which is a big help

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    I lift mine, cut them down and put them in the greenhouse. They start earlier and flower earlier than those left in the ground.  If I leave them in the ground, they are mulched, and survive, but for flowering, the lifted plants flower first, followed by overwintered cuttings, then plants left in the ground over winter.
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    edited October 2018
    I didn't risk mine out last year, I had two in biggish pots, we are South but have clay soil, I had not decided where to put them so had them in pots.
    I put one in the blow away. The other did not survive (the beast from the East), whether a milder winter in the (clay) ground would have been okay I do not know.
    Still in a pot this year so have taken cuttings earlier and will put the pot in the blow away again.
     I swear I posted earlier. I took cuttings in water as an experiment, they grew roots really easily I was pretty chuffed, they are now potted on in soil.
    Not sure if it is too late to do this now. Ah Obelixx also says cuttings, so maybe not too late.
    You could also dig one up if you have three, and somewhere to put it?
    Spread the risks :)
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    If there are still leaves on th eplant then I reckon it's a good idea to try cuttings indoors in water then, if they root, keep them in small pots in a frost free place for the winter.   Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

    Interesting Fidget.  I have a pineapple sage that only started flowering a couple of weeks ago despite being in a pot and facing full south and being well watered thru the heatwave.  Beginning to wonder if it's worth it as there are probably easier salvias with taht same clear, rich red flower.   
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    I had that problem with pineapple sage. It took too long to flower. Boring for the rest of the year.
  • floraliesfloralies Posts: 2,718
    Pineapple sage is one of the late flowering sages, would be ok in a conservatory or the like in our climates.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 15,039
    Black and Blue is considerably less hardy than Amistad.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
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