I think this is a shrubby one and it feels a tiny bit woody like hot lips. Do you cut bavk to encourage more flowers or not? I had a hot lips that died in last winters cold temps and don’t remember ever cutting it back until start of May
I don't have that particular variety, but if my shrubby salvias stop flowering I give them a light clip over, just to the base of the old flower spikes, to tidy them up. Sometimes there's a new flush of flowers, if it's early enough in the season, which now should be.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I used to grow Clotted Cream which is a shrubby salvia. I had it for about 5-6 years but that also died last winter. I used to just trim it back a bit in spring when I saw the first hints of new leaves appearing. I've recently bought Amethyst which is doing very well in a pot atm and still flowering very well. I'll move the pot into my greenhouse for this winter and hope it survives. I may plant it in the garden next year.
They're not like the other types of salvia where if you cut off the old flower spike, you get more flowers, so I think you'll just have to cross your fingers and hope that more appear. You could try a tomato feed which may help.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Mine all get a harder pruning in spring, down to below where the frost/cold has killed off the top growth. This time of year it's just a small tidy-up if they seem to have run out of steam. Normally they keep going until they get frosted in the autumn.
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
That chap who breeds shrubby salvias, something Dyson, was on Gardener's World a couple of years ago, he recommended what he called "the Hampton hack" to promote bushy growth and more flowers. Which means hacking them back in around August. Shearing off about 30% rather than cutting right to the base as you would a herbaceous species
"What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour".
I use hedge cutters on all mine in August/Sept to trim it back. They then will be back in flower in about a month's time and go on flowering until the first hard frost.
That chap who breeds shrubby salvias, something Dyson, was on Gardener's World a couple of years ago, he recommended what he called "the Hampton hack" to promote bushy growth and more flowers. Which means hacking them back in around August. Shearing off about 30% rather than cutting right to the base as you would a herbaceous species
Glad to know I'm doing something right!!
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
I have this variety and treat it just like all the other "shrubby" types. As mentioned above, l cut them back around mid to late April depending on the weather, then a "Hampton Hack" July/ early August which encourages them to flower again.
In recent years I have risked cutting right back (to lowest green growth point) in the late autumn (instead of the spring) as the blooms emerge in April rather than July. If the winter is mild it works out, as I live in the south east and have a sheltered garden. I have been doing this with clematis too. Seems to be ok - even last year.
Late to this one. But we just bought one a few days ago so good post. I planted ours this afternoon. It is a good plant but had been cut back a bit for posting. But it has all new little shoots emerging in all the lower leaf joints. So fingers crossed and hoping for a few flowers before winter this year. While reading online I did see that over winter do not cut it back or tidy, but leave the old growth to protect it until it until late spring. Ads per AnniD's advice
So pleased to see the posts and advice. Hope ours survives and thrives.
I think this is a shrubby one and it feels a tiny bit woody like hot lips. Do you cut bavk to encourage more flowers or not? I had a hot lips that died in last winters cold temps and don’t remember ever cutting it back until start of May
Posts
I used to just trim it back a bit in spring when I saw the first hints of new leaves appearing.
I've recently bought Amethyst which is doing very well in a pot atm and still flowering very well.
I'll move the pot into my greenhouse for this winter and hope it survives.
I may plant it in the garden next year.
They're not like the other types of salvia where if you cut off the old flower spike, you get more flowers, so I think you'll just have to cross your fingers and hope that more appear.
You could try a tomato feed which may help.
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
As mentioned above, l cut them back around mid to late April depending on the weather, then a "Hampton Hack" July/ early August which encourages them to flower again.
Here's William Dyson explaining how it's done
https://youtu.be/D_-82B8EnF8
I planted ours this afternoon. It is a good plant but had been cut back a bit for posting. But it has all new little shoots emerging in all the lower leaf joints.
So fingers crossed and hoping for a few flowers before winter this year.
While reading online I did see that over winter do not cut it back or tidy, but leave the old growth to protect it until it until late spring. Ads per AnniD's advice
So pleased to see the posts and advice.
Hope ours survives and thrives.