I bought Salvia coccinea ‘Forest Fire’ last year and it bloomed nicely for me. How do I know if it is going to come back this year? I broke off all of the dead wood when I cleaned out my garden a month or so ago (just like I do the lantanas). However, should I have seen any growth at this point or should I just wait and see if it grows back. Right now, I've got nada!
It may be a little soon, depending on the spot you have it, if Lantanas and
Turk's cap are up and it doesn't come up soon after that, it may be dead, we did have some very low temperatures this winter. But do give it a chance.
Josephine.
I have it in full sun in a raised bed. My lantanas are just starting to leaf out. I will wait a little while longer as you suggested. I am not ready to give up on it yet. Thanks.
edited for typo
This message was edited Mar 31, 2006 2:03 PM
I know that some salvias die completely back in the winter. Cut off a little snippit and you should see the green of the interior stem. If it's green, just give it some time. Check out the great salvias that Canyon Creek Nursery has to offer. I've been really happy with salvias I've bought there. Good luck.
Thanks for the tip Mary. I will go snip it in a little bit and see if it is green.
Also, if it is dead, there are some great salvias that take the cold better than coccinea.
It might come up all around the mother plant from seed. S. coccinea reseeds everywhere in my garden.
Mine too, that's one of the things i really like about it. It's easy enough to pull out what you don't want, but in the mean time it keeps coming back.
Okay, I checked this morning and the "mother plant" is dead! Maybe I will get some little babies out of it.
Mary - which salvia do better in the cold? I also bought guaranitica & greggii.
Guaranticas are good to I think about 5-10 degrees and I think they're a little more cold hardy than greggii. I have a salvia involucrata 'mulberry jam' that is just gorgeous. I think they're good to about 15 degrees. I'm not an expert, I've just ordered alot of salvias through mail order and just love them. The website I mentioned lists the cold hardiness and gives good descriptions of various salvias so you can get a good idea of what will work for you. LEt me know.
Texas-Doodlebug, my 'Forest Fire" salvia is just now sending up new shoots from the base even though all of the old stems are dead. I hope you did not pull yours out. Last year I thought it had been killed and I was late cleaning the bed in the spring. To my surprise, it sent up new shoots. Because you are 1 Zone "cooler" than mine, yours may yet sprout back up. There are a few baby ones coming up from seeds as well. I love the bright red colors of 'Forest Fire' as well as its bushy growth habit. During the last freeze, I lost a lot of the seedlings of various salvias that had already come up. But, I now see new ones making their appearances. My lantan have been leafed out and, although they are still small, are starting to put on some blooms. I assume that the 'Forest Fire' needs more warm days than do the lantana and some of the other salvia I have.
Thanks htop. I will leave them in the garden and see what happens.
Doodlebug, we are in the same zone and my salvia greggi have come through every winter for the last 10 years. Some of them have been very severe. I mulch them in spring and that's all they get except for a hard pruning when they get leggy and the same organic fertilizer and stuff that I do for the trees. I don't cover them or anything before a freeze. Another really hardy sage is Hot Lips Sage. It loves heat and sun and bounces right back from freezes. I noticed in August that it was looking a little sad so I watered it and low and behold all those bare branches filled up with little green leaves again.:)
Thanks silver- I appreciate the info from your experience. I think Hot Lips is pretty and I may get some if the Forest Fire doesn't come back.
Cindy
You're welcome Doodlebug. Do you know about the RU in College Station? It's going to be a lot of fun. It would be great to meet you. You needn't have plants to trade, just an interest in gardening. And as my DH can tell you, you don't even need that.:)
Mary Lee
Sorry I have been out of town. I do know about the RU but won't be able to go due to a prior commitment. Would love to go some day.
Thanks for all your help.
Texas Doodlebug, my salvia have all come back and I'm just down the road from you. I have both the perennial and annual salvia. They just seem to reseed all over the place. they are my little markers for when my "hummers" are returning. With no exception, the day my salvia blooms, my hummer returns. It's like he's waiting in the wings and arrives just in time for "chow".. I wouldn't be without my salvias.
hilary
Doodlebug, sorry you can't be there. Maybe the next time.
