I just bought a Pineapple Sage plant (Salvia elegans). It has 5 different "branches", two of which look ready for cuttings. I have never succesfully cloned any plant before, and am looking for help. Any advice?
Taking cuttings from Salvia elegans
Hi thetripscaptain, sage can become very leggy if not kept pruned to stop this happening, the time to prune is at the end of the season about September and as you prune, you can use some of these trimmings as cuttings, it is also a good idea to deadhead this shrub if you want to use it as a food plant, you want it to make a bushy plant and not a flowering shrub, it is grown in a very similar way as for lavender, good luck, WeeNel.
so should I actually not let it flower at all or just not let it go to seed? also would you (or anyone) have any advice on atcually rooting cuttings taken from this plant?
...here she is!
Capt'n, cut about the top 5-6" off the plant, wet it, dip it in rootone or other rooting agent and stick in a cup (make sure there is holes in the bottom) of "salt and pepper" soil. That is about half sand and half good garden or potting soil, mix them and you will get a salt and pepper look. Keep them inside on a sunny windowsill and spray with water once or twice a day. You can keep a saucer under the cup and add water every 2 days, just enough that it will soak up, not so water stays in the saucer.
They should do wonderful for you, they are not that hard to root. You will have good roots in about 6 weeks.
chris
edited to say: after you take your cutting, which can be even 4" as your plant doesnt look that big. Cut the leaves off the bottom 2", then put it in the soil.
This message was edited Jul 13, 2007 10:34 PM
thanks much!
it's starting to fill out nicely on the bottom now that it's getting light there... all the little nodes are growing new leaves and branching out :)
When you take the cuttings from the top of the plant, that will also help fill in the bottom.
If it has less to feed on top, it can throw more energy to the bottom.
Good Luck.
chris
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