Scarlet Sage Care
Salvia splendens
An annual that blooms brightly and continuously all summer, loves sun and needs rich, moist soil. It is not drought tolerant; to encourage continuous flowering it needs regular watering, fertilizing and removal of faded flowers.
Frost-tender (protect from frost) · 0 °C / 32 °F
Monthly care calendar
Timings are for a temperate Northern Hemisphere climate. In warmer areas tasks start earlier, in colder areas later; in the Southern Hemisphere shift them by six months.
January
- Watering: The plant is out of season.
- General care: Plan and improve the garden soil for next season.
- Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 0 °C.
February
- Watering: The plant is out of season.
- General care: Preparations are made for sowing seeds indoors or in a greenhouse.
- Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 0 °C.
March
- Watering: Only the trays/flats in which seeds have been sown are kept moist.
- Fertilizing: After the seedlings produce their first true leaves, a very diluted (1/4 strength) fertilizer may be applied. Do not overfeed.
- Pruning: Prune just before the shoots break. Because flowers form on this year's new shoots, hard pruning increases flowering.
- Plant protection: Be careful with seedling diseases (damping-off). Ventilation is important.
- General care: This is the best time for sowing seeds indoors or in a greenhouse.
- Pests & diseases: Watch for damping-off.
- Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 0 °C.
April
- Watering: Keep the soil around the seedlings moist.
- Fertilizing: Give diluted fertilizer once a week; do not overdo it.
- Pruning: To make seedlings bushier, the tops can be pinched out (tip pruning).
- General care: Begin hardening off the seedlings to outdoor conditions.
- Frost risk: Do not plant outdoors until the risk of last frost has passed.
May
- Watering: After planting, give plenty of establishment water and keep the soil consistently moist (2-3 times per week, 15-20 L/m² in total); reduce watering if it rains.
- Fertilizing: Two weeks after planting, begin fertilizing with a balanced NPK or flowering plant fertilizer; do not overfeed.
- Plant protection: Protect newly planted seedlings against snails and slugs.
- General care: Drainage is vital for this plant. In heavy, water-retaining soil, plant on a mound or bed raised 20-30 cm, and keep the root collar above the surrounding soil level.
- Pests & diseases: Watch out for root rot.
June
- Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
- Fertilizing: Every 2 weeks, apply a bloom-promoting liquid fertilizer (high P-K); do not overfeed.
- Pruning: For continuous, abundant flowering, regularly cut spent flower clusters (deadheading).
- Plant protection: Check for aphids, whiteflies and spider mites.
- General care: In hot weather, mulching helps preserve soil moisture.
- Pests & diseases: Yellowing of the leaves can point to nutrient deficiency or water problems.
July
- Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water so that the soil is wetted to a depth of 10-15 cm from the surface.
- Fertilizing: Continue fertilizing.
- Pruning: Keep removing the faded blooms.
- Plant protection: Continue pest control.
- General care: Requires maintenance.
- Pests & diseases: Monitor for pests.
August
- Watering: In midsummer, deep watering every 15-20 days is enough. Established plants (over 2 years old) do not need watering in most years. Water so that the soil is wetted to a depth of 10-15 cm from the surface.
- Fertilizing: Continue fertilizing.
- Pruning: Keep removing the faded blooms.
- Plant protection: Continue pest control.
- General care: Requires maintenance.
- Pests & diseases: Monitor for pests.
September
- Watering: In a long drought, water deeply once a month.
- Fertilizing: Continue fertilizing, but reduce the frequency to once every 3 weeks; do not overdo it.
- Pruning: Continuing to deadhead extends the flowering period.
- Plant protection: The risk of powdery mildew may increase with the autumn rains.
- General care: Observe the plant reviving in the cool autumn air.
- Pests & diseases: Carry out a general health check.
October
- Watering: Reduce watering as temperatures fall.
- Fertilizing: Stop fertilizing completely.
- Pruning: For cleanup purposes only.
- General care: It is removed at the end of the season; it is replaced with seasonal planting.
- Frost risk: At the end of the month, a light frost risk may occur.
November
- General care: In winter rains, make sure water does not pool in the root zone; for this plant, drainage is more critical than irrigation.
- Pests & diseases: Removing plant debris reduces disease risk for next year.
- Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 0 °C.
December
- Watering: The plant is out of season.
- General care: You can prepare the soil for spring sowing (e.g., by adding compost).
- Frost risk: If frost is expected, cover with frost fabric; if in a pot, move to a sheltered place. Damaged below approximately 0 °C.
The care advice on this page is general and for information only; it is not professional advice. Plant age, soil and your garden’s microclimate can change the outcome. Plant protection products are mentioned only as general information; they are regulated, and the choice, dose and timing must be decided by a qualified professional under local rules. Consult a landscape architect or agronomist before applying.
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