Salvia or Sage

Family Lamiaceae. The genus includes about 700 species distributed in temperate and warm regions of both hemispheres.

A perennial plant, grown as an annual, compact, 50–60 cm tall. Blooms from July, tolerating frosts down to -2 °C. The flowers are small and inconspicuous, gathered in whorled inflorescences at the stem tips. The plants' brightness and beauty are provided by large bracts, which may be white, pink, or blue-violet. Seeds are sown for seedlings in late March–early April; seedlings appear quickly, 3–5 days after sowing. Hardened seedlings are planted outdoors only after the end of spring frosts, with spacing between plants of 18–20 cm. Salvia is very light-loving and drought-tolerant, preferring loose, non-acidic, nutrient-rich soils. One gram contains 400–500 seeds, whose viability is retained for 2–5 years.

Location: most species require a sunny position. Sticky Salvia tolerates partial shade. Many species are drought-tolerant.

Soil: the best soils for them are dry, lime-rich, well-drained, and not too light. Sticky Salvia grows better on rich, moist soils, while shining Salvia prefers moderately fertile, loose soils and flowers poorly on wet, rich soils. Woodland Salvia rots and loses vigor on heavy soils.

Care: after the main flowering, cut woodland Salvia back completely, and the plant will bloom again in late summer. A second flowering is also promoted by fertilizer feeding. Shorten medicinal Salvia by two-thirds to make the plant more compact. Remove suckers.

Propagation: annual and biennial species of Salvia are propagated by seeds sown in spring and in autumn. Seeds of shining Salvia are sown in boxes in February–early March. Seedlings usually appear on the 10th–15th day. Seedlings are pricked out twice. To obtain strong young plants, perform the second pricking out into 9 cm pots. In April they are placed in cold frames for hardening. They are planted in their permanent location in early June, after the end of spring frosts, keeping a distance between plants of 20–25 cm. Hardened seedlings tolerate transplantation well. Perennial species are propagated by seeds, stem cuttings and division of the clump. Planting is best carried out in late August–early September. Young plantings require winter protection during their first winter.