Hot Lips Salvia - not Flowering
laurarose
12 years ago
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rich_dufresne
12 years agolaurarose
12 years agoRelated Discussions
Hot Lips Salvia
Comments (1)I wait until I see fresh new growth before cutting back microphyllas. That being said you could probably get away with it. The growth on old wood if left should provide you with earlier flowers, another reason to hold back the clippers....See MoreHot Lips Salvia - Leaves Turning Yellow
Comments (2)Besides soil moisture, the soil should be able to be aerated, which is why raised beds and loose soils help. Also, was there a sudden change of temperature, especially from warm to hot? Make note on Hot Lips of how much red is in the flowers. Fertilizing this one during summer heat should not only increase growth, but generate redder flowers. The larger the red zone in the flowers, the more active the plant is in growth. Older, larger plants will show whiter flowers than young, faster growing ones. Are the plants next to more aggressive plants that may be encroaching on the Hot Lips root zone, or are keeping it from needed expansion?...See MoreHot Lips Salvia
Comments (10)We get an occasional day down to 0F, but generally not a sustained period of time down to zero, in Oklahoma anyway. Generally, the lowest temp we get is down to 15F, and even that is for short periods of time - maybe 2 to 3 days. Sustained freezing temps would be what I'd worry about, and in your zone that is probably the norm. At those temps, the roots would freeze, and the plant would most likely die. Our soil rarely freezes in Oklahoma, but there are rare exceptions to that rule, and it depends on what kind of winter protection you provide. Last winter we had an abnormally cold winter, and several of my borderline zone 7 plants did not come back, e.g., Lantana 'Miss Huff', and I experienced significant die back on my Passiflora 'Lavendar Lady' (it did come back very, very late - July - in a different spot). Also, with Salvias that like drier, well-drained soil. the problem in your zone would probably also include freezing cold, wet roots. Our zone 7 is considered a "temperate" zone. Meaning, our winters generally don't get cold enough that the soil freezes, and sometimes we can "push" tender plants hardy only to zone 8 with winter protection. I have heard of some folks in colder zones that are able to winter over zone 7 plants by heavy, heavy mulching. But these people were in zones 5 to 6. In 3 to 4, I just doubt that it can be done, unless you experience an extremely mild winter. It's all kind of "iffy". My zone 7 Salvias would probably not have survived last year's winter due to the cold, wet conditions. Wet cold means death for a lot of borderline, temperate plants. IMHO, I would definitely move 'Hot Lips' indoors for the winter. Susan...See Moresalvia hot lips hardiness
Comments (12)Here is my favorite comment on growing all Mediterraneans in or out of their zone, this includes salvias, herbs including rosemary, oregano, sage and shrubs and even trees. Plant them high, on a slope or better yet a hill and hardly any summer water. If you have to have them in a pot - make sure the drainage holes are big and the soil is lean and course. Lean soil means hold off the fertilizer. I grew hundreds of salvias in my Northern CA garden and rosemary is grown in parking lot, banks and grocery store landscapes and never watered in the summer. Wet summer soil and standing water is the quickest way to kill them. This is a favorite slide from one of my lectures....See Morehybridsage
12 years agoMary Leek
12 years agohummersteve
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12 years agosusanlynne48
12 years agohybridsage
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12 years agoCheryl Kuflik
7 years agoRebecca Irving
4 years agomr1010
4 years agoCA Kate z9
4 years agoRebecca Irving
4 years agomr1010
4 years agomr1010
4 years agoHU-979165646
4 years agoCA Kate z9
4 years agoanygreen
4 years ago
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