Home and Garden | On colder nights, I cover them with old sheets, but havent been pleased with the results, mildew and such. I only wish I had planted more of them in other parts of our yard. | Letter from the Editor, Watch Out for New Garden Pests Heading This Way, Designing a Beautiful Back BorderPlanting Plan. With thanks to Lili for the push, I am going to echo the prompt in this column in the hope that others may learn to work out their frustrations on their gardens in such a timely fashion. This plant is native to Mexico, as you may have guessed by the name, and its a heat-loving plant that offers greenish-gray foliage that does very well in very hot summers. You should only prune a third or less of growth to avoid over stressing the tree. Old, dark inflorescences should go. Count on summers to be hot and humid. It features tapered leaves that are a greenish-silver color on the bottom and a medium-green color on top. A happy ceanothus that has flowered heavily will have sections of stems without leaves or branches, so cut back old flowered clusters for a denser look. I love this plant. Home and Garden | Home and Garden | Blooms Oct-Nov zone 9a. Monkey flower (Mimulus spp. Autumn Salvia Pruning in Southern California - FineGardening In regions where Mexican sage can survive the winter, you can plant it at any time as long as you avoid the hottest months of the year. However,. Silver Grass (Miscanthus sinensis) also goes dormant in the Fall. . Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. The wonderful world of salvia, or sage (Salvia spp. Water it every six weeks very sparingly. Each plant type, of course, has its own pruning schedule so its always best to research the specific plant for tips on timing and how to accomplish it. Take the plant out of the current container and put the root ball into the hole you dug. I didn't pay too much attention until, toward the end of the season when everything else was starting to look rather tired and spent, this plant absolutely EXPLODED with intense purple blooms all over. I had plants of the all purple one growing in the ground and in a pot. In warmer climates, shear the plant to the ground in the winter to ensure it grows back quickly into a full-sized and bushy plant. The 'White Mischief' Mexican bush sage is similar to the purple Mexican bush sage, but it's better for flower cuttings and bears white flowers rather than purple. Home and Garden | Mexican sage isnt a very high-maintenance plant to grow, and it can create a show-stopping look in your yard or garden. Have seen hummingbirds feeding on this and have yet to see a major pest. (Courtesy Photo), Ceanothus (wild lilac) such as this Dark Star can be pruned after flowering, but leave some flowers to become berries for the birds. You can overwinter the plant indoors in a pot with good drainage and exposure to ample sunlight. So, when you pick out a space for this plant, you want to put it somewhere where itll get a lot of bright light for a minimum of six to eight hours a day. The plant is generally low-maintenance and problem-free but is prone to issues common to all woody outdoor plants. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. On Nov 24, 2017, tranquilityva from Doswell, VA wrote: This plant is an annual for me in zone 6b-7 in central virginia. Pruning Mexican Sage. relatively simple. In areas where you grow your Mexican sage as an annual, you should plant your transplants only after the last frost date of the spring has passed and the soil warmed up. . Dip the ends of the cuttings in rooting hormone and plant them in the pots. My preference is to coppice it (cut it back to the ground level), as it will go winter dormant anyway, and then you will be left with mostly twigs for a while. Plant Mexican bush sage with other species with similar care requirements. On Feb 20, 2011, annlof from Camarillo, CA wrote: This is an attractive, xeric shrub which is very popular in Southern California. Wait until the plant is done flowering before pruning. Some salvias like to be cut back severely while others need only a trim. early spring is often the best time. Generally speaking, Mexican sage is one bush youll plant for ornamental purposes, and you dont want to confuse it with culinary sage that you use for seasoning. On Oct 2, 2009, mswestover from Yulee, FL (Zone 9a) wrote: Gets woody at the base. Last spring, horticulturist Lili Singer remarked to me that one of the most touching mistakes she sees made by novice dry gardeners is timidity in pruning their sages. Gorgeous!!! If you grow it in the ground, you can overwinter it by cutting it back to the ground and adding a very thick layer of mulch to protect it from the freezing temperatures and frost. The plant will go to a semi-dormant state that requires minimal light. Pinch back young manzanitas when there is new growth usually March and April. We are in the coldest days of the year, so its important to protect your plants, especially frost-tender ones. As Lili notes, birds move in and glean the seeds. nded examples at the Old Town San Diego Historic Park.). Clean, sharp pruning shears make a world of difference when pruning