Salvia (sage) coccinea question.?

Question

I recently bought and planted salvia coccinea in pots with potting soil. I heard they are drought tolerant and can grow to 28 inches.

However, I find I need to water them everyday in the pot to keep the leaves from wilting and the stem sagging.

If I stop watering them it seems they will die in days. What's the deal?

I live in a very hot climate in Southern California (near Palm Springs) where the average summer temperature is 110 degrees. Is it the HEAT that is making the salvia look bad? I heard they need full sun.

I was hoping that I could water them once or twice a week.

I am a greenthumb novice and any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

Although you are watering them frequently, maybe you aren't giving them enough water each time you water.

Next time you water your Salvia, take the water that has drained out of the pot & pour it back into the pot several times to give it a deep, thorough watering. Also make sure your soil has a lot of composted matter in it to help it both retain moisture more effectively & still allow for correct drainage.

You'll find you won't have to water everyday because your soil has retained more water & your plant will develop deeper roots to access more water in between waterings...which will prevent it from wilting so quickly.

Here's a site discussing Salvia coccinea:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/31635/
"When replanting or potting, the plant will. Just keep watering it every day until it is established. Once established, do not over water."
Good luck! Hope this helps.

Answer 2

sometimes what happens is the center of the soil gets dry and you have to water more frequently. try this. put them in the bath tub or kitchen sink and run water to the half way point on the pots. let them sit in the water all night long. next day unplug sink and allow the plants to drain. after this, if the problem continues, you will most likely have to pot them up into larger pots.

hope this helps.