Growing Salvia (The Plant and its Care)



Do you want to learn how to grow your own salvia plants? Well you came to the right place. Salvia-world is the absolute best reference site to cultivate and care for your plants in the best way possible. When you grow your salvia plants please let us know how everything works out. We take pride in our salvia plants and so should you. Salvia is way easier to grow than Kratom.


Weather Conditions


First things first, if you do live in a freezing climate, you're going to have a very hard time growing and caring for your salvia plant. Salvia divinorum is a semi-tropical perennial plant that grows in weather that is humid and between 45-70 degrees Fahrenheit. The Salvia plant is a very delicate green plant and breaks very easily. The stem is thick, hollow, and square with big green leaves. When conditions are favorable the plant can grow meters high but will rarely grow from a seed that sprouts. This plant is mostly propagated by cuttings. Not to say that you cant grow salvia plants from seeds but it is extremely difficult. The salvia plant grows best with partial shade and not too much sun. Its soil needs to be well-drained and must not be kept constantly soaked. If the soil is over saturated with water, root-rot will set in and kill the plant.

Salvia divinorum can make really nice indoor plans, and can be grown in any climate inside. If you do decide to grow outside just make sure that its protected from frost and is misted quite frequently. If it does get below 40 degrees Fahrenheit it will need to be brought indoors or it will die.

A salvia climate can also be too dry. A good sign to tell is if your salvia leaves begin to droop. If you see your leaves drooping, make sure to water at the first sign. If you let the plant become too limp there's a good chance that your plant will die. The soil should also drain well but should be kept quite moist. If you do live in a dry climate its always good to have a spray bottle or mister. Misting the plants every couple of hours will prevent the drooping but don't keep it too wet. Another good idea to do is to place your plant in the bathroom as your taking a hot shower. This will keep its humidity level happy.

If you decide to grow your salvia plant in a pot, have a large enough pot to help it establish well grounded roots. Make sure the pot does have drainage holes, and placing gravel at the bottom will help it drain much better and will also prevent root-rot. Salvia plants will generally need fertilizer. We like to recommend organic fertilizer like fish emulsion, or oysters. You can also add your egg shells to the mix. Keep in mind that this organic fertilizer does not have the most pleasing smell, so we wouldn't recommend using this in your household. Obviously you can go the chemical route. Any of the products like "Miracle Grow" or "Scott's" will work, which can be found at any general plant store.


Whether you grow your plants indoor or outdoor, the plant needs attention everyday until it gets to be about 48 inches in height.

 

Lighting Conditions

As Far as light conditions go, Salvia divinorum grows best with a few hours of partial sunlight a day. If you decide to grow indoors place it by a window so it can get that couple of hours that desired. If it is watered quite frequently and misted, it can handle more sunlight, but don't over-water. It can handle deep shade, but the humid climate has to be prime. If you do move it from one environment to the next the salvia plant is pretty adaptable, but it may take a couple of weeks. During that time period, the plant needs constant attention.

 

Pest Control


Pests can attack salvia plants just like any other plant. If you're having a slug problem, beer is always a good solution. You can place a saucer around your plant that is flush with the soil, so slugs can get in, have a party, get drunk, get in a fight, and drown! HaHa! It's funny but it works. Spider mites can be controlled by soap and water, but this needs extreme care and caution so you don't end up killing your saliva plant. Remember, a garden hose is always the best way in killing pests. Spraying the leaves with a fine spray, hard enough to spray the critters away without damaging the leaves. Also remember to get under the leaves as well too.

 

 

HOW TO GROW

 

Now we mentioned that it is very difficult to grow your salvia plants from seeds, so let us teach you how salvia divinorum is propagated by cuttings. These cuttings can be rooted in either water or directly in soil. Here's how:



Rooting in Water:


Cut off a branch that is about 6-10 inches long that is bearing some leaves. Cut off only the leaves that are attached to the lowest node on the cutting. Immediately place this cutting in about 1.5 inches of water in a small glass or vase. If your rooting more than one cutting in water make sure to use one glass per cutting just in case root-rot develops. This will prevent the rot from spreading to all your cuttings.

It's best to make the cut of your cutting just below the node, since the nodes is where root form is likely to develop. This will also prevent the node from dangling in the water. You want the node to be submerged in the 1.5 inches of water. Make sure you use a very clean/sharp knife. This will give you a very clean cut, and will prevent any germs or fungi that could cause stem rot. Place it where it will get some filtered sunlight, and change the water daily. If you're going to use water from your faucet, make sure you boil it first because of the chlorine in the water. Non-chlorinated water may be contaminated by plant disease germs so always boil your water, cool, then you're good to go. Keep the excess water refrigerated or frozen for your daily water replacement. You should have about an 80% success rate with this water-rooting cutting technique.

Give yourself two weeks and you will see roots start to develop. When they get to be about an inch long, you can transplant into a well-drained soiled pot. In order to keep the humidity it may be a good idea to cover with a glass jar or plastic bag. This will act as a humidity tent and will help the plan establish its roots, which generally takes 1-2 weeks. When you feel as if your plant has a strong enough structure, remove the tent and and continue the watering and misting. Rooting in water outside has also been known to work well also rather than using unfiltered sunlight. Apparently the UV light kills certain germs and fungi in the water. Rooting in water outside will require much more care and a watchful eye at all times.

 

Rooting in soil:



Rooting your salvia in soil from a cutting is another way to effectively grow your salvia plant, but there are some materials involved.:

Potting soil
two disposable plastic cups
Rootone powder (rooting hormone mixture)
1 gallon thin/transparent polyethylene storage bag.
rubber band
water

Method:

Take one disposable plastic cup and punch holes on the outside to create drainage. Fill the cup 2/3 the way up with some quality rooting soil. Using your finger, make a hole in the soil about 2 inches deep so your soil will be ready for the cutting. As explained above, make sure you use a clean sharp knife to make your cut. Leave a few small leaves on the top. Immediately after cutting the stem place it in water. Also, make sure you cut right below the node, as the roots will develop here. With the end of the cutting wet, dip it into the rooting powder (1 inch deep), then shake off any excess. Rooting powder can be somewhat toxic, so wash your hands thoroughly after handling it

Now take your cutting and place it into the hole you made in the soil in the cup. Gently fill in soil around the stem. Water the planted cutting until water runs out of the drainage holes you created. Now take that cup and place it in the second cup. This will catch any excess water that drains out of the drainage holes. You may want to put either gravel in the second cup to act as a spacer so the drainage holes aren't blocked. Take the plastic bag and place it over the cups, wrapping a rubber and around the plastic bag against the cups at the bottom. This acts as a humidity tent which will hold in all the moisture. You don't have to water too much, just make sure you water at least once a day, constantly checking to see how the salvia cutting is holding up. If the leaves begin to look droopy, then add water, but don't flood the soil. Give this cycle about 2 weeks, then remove the bag and place in a larger pot. Remember to continue misting the plant after removing the bag to keep the plant moist.

 

PROCESSING PLANT MATERIAL


Dried Salvia divinorum leaves should be stored in sealed containers away from light. Stored this way, the leaves will retain their potency for many, many years, perhaps indefinitely (nobody knows just how long). If you are growing your own, you will probably want to dry leaves for future use. There are several ways to do this.

 

  • Method 1.) Nature's Bounty
    Wait until the leaves die or are shed. Gather them. Place them on a plate in a room with low humidity. Turn often. Wait until they are dry, then store. It is not known if naturally shed leaves are stronger or weaker than picked leaves.
    Advantage: you won't be depriving your plants of leaves it needs.
    Disadvantage: you will have to wait until the plant is ready to make a donation to your cause. Leaves may not be in prime condition.

  • Method 2.) Salvia "Tobacco"
    Take big, freshly picked leaves and place one atop another (like stacking sheets of paper). Then cut through the pile, making 1/2 cm. (1/4 inch) strips. Pile these on a plate into a heap. Turn them twice daily until they are dry but not crispy.
    Advantage: The resulting "tobacco" is said to give a smoother smoke than thoroughly dried leaves.
    Disadvantage: It is possible that this slow partial drying results in weaker leaves that may not keep as long as thoroughly dried (crispy) leaves.

  • Method 3.) Food Dehydrator
    Dry in a food dehydrator. These are available where small kitchen appliances are sold. Drying is very fast and thorough. Dry until the leaves, including the leaf stems, are crispy. Touch the leaves with your fingers to see if they are thoroughly dried. If they are, the leaf stems should snap if pressure is applied to it.
    Advantages: speed, thorough drying, and convenience.
    Disadvantage: Cost of buying a dehydrator.

  • Method 4.) Conventional Oven Dried Salvia
    Place on an oven-proof dish. Oven dry in an oven set at no more than 175 degrees F.
    Advantage: speed, thorough drying, and convenience.
    Disadvantages: Somewhat less convenient than using a food dehydrator. It may be hard to keep oven temperature at an optimal range.

  • Method 5.) Microwave Oven Dried Salvia
    Lay the leaves in a single layer between two paper towels and microwave them on high for 10 seconds at a time, checking after each period, until they are dry enough to store.

  • Method 6.) Calcium Chloride (CaCl2) Drying
    Calcium chloride is available from chemical supply houses, or as "Damp-Rid" refills, from most hardware stores. Place a sufficient amount of calcium chloride in the bottom of a polyethylene container. Place a piece of aluminum foil over but not touching the CaCl2, and place the leaves to be dried on top of foil. Curling up the edges of the foil, should prevent the leaves from touching the CaCl2. Then seal the container. The leaves should be dry in about two days.
    Advantage: very thorough drying.
    Disadvantages: less convenient than other methods. Slow.

What ever way you dry the leaves, store them in a sealed jar away from light. A clean glass canning jar works very well (Mason jar). Storing the jar inside a kitchen cabinet or medicine chest will keep it away from light. Stored this way, leaves will retain their potency for many, many years.