Hello,

This is my first winter growing salvia. I have four or five different varieties. My question is do you cut them back? They look a little ragged.
Thanks,
Ford zone 8

Hi @fstins1

Welcome to the Agastache and Salvias forum.

I hope @FBTS chimes in and answers you.

If and when I cut salvias back, it is very late spring or later in the season for my zone 6a. For you in zone 8b, I don't know.

There is no stock answer as each species has different requirements. We have numerous articles and a couple of pruning videos here: http://www.fbts.com/everything...

Thanks so much for chiming in Kermit! I'm going to read those articles when I have the chance.

I have never had a problem with cutting back my salvias. I do a nice trim (1/3 to 1/2) in early spring and again in August to prepare for fall bloom. They respond with vigorous new growth. Most of my experience was in my Austin garden, but I have already cut back Hot Lips and Black & Blue here in my new Houston garden and they are doing fine.

You wouldn't since you are in zone 9a. Get down to zone 6 or 7 and it becomes an issue. Here in zone 7a I wait until at least the first week in April or even a little later just to be safe.

I have some Black and Blue Salvia that has overwintered in my yard in Kentucky. It made it through the previous winter, too. I have it as a hummingbird attractor.

Small plants are available in the garden shops. Those small plants have quite a bit of bloom on them. All I have is 2 ft. tall very large mass of green leaves from the returning stems which seem very healthy. Should I cut mine back to encourage earlier bloom now or is there some trick to getting the early flower display? Last year I just left them alone and they finally did put out some bloom but it was much later in the summer.

@aaCharley

Welcome to the Agastache and Salvias forum!

I don't know, as I've never had Black and Blue overwinter here, but then I usually have it in containers in my zone 6a yard and they die with the frost/freeze each year. Are yours in the ground and mulched that overwinter?

@FBTS would you chime in regarding his question please? Maybe some other members who had it overwinter will chime in also.

In this thread, I think the answer is cutting back in the spring, based on my research today, even rather drastically.

I just discovered these delightful salvias, including Hot Lips, which I saved from a plow in an annual community garden about 3 weeks ago. Regarding cutting back, spring was recommended by this Irish gardener / business owner via "John Lord's Secret Garden" entitled: How to Look After Salvia 'Hot Lips' and Similar Varieties. He demonstrates cutting back in the spring and repotting:

The 5 varieties mentioned in his video:
Salvia greggii 'Amethyst Lips',
Salvia 'Dyson's Joy',
Salvia microphylla 'Blue Monrovia',
Salvia x jamensis 'Pink Lips',
Salvia 'Hot Lips'

It was good to see how much he cut it back (a lot) and when. I imagine his climate is closer to Zone 8 than mine. As I'm in Michigan 6a, I researched salvias a bit as I was making sure I had some softwood cuttings to overwinter along with planting my Hot Lips Salvia in a protected spot surrounded by fennel, and hoping for the best.

The link: https://youtu.be/2vA9uQx_5oE

Marilyn said:Hi @fstins1

If and when I cut salvias back, it is very late spring or later in the season for my zone 6a. For you in zone 8b, I don't know.

which ones are the "couple of pruning articles here" ???

FBTS said:There is no stock answer as each species has different requirements. We have numerous articles and a couple of pruning videos here: http://www.fbts.com/everything...