Date: Wed, 16 May 2001 08:01:47 -0700
From: ron <ron@NVWETLANDS.COM>
Reply-To: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast
<HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu>
To: HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu
Subject: Re: salvia maintenance?

Bill,
No, I don't think you should bother removing the flower-bearing stems. On most
salvias that are grown for hummingbirds, these stems simply dry up by
themselves, since seeds are generally not produced in great numbers by our
expatriot subtropical sages. Salvia coccinia does produce seeds on these stems.
Some gardeners recommend that flower stems should be removed from plants once the flowers stop looking attractive in order to prevent the plants from
producing seeds, which supposedly reduces future blooming. This does not
happpen with salvia coccinia, which produces both lots of seed and lots of
flowers all year long. So I don't try to remove the spent flowers from salvia
coccinia