Growing Guide
How to Grow Salvias
Salvias are among the longest-flowering and most rewarding garden plants you can grow. Their colourful flower spikes provide months of interest, attract bees and other pollinators, and perform beautifully in borders, patio containers and cottage gardens.
With hundreds of varieties available, there is a salvia to suit almost every garden. Some provide bold architectural flowers while others create soft drifts of colour that blend perfectly with roses, grasses and other herbaceous perennials.
Most salvias are straightforward to grow provided they are planted in the right position and receive a little routine care. Give them plenty of sunshine, avoid waterlogged soil and prune them correctly, and they'll reward you with an exceptionally long flowering season.
Need to know
• Most salvias prefer a sunny position.
• Excellent for borders and containers.
• Attractive to bees, butterflies and other pollinators.
• Flower for many months with regular deadheading.
• Most varieties prefer free-draining soil.
• Feed during the growing season for the best performance.
• Many varieties benefit from light pruning during summer.
• Winter hardiness varies between varieties.
Choosing Your Plant
Choosing the Right Salvia
Salvias come in an incredible range of colours, sizes and growth habits, so choosing the right variety depends on where you would like to grow it.
Compact varieties are perfect for patio pots and smaller gardens, while taller varieties make excellent feature plants in mixed borders. Some are fully hardy and return year after year, while more tender varieties benefit from winter protection.
If you're unsure which to choose, think about the space you have available, the colours you enjoy and whether you're looking for a long-lasting container display or a perennial border plant.
Growing Conditions
Choosing the Right Position
Most salvias thrive in full sun where they receive at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. The more sunshine they receive, the better their flowering display will usually be.
Choose a sheltered position with well-drained soil. Heavy, wet ground during winter is one of the most common reasons salvias fail.
Container-grown salvias also perform exceptionally well, provided they are planted into quality compost with good drainage.
Getting Started
Planting Your Salvia
Plant salvias after the risk of severe frost has passed.
Prepare the soil by incorporating organic matter if required and ensure drainage is good before planting. Position the plant at the same depth it was growing in its pot and water thoroughly after planting.
Allow enough space for the mature plant to develop without becoming overcrowded.
Ongoing Care
Watering
Newly planted salvias should be watered regularly while they establish.
Once established, many salvias are surprisingly drought tolerant and usually require less watering than many other flowering plants.
Container-grown plants will need more frequent watering during warm weather, but always allow excess water to drain away freely.
Healthy Growth
Feeding
Feed container-grown salvias regularly throughout the growing season using a balanced liquid fertiliser.
Garden plants generally require less feeding but will benefit from a spring application of balanced fertiliser and the addition of compost or well-rotted organic matter around the base.
Avoid excessive feeding, which can encourage soft leafy growth at the expense of flowers.
Keeping Plants Flowering
Pruning and Deadheading
Removing faded flower spikes encourages many salvias to produce further flushes of flowers throughout summer.
Some shrubby salvias benefit from a light trim after flowering to maintain a compact shape, while herbaceous varieties should usually be cut back once growth has finished for the season.
Always check the requirements of your particular variety before carrying out heavy pruning.
Winter Protection
Overwintering
Winter care depends on the variety you are growing.
Many hardy salvias can remain outside throughout winter, while tender or half-hardy varieties should be protected from prolonged frost.
Avoid heavy winter pruning on shrubby salvias, as the top growth often helps protect the crown from cold weather.
Troubleshooting
Common Problems
Poor flowering is usually caused by insufficient sunlight or a lack of deadheading.
Weak growth may indicate too much shade or excessive feeding.
Plants that fail during winter often suffer from poor drainage rather than low temperatures.
Regular deadheading, sensible watering and choosing the correct position will prevent most common problems.
From the grower
Alan's Top Tip
One of the best things about salvias is how well they respond to regular deadheading. Spend just a few minutes every week removing faded flower spikes and many varieties will reward you with fresh flowers right through until autumn.
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