Starting Salvia Patens from seed

21 years ago

I started some Salvia Patens seeds recently. I sowed the seed on the surface of Park Starts plugs (a sterile media plug made from peat moss and binder), sealed them in a plastic bag and put it under flourescent light with bottom heat. All of the seeds germinated in a few days and I removed the plastic bag. After about a week I bottom watered the plugs since they were only slightly moist. The next day or so the first true leaves turned brown and withered in 20% of the seedlings. The other 80% are going great. I suspect the seedlings in which the true leaves died were too wet. Has anyone had experience with starting perennial salvias from seed? Are these salvias particularly adverse to excess water? I'm surprised since it is difficult to overwater the Park Starts plugs when you bottom water them since the plug is like a sponge and only soaks up water to its capacity.

Featured Answer

sfmiller

21 years ago

Most salvia do dislike being grown too wet and prefer a better-drained medium than peat plugs, but my guess is that the seedlings in the problem plugs dried out *before* they were rewetted. One drawback with seed-starting in peat plugs is that it's very hard to keep the plugs evenly moist. There's so little medium in each one that they dry out fast and unevenly, so some plugs in a flat might be dangerously dry while others look okay. (The same is true of seed-starting in small cell packs or trays.)

For the casual seed-starter, there's a big advantage to starting seeds in a larger common pot or tray and then pricking out the seedlings to individual containers: it's easier to keep one larger receptacle evenly watered than dozens of tiny ones.

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Comments (6)

rich_dufresne
21 years ago
Salvia patens is tuberous and likes a well-drained warm media. It is a finicky plant in the subtropical southeastern US.
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helena_z8_ms
21 years ago
I think this info might help anyone starting seeds. It should take maybe three to ten days for most salvia seeds to germinate.
floralgirl
21 years ago
I grew salvia patens from seed last year and had great success.I started the seed on top of Pro Mix in a seed flat and then transplanted them into 3" pots, and eventually gallons .I was able to root many cuttings from the ones I started from seed.I have already transplanted my seedlings this year and I had a great germination rate. It is a beautiful salvia!
jan_z8
21 years ago
floralgirl,
did you lift the tubers or just keep cuttings over the winter?

For lifted tubers, do you just store them cleaned off in a cool place, like dahlia tubers?

Thanks,
Jan --with several Salvia patens popping their little heads up!!!
shapiro
21 years ago
About lifting the tubers: I just bought a package of seeds for Salvia Patens and it says: "After the very first frost, lift the tuberous roots and store in "just moist" peat or compost for the winter, as you would a dahlia. Take cuttings again in spring." They are only winter hardy in zones warmer 5 to 9, so I will try this since I'm a sucker for blue flowers.