Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Salvia Black and Blue

LynLyn Posts: 23,190
in Plants
I’ve just dug up my salvia B&B to separate and propagate over winter.
I was surprises to see that they’d grown absolutely huge dahlia type tubers,  I could hardly lift them to the wheelbarrow.
Wondering what other people do with these monstrosities,   shall I chop them down like dahlias just leaving a couple of stalks? 


Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

«1

Posts

  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    Mine lives in a big pot and I usually cut down the old growth when I can see good new growth in the spring. I don't lift it or move the pot.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Yes - I found the same Lyn with the one you very kindly sent me.
    It got to about 6ft last year so I decided to move it somewhere with a bit more space and like you was surprised to see tubers - lots of them.
    It seems very happy in its new home but didn't start to flower until Oct! Down to the weather I suspect.
    I sometimes grow S.Patens from seed - that has similar tubers.
    I just mulch them and leave them over winter same as dahlias - I always leave a dead stalk so I know where not to dig in the spring.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    S Amistad is vey much the same. I left one in the ground for three winters. Year three it gave up. I was suprised to see just how much root was there.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    @Pete.8. So pleased the plant flourished for you,  I’ve never lifted them before but as the clumps had got so big I thought I could divide them.   It’s always been late flowering here too. 

    One of the clumps is about 2’ long,  almost too heavy for me to pick up,   shall I risk chopping it up or plant it back as it is? 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    Wow that is big!!
    I just moved the whole plant, but I must have left a bit of root in its old position as a new one has started growing there this year.
    I also broke a few tubery bits of root off and planted them in pots for a friend when I moved it this Spring - they have grown well and flowered well.
    So you could pull it apart and get lots of new plants I'd imagine.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I get put off by the names of some plants. I'm sure it's lovely but I wouldn't pick it.
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    @Pete.8    Seems you don’t need a stalk on the tuber then?  Just pot them up,  I broke loads of them off trying to move it.  Perhaps I can pick them up.

    @B3 It’s a nice useful plant,  it’s tall, black stalks with dark blue flowers that last quite a while.  Late flowering, Also very hardy.

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    I can't remember tbh @Lyn, but just a bit of root sprouted from where it was growing.
    It was around March/April I moved it, so I may have chosen bits of root that had signs of new shoots growing,


    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I managed to pick them about and separate as you would a large dahlia tuber.  Not finished yet though.  I’ve potted up the broken bits,  if they all take I’ll have a lot of plants for next year. 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • purplerallimpurplerallim Posts: 5,287
    Wow
Sign In or Register to comment.