My Saliva Hot Lips is several years old (thankfully!) but is now really rather large in its position. I am loathe to move it as I like it where it is but it is huge! Is there a way of pruning or reducing it or should I leave well alone?
They do get a bit leggy, I take cuttings each year, next summer those cuttings will be about 2ft tall and flowering, if not, you can chop it down, I have done mine at any time, I expect someone will tell you it should be done in the spring.
I would go for cuttings and dump the leggy ones.
Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor.
Since these are not reliably hardy and you never know what this winter will throw at us I would wait till spring and then cut it back as low as you like to a pair of healthy buds on each stem. Use the trimmings to take cuttings as insurance and for swaps.
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)."
I had a beautiful salvia hot lips but after 3 years it became very leggy so I binned it. However now I know I can take cuttings, thanks to your advice I shall certainly do this with the new one.
I have one with flowers just forming at the tips. They are too late for cuttings. Searching a bit lower down, there are side shoots about 5 cm long, pull them off with a heel, dip in rooting powder, and insert into gritty compost. They will root in about three weeks, then pot them on into six inch pots. Pinch out the tips when they start growing to make them branch.
They like a bit of heat, a shady windowsill indoors will be fine. They will wilt in the sun. I put them on the bottom shelf in the greenhouse, out of direct sunlight.
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They do get a bit leggy, I take cuttings each year, next summer those cuttings will be about 2ft tall and flowering, if not, you can chop it down, I have done mine at any time, I expect someone will tell you it should be done in the spring.
I would go for cuttings and dump the leggy ones.
Since these are not reliably hardy and you never know what this winter will throw at us I would wait till spring and then cut it back as low as you like to a pair of healthy buds on each stem. Use the trimmings to take cuttings as insurance and for swaps.
Thank you for the advice. I think I will take cuttings now and maybe in the spring as well and see what happens.
I had a beautiful salvia hot lips but after 3 years it became very leggy so I binned it. However now I know I can take cuttings, thanks to your advice I shall certainly do this with the new one.
which bits do you use for taking cuttings now?
Sorry can't help as I have never done it but perhaps someone else could describe how its done
I have one with flowers just forming at the tips. They are too late for cuttings. Searching a bit lower down, there are side shoots about 5 cm long, pull them off with a heel, dip in rooting powder, and insert into gritty compost. They will root in about three weeks, then pot them on into six inch pots. Pinch out the tips when they start growing to make them branch.
thanks fidget, you're a star
will they do best indoors or in a coldframe?
Last edited: 01 June 2016 18:34:01
They like a bit of heat, a shady windowsill indoors will be fine. They will wilt in the sun. I put them on the bottom shelf in the greenhouse, out of direct sunlight.