herbaceous perennials such as Mexican sage. Water with the solution weekly during the summer months. Hard prune Texas sage shrubs in late winter to control the size of the shrub and improve the density of the foliage. Contact her at linda@ifnaturecouldtalk.com. 15 Ideas for How to Preserve Fresh Herbs Instead, you grow it as an ornamental. . There are three species of bird of paradise (Caesalpinia) grown in the Southwest, red (C. pulcherrima), yellow (C. gilliesii), and Mexican (C. mexicana). Mexican sage prefers to be in a well-draining but rich soil with a lot of nutrients. It spreads and will take over a flower bed quickly. If you live in a cold or cool climate, planting Mexican sage too early in the season can lead to delayed growth due to frost damage or cold soil. No sage gets the pruning hand itching quite like Salvia canariensis. One thing they all have in common is their attraction to bees and hummingbirds. Sign up at mercurynews.com/events. I even shared the new shoots with my mom. The first should reduce and shape the crown. Hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers like a magnet . Best month to visit Mexico. A fresh shoot (white stem) next to an older shoot (purple stem) If you look to the base of the plant, you'll see new shoots popping up next to the older shoots as seen above. The high humus content can increase the soils fertility level. Using heavy-duty frost cloth will also protect your plants from high winds, but youll need to anchor the cloth securely or you could be giving your neighbors a pricey gift. It blooms my favorite color too. I usually move them close together in the winter to help protect from the wind. Here are tips on pruning California native plants Finding Mexican bush sage plants in garden centers may be difficult, depending on the growing zone. Mexican bush sage plant is an ideal choice for those wishing to establish In cooler regions where plants may be semi-evergreen or deciduous, lightly prune in early fall well before the first frost. When it comes to the soil, good drainage is the most important aspect. Choose a sunny location and plant it in the early spring. The Forum meets at CMU's Cascade Hall, South . Autumn sage or Texas sage Salvia greggii. It can handle heavy pruning during the growing season but hold off on pruning in late fall or winter. You can deadhead this plant and then cut it back by at least half in the fall. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. So, youll need to leave enough space between each plant. read more, Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of the Davesgarden.com. Water it sparingly throughout the winter, roughly once every four to six weeks. Deadhead, but we wait until winter so birds can forage on the seeds. Otherwise, no pruning is required. IF they had pruned it like my mother always did, that could never have happened, and, their plants would have looked 100% more beautiful, too! Pruning isn't usually necessary, although a light trim in late autumn may be helpful if you live in a windy area. Pruning it in the fall could impact your plants ability to survive the winter months. Consider planting with Mexican sunflowers, marigolds, lantanas, chrysanthemums, and angel trumpets. Also, it tends to spread sideways to roughly three feet wide. It will only survive winters that don't go below 18 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the plant gets black from frost, you can pull it up and put it in the compost pile. The Best Time to Trim Bougainvillea | Home Guides | SF Gate Best time to visit Mexico - Rough Guides document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Join us at 10 a.m. Jan. 21 for the next installment in our gardening series. Its coolest period is December through February, and the wettest period is May to October. If you live in a cold region, it is possible to overwinter Mexican sage, and well touch on that later. Free. red-purple flowers in late summer and early fall. When this was done regularly & consistently, a new stem would quickly grow & start flowering, & the ones cut off were even more quickly replaced by others that were just waiting their turns! Although it comes back yearly in the southern states and along the Pacific coast, it is not winter hardy in areas that drop below freezing. All Access Digital offer for just 99 cents! September also has fewer crowds, as kids go back to school, and lower prices. To propagate it using cuttings, you should: Get pruning shears and cut a piece of your mature Mexican sage that has a minimum of four to five nodes or leaf stems on it. I haven't noticed seeds on the plant but will look for them next year. However, its well-worth finding. The third option is to pot up your Mexican sage and move it to the shed or garage as long as it stays just above freezing during the winter. Prune in summer to early fall,mid-July through September. Pruning also diverts the expenditure of nourishment to form woody growth to that of buds and fruit. Simply cut all the old shoots off at ground level. Dear Abby: I have a great life, so why have I fallen into this shameful behavior? Sign up for a free trial and get access to ALL our regional content, plus the rest Best drought-tolerant shrubs - 12 hardy choices that can thrive with OBrien suggests light fertilizing a month or so after pruning if the plant is growing in infertile soils. Though Mexican bush sages are drought-tolerant, they require watering during hot summers. Pruning should be done in early spring because it stimulates new growth that may die back in cold winters. Salvia apiana I leave alone until the inflorescences begin to go black, then I cut them to the first live joint. Learning how and when to plant Mexican bush sage is Adds great color for late in the year. NOTE: Mom's sage was on a dirt berm, but not sheltered from winter rains, and it did GREAT! Get complete site access to expert advice, regional content, and more, plus the print magazine. Hollyleaf cherry (Prunus ilicifolia) needs only pinching, if anything. Its also a good idea to cut off spent blooms and trim the plant after each flowering to prevent it from getting too leggy and woody. Blooming in autumn until the first frost, Mexican sage can provide a beautiful patch of color in any garden just as many other plants are beginning to fade into dormancy for the winter. February is a good time to cut Hair Grass back to a height of 3 inches. While it is an edible plant, you dont generally use it for cooking because it doesnt offer the full aroma or flavor that other cultivars have. A better option is to wipe the blades with undiluted household disinfecting cleaner, which is effective at killing pathogens but won't harm the metal. Be sure to water the shrub weekly during its initial growing season to help it develop strong roots. The cuts heal slowly and are susceptible to apricot dieback fungus. Apply the fertilizer to wet soil to prevent root burn. If you cut off all the flower stalks, and water, monkey flowers will rebloom in the summer. Generally speaking, Mexican sage is a low-maintenance plant that doesnt require much from you. If you know an overnight frost is expected, water all of your plants well, except for your succulents. Pruning in winter and spring causes an abundance of new growth near the pruning site and takes months to recover. Dont leave stubs. How to Grow Lemongrass Experts far more expert than I recommend deeper cuts to achieve a dense, round and bush-like form the following year. Once you get all of your logistics figured out, you can start digging. The only time you need to water is if its been two or more weeks since the last rainfall. We have an old one, 20 feet by 20 feet. Feed Mexican sage bush once per month using a balanced 10-10-10 NPK fertilizer. In late summer or fall, use sharp pruners to cut 3- to 4-inch cuttings from the tips of actively growing (but non-flowering) stems. I would appreciate any advice for Mexican and other salvias, of which I have many, and for calceolaria and calendrinia. . During this time, your Mexican sage will flower and die back in cold conditions, and it can tolerate very mild frost. Jennifer Lesser is a New Jersey-based freelance writer covering lifestyle for The Spruce. Cuts into old growth likely wont resprout. How to Grow and Care for Autumn Sage - The Spruce There are well over 900 species, of which California native sages comprise only about 2%. Another is their positive response toat the leastan annual pruning. If you prune later, you may remove developing flowers. Mexican bush sages require heavier soils than other plants and are not prone to rot in heavy soil. . Snip off the old flower heads where they attach to the stems and discard them. Mexican bush sage plant (Salvia leucantha) is a perennial flowering plant with unique greenish silver foliage. The University of Minnesota Extension recommends cleaning your pruning tools to remove any bits of plant debris and soil before sanitizing the blades. The soil should be nutrient-rich and maintain balanced moisture levels throughout the growing season. She has lived in the Bay Area since 1988. Martha Groves Perry returns to Rose Garden for another release show How to Grow Mint Indoors However, it can survive in partial shade too. In warmer areas, this cultivar will bloom from spring until well into the fall months, and its slightly less hardy than original Mexican sage. Yet by late August, those fluttering elegies to spring just look dead, and its as obvious to the most laissez faire gardener as it is to the fire marshal that it is time to prune. They report that you can use either rubbing alcohol, pine oil, a 10% . Cutting Back Ornamental Grasses - G.R. Landscape Architect - Garth Ruffner Salvia greggii and its brittle-limbed ilk, whose spring clouds of fragrant foliage and flowers now look like a mass of kindling, benefit from two passes with the pruners. It seems severe but you can cut back to 1- to 2-inch stubs. This plant needs plenty of room to grow and likes a good pruning in early spring to keep its shape and prevent it from getting top-heavy when it blooms. There's little reason to deadhead the individual small flowers on a lavender plantcutting back entire stems is a more effective practice. It blooms regularly for over 6 months (March - November) in coastal California.
