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Salvia splendens - Sizzler White
Seeds per packet (approx.): 50
Sow onto a seed compost. Cover with vermiculite or similar and water thoroughly. Do not cover with soil, since light aids the seed to germinate. Vermiculite is ideal since it allows light to penetrate whilst still maintaining a high level of moisture around the seed.
Provide a temperature of around 20 - 24°C for germination. Lower temperatures lead to slow and poor emergence. Radicles should emerge in 5 or 6 days, and cotyledons should be fully expanded about 7 days later - a total germination time of about two weeks.
Prick out into small containers as soon as plants are ready. The seedlings are tender and do not perform well if temperatures become too low. Early sowing is thus not advised. In northern Europe and the UK late March is perfectly acceptable.
Pot on when young plants are large enough into 9cm pots or equivalent. Ideally, do not allow day temperatures to exceed 21°C or night temperatures to fall below 10 - 12°C. Give a low nitrogen liquid feed when needed (low nitrogen feeds discourage leaf growth and encourage flower growth), but do not over feed.
Ensure that the plants are kept growing, without any sort of growth check. Once Salvias have stopped growing it can be very difficult to start them growing quickly again, and stunted, hard plants will be the result. Do not allow then to become pot-bound, if necessary pot on into a larger unit. Do not allow the plants to wilt, this will give them a severe check and they will lose leaves.
When ready, plants can be transplanted into the garden from these pots ideally after hardening off for a few days. However, do not plant out until all risk of frost has passed since Salvia splendens will not tolerate even a touch of frost. Grow in full sun or partial shade.
Pinching is not necessary, but a pinch can help to encourage branching, which in turn increases the number of flower spikes per plant. Pinching will probably add about two weeks to the growing time.
Compact types such as Sizzler will generally take only 10-12 weeks from sowing to flowering. Note, however, that some varieties are day length sensitive and if sown late, the long days of summer will delay flowering sometimes until late August. For this reason www.packetseeds.com recommends the variety series Sizzler which is day length neutral.
As a tender perennial Salvia splendens will keep growing until stopped by a combination of one or more of high temperatures, drought, humidity or frost.
Salvias are generally trouble free, as long as feed and temperature levels are controlled, but Whitefly can sometimes be a problem, as can aphids and red spider mite. Monitor closely and treat as appropriate.
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