Hi all, first time poster, I know this particular Salvia is somewhat frowned upon here, but since I see many that are killing it in various ways, I hope it's OK if I share my experience with it, as a grower.

In short, it's a Mexican plant requiring high air humidity, operative word being HIGH. I don't think you can over-spray this plant, but you can certainly have it dry out from dry air.

Since I'm a man and rather forgetful about watering plants, I grow all my plants with subirrigation, with a simple wick system. I found it more fun to construct the systems, since it reduces a gardening problem to an engineering and DIY one :)

I found that the Salvias I grew so far do like the constant soil humidity, and get used to it fast. Some I've grown in moist soil, and some just slightly humid one (different setups) and I think keeping the moisture level constant is important, so the plant can get used to it.

Here's my main plant, before the issues started:

To get to this size, the plant needs to be sprayed daily, or 2 times daily if possible. It also likes light, so try to provide. However keep it out of direct sunlight, as it will easily burn from the sun. Think jungle :)

The issues I encountered were:

1. White insects under the leaves. I waited and procrastinated for a few weeks before getting some insecticide for it and spraying it. During these weeks about 90% of the leaves fell off.

2. After the insect issue, I thought the plant was fine, but I failed to take into account that being winter, teh room radiator / heater was drying the air much more than usual, so although I sprayed the plant daily, this was not enough. The rest of the leaves fell off, so in another week or so, just a few more leaves were left.

At this time I realized the error of my ways and took decisive action: I replanted it into a bigger pot, to accomodate the larger root system. I took some tree branches from the spring cleaning ops outside, some duct tape and nylon foil, and built a sort of cage, with foil over it, to keep the humidity inside. I then started spraying it heavily, twice daily. Holes were made in the foil to keep the airflow going.

Now about 2 weeks later I have new branches, new leaves and the plant looks good. I'm at the office now so I don't have pics of the cage setup, but I will post that as well.

I'm only growing plants since last year, I got interested in growing only after ahem.. testing the Salvia D. For an urban dweller and computer guy like myself this was quite a leap. I am currently moving back in my hometown where I have more space for gardening, and am considering building a greenhouse. Will very likely test my systems on tomatoes, cucumbers and other edibles, and see how they grow compared to the standard gardening of my mother :)

Some words about the Salvia experience: It is not for everyone, most people that are into weed or getting drunk in bars will probably not enjoy it too much. However I do think that everyone should try it at least once per lifetime, under the guidance of an experienced user. Just so they know what's out there, and how wide our universe really is.

Definitely NOT for youtube kids looking for a quick 'high' and a laugh at a party. Any such readers would do well to stick to what they know, or they risk walking into some really demented horror movies and the scare of a lifetime.

Finally, if you want to clone it, cut a branch under the leaf node, remove leaves, and leave 2 small leaves at the upper end. Stick the lower end in honey for about half an inch (including the lower node without the leaves), as honey is a cheap effective rooting agent. make a hole in the moist soil, stick it in, compress the soil so it stands, and cover with a bottle or jar, to keep high humidity. Wait 1-2 weeks, and enjoy your Salvia :)