I have Park's Whopper Lighthouse (S. splendens) and 2 colors of Salvia Summer Jewel (S. coccinea ). Park's offers these growing instructions (I actually didn't notice these before):
"How to Sow Salvia:
The annuals are best sown indoors, 6-8 weeks before last frost, at alternating temperatures of 68 and 86°
Seeds will germinate in 12-15 days
Sow the red-flowering salvias with NO cover as they need light to germinate
If treating S. farinacea as an annual, sow indoors 12 weeks before last frost
The biennials are best sown outdoors in late summer and fall with flowers produced the following summer
The perennials are best sown outdoors in spring through summer, up to two months before frost
Alternatively, they can be sown indoors by following the protocol for annuals
If started early enough, perennials will flower in their first year
The seeds of S. splendens are not long lived and should not be stored
When sowing seed outdoors, we recommend a maximum planting depth of 4X the width of the seed"
It says to alternate temperatures between 68-86 degrees, but I have read about folks winter sowing in cooler zones, so wonder if anyone can help me out there. Maybe I would just be better off starting them inside under lights? I purchased a bale of the Promix HP on my way home tonight, so I should be able to use that either way, right?
@FBTS (hope I did that right....), in the video on your website you say (I think:)) to use something like crushed rock to lightly cover the seeds-would fine baby chick grit work? I believe that it's crushed granite or something similar.
Thanks!
