How to cut back Salvia Hot Lips?

I grow a lot of perennial plants in my own garden and in the garden designs of my clients.The look of the leaves and flowers are related to the family of mints called the Lamiaceae.It is not the smell that gives them away, but the scent that makes them so fragrant.One of my favorite smells in the garden is the scent of Salvia microphylla.

The only real task for the gardener is to peck them each year, since it is easy to look after them on the tender side.In the UK, this must be done in the spring between April and May depending on where you are, leaving the old stems on through the winter to protect the plant.

There are some salvias that die back to the ground in winter and include the popular Salvia 'Amistad'.

Many of this group die back in the UK because they are not particularly hardy.In cold winters, the main stems will die completely, so I leave them through the winter.They can flower all winter in London in mild winters.The same thing happens if you either way.

Fresh new growth can be seen if the stems are left until the spring.New shoots are growing from the base so I can remove the old stems completely.

The finished article with new stems growing from the soil, which need protecting from slugs and snails, but grow away from them quickly in warm spring weather.If the stems are still alive, I cut them to about 40 cm above ground level and let the shoots grow, keeping them away from the beasts.

This group includes Salvia nemerosa, which is very popular in the UK.I don't think it's possible to tell the difference in growth habit between these and the previous ones as they all behave the same here in London.When we have a colder winter, you can see a crown of new shoots at the base of the plant, which is largely evergreen.Under the previous year's growth.

The easiest way to chop off last year's growth is in the spring.I cut the stems off in the winter for this group.It's not recommended in cold areas.

New shoots can be seen on the bases of the previous year's stems.The salvias, S. nemerosa especially, flower in late spring to early summer at which point the flowers start fading as the rest of your garden is taking off.It is possible to cut the entire plant back down to the lowest shoots in the summer.Soon afterwards, there will be another flush of flowers.You can try this later in the summer if you want to, but it will be too soft to survive the winter.

I like salvias but at a certain point in time, I think this is my favourite group, they tend to be the hardiest and form shrubs to different sizes.There are many hybrid salvias, such as Salvia involucrata, which can be eaten as an herb.The common cultivars in this group are 'Hot Lips', 'Cerro Potosi' and 'Nachtvlinder'.If your plants form a bush that doesn't die back in winter, they are likely in this group.

The shrubby salvias require a little more thought than the previous two groups.The plant will be protected from cold, snow and frost if growth is left on through the winter.New growth can be seen in the warmth of early spring.

To clear the plant of tat, remove dead, damaged and diseased stems.Cut back by about a third to a half to the growing point.The structure and size of the plant will be ensured, as well as keeping in check to prevent it from outgrowing spaces and becoming a mess.It is similar to the way you would trim lavender.

New shoots will grow but the plant will be a little slower if you cut below the lowest shooting point.If you want, you can hard Prune.The new shoots from old wood are very brittle and can easily be snapped off in strong winds.It's better to keep the strong structure.

You can leave shrubby salvias to do their thing in the summer, but they can become a little messy as flower stems finish and become bare twigs.I cut these off to the lower shoots.If you have a large garden, you can speed this process up by giving the shrub a light cut with some shears.Soon after, this will encourage more flowers.You can either leave them to get on with it or ignore the flower stems.

The advice you gave on salvia microphylla was very helpful.

Thank you for the instructions.I love growing Salvias in my garden.I know I should leave thePruning until Spring because my hot lips just flower right through to early winter.The purple spire variety needs to be trimmed in late summer to encourage new growth.

Thanks for the clear and helpful advice.I put a salvia in the garage last winter.I will do the same thing as you suggest when it comes out of hibernation.I have several shrubs that have grown larger than I anticipated this year.

Thanks for the helpful advice.I kept S.Amistad in the greenhouse last year.I will leave it in the ground with a mulch of Strulch around.

Someone has simple advice on plants and gardening.I am so happy I found you.Thanks for the good advice.I have received the best advice.Thank you.

Thank you for the article.I came on here to take a look after you answered my question on the Gardeners World forum.

Thanks for the advice on the other salvias, I was wondering what to do with the Salvia Amistad.

I want to know how to get rid of my salvia hot lips.The flowering will continue until the end of November.I live in London.The plants are busy.How far from to ground should I cut them?Please let me know in advance for your advice.

Thank you for your advice.After reading your advice, I realized that cutting my Hot Lips down to the ground could have been a big mistake.The plant will be left alone until next spring.Cheers.Ray.

Thanks for the advice on Amistad.I thought it was odd that they are still flowering in London in January.I will probably take your advice and raise them a little higher to discourage the snails this year since they are looking so good now.

I did not find helpfulPruning guidance so I left them over the winter.Thanks for the easy guidance and I did the right thing.

I was wondering if the salvias were dead after they died back to bare twigs.