How To Grow Salvia divinorum
A. Grow Salvia Using SeedsRaw seeds should be stored in a sealed container, dry until ready for planting. Refrigeration will extend their vitality.Seeds should be planted 2-3 mm deep in high quality potting mix to grow Salvia correctly. Use a fine mister to water the soil, as the seeds are easily dislodged because they are small and close to the surface. The topsoil should be moist, but not soggy. Seeds will begin to sprout in 2-4 weeks after planting. Salvia divinorum seedlings are fragile and slow-growing at first. Have patience and you will soon see faster development. As the Salvia plants grow larger they will become stronger and more rigid. Since most Salvia plants are grown from cuttings, they are genetically identical clones of just a few original types, mainly the "Wasson/Hoffman" clone. By using seeds to grow a Salvia plant you are essentially creating a new, genetically unique individual and thus expanding the genetic diversity of this rare species. Please maintain your seed-propagated Salvia plant carefully. By sharing your new strain with others you will ensure the future diversity, and survival, of Salvia divinorum. This is because you are making sure its future existence does not depend on only one individual type of clone. Please label your seed-raised plant so that it does not get confused with different strains. Most Salvia divinorum plants are identical visibly, but ocassionally a seed-raised plant will have uncommon characteristics. B. Grow Salvia Using CuttingsThis is the most common way to grow Salvia divinorum and is rather easy to do. Small cuttings will root within 2-3 weeks of being planted. Salvia cuttings root best when they are between two and eight inches long. Always use clean, sharp shears to obtain the cutting from the mother plant. The cut should be made just below a node (where a branch sprouts from the trunk.)
I. Root The Cuttings In WaterPut each Salvia cutting in a separate glass of water. Use about 4-5 cm of water in the glasses. Leave these glasses indoors, in indirect sunlight, and maintain the original water level. In two weeks you will see roots starting to form in the water from the bottom of the cuttings. These will be planted in soil to grow Salvia. When the cutting has several roots, each 1-2 cm in length, they should be planted in pots of loose potting soil. Always keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Keep the potted cutting indoors for 2-3 weeks to allow for a good root system. It should be kept indoors to avoid the winds and temperature changes of the outdoors.
C. General CareBegin fretilizing newly roted cuttings after 1 month of transplant from water to soil. Seed-raised plants can be fertilized once they are 2" tall. Start with half-strength fertilizer for the inital applications, then use full-strength solutions according to the manufacturer's directions. Any general purpose fertilizer will work well, just do not overfeed the plant. With regular feeding you can grow Salvia to its full potential. If overfed or overfertilized you will grow Salvia that is deformed.Plants should be re-potted to larger pots every few months to allow for full development of the root systems. Grow Salvia in light shade, with no more than 3-4 hours of direct sunlight each day. When planted in the ground you can grow Salvia as fast as 1' per month! The stems of Salvia plants are not very strong and will need support when the height reaches 3'. If not supported the entire plant will either snap and the base or start to bend. If the bent plant makes good contact with soil on the ground it will root and eventually grow from its new location. This is how the plant spreads in the wild since healthy seeds are almost never produced. The ideal temperature range for Salvia divinorum plants is about 60-80°F (15-27°C). The plants can tolerate temperatures +/- 18°F/10°C of this range, but will grow slowly. The plants prefer a moist atmosphere, with relative humidity above 50%. Dry air tends to cause deformed growth in the plant. Makeshift humidity chambers can be easily created by surrounding the plant in a bag, making sure it doesnt affect the growth pattern of the plant.
D. Harvesting The LeavesI. Picking The LeavesThis involves carefully pinching off a percentage of the plant's larger leaves. The leaves will grow back double, but smaller in size. Pinch atthe base of the leaf, being careful not to take the meristematic tissue with it. This tissue is where the new leaves grow from.
II. Cutting and TrimmingThis is used when the plants are considerably large, as this method will shock the plant more than picking the leaves would. Cut just above or below a node (where the branch sprouts from the trunk.) Any place you cut, new brances will begin to grow. Pinch the leaves from this cut section, or use the entire cutting to root new plants in water.
III. Using Your Harvested LeavesFresh Salvia divinorum leaves are ideal to chew. You may also dry the leaves for storage and re-hydrate them for later use with this method. Dried leaves can be smoked by themselves, or used to extract Salvinorin A from to create extracted leaf. One of my favorite things to do is make Salvia tea with fresh Salvia leaves. This is a tasty drink with which you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the fruits of your labor. For best results, do not harvest until the plants are at least 1 year old, especially when cutting and trimming. If several plants are available to harvest from, collect an equal number of leaves from each plant. This prevents major shock caused by harvesting a large number of leaves from one plant. This also yields a greater amount of total leaves. The least damaging way to harvest is to wait until the leaves simply die and fall off, but of course this requires a lot of patience. Harvested leaves can be dried using an oven. Place the leaves on a dish inside of the oven. Use a very low temperature (under 150°F/70°C). The process is done when the leaves can be easily crushed by hand.
E. Articles
This article outlines the history of growing Salvia from seeds. It tells of the most successful growers and how they did eventually get the seeds to germinate.
This is a step by step guide on growing Salvia divinorum. Useful information is provided on how exactly to get your Salvia plant to its full potential.
This is a full guide containing everything you will need to know to grow Salvia. It contains information on hydroponic cultivation, common problems when growing, and how to harvest and dry leaves. References: Related Pages:
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