Salvia flowers 2013

[unsigned_char72]

As usual for this time of the year, SWIM's Salvias started to develop racemes:



this year SWIM isn't sure to let her flower freely, as most of the plants are in very bad shape, recovering from hot climate and slug assaults. SWIM was thinking of cutting the racemes and let vegetative growth resume and restore good health. There are also lot of woody stems, so fresh new branches are needed.

[orinn]

beautiful.

[Jupe]

Dec 2013 2nd generation J strain.......thought I would put one of the gang to work. This is Sanchez, a lorikeet, they have super long tongues, and love flowers such as this. I have no idea if this will help pollinating, but its easier than doing it by hand....

Night temps here have been 33-38F for about a week, plant seems fine. Like many other folks, its been a hard year for growing tropicals, dry, dusty conditions. I pulled up 90% of my patches, as they were not thriving. I'm trying to just grow less plants, but stronger and healthier. I'm out of the donation business as well....kinda did my part ya know.



http://smg.photobucket.com/user/Jupe/me ... sort=3&o=0

edit to add: I think the pic site is public, let me know if this link doesnt work correctly.

[unsigned_char72]

beautiful parrot--it's amazing to see how nature can produce so saturated colours.

And also your Salvia plant looks very nice and in good shape--not like SWIM's which are all badly looking and striving for surviving. Anyway, despite this, they all produced flowers this year. I've noticed that since 2007 there is a constant increase in flower production, don't know the cause, maybe is adaptation to my climate conditions.

Flowers that, sadly, I had to trim to promote vegetative growth. With Salvia there is an annual cycle that luckily I've managed to understand. Plants do well in spring, suffer badly in summer and struggle to recover in autumn. In winter there is a slow recover with new vegetative growth but unfortunately that is hampered by the cold climate.

[Jupe]

yeah, feathers!!


thats a crappy video too!! Hes BRIGHT freaky red, and...well, primitive.


I never know what he is thinking....bites everybody else but me... Gets a look going like this bird on the right, (Aussie bird) and you start to cringe. Like a pair of sharpened glass pliers!!

My flowers have gotten worse and worse, at least quantity wise, but that patch was very old too. I pulled it up and moved it....super dry this summer tho, and no rain yet. Plants in pots seem to hold onto wter better, as the whole land is just sucking every last bit of moisture out.. could be mandatory rationing next year....(it IS a semi-desert after all)

ok Char talk with ya later!! stay warm man!

[Raa]

Lovely coincidence, went hiking just a few days ago, didn't know about lorikeets until they showed SWIM the way at some crossroads


Been around 3-4 months and I insist on not using ferts of chemicals. When SWIM has some apple cider vinegar, perhaps we'll go nuts
Any comments appreciated; couldn't :)battle with sneaky slugs...

[unsigned_char72]

anti-slugs is the only chemical SWIM uses, and it's rather effective. Otherwise, plain soil, water in summertime, and no particular care other than cloning and pruning (rarely).

Slugs can devastate Salvias if left undisturbed. They hide under the pots and sort out in the night for lunch. Put some anti-slug and they'll eat it instead of your Salvia leaves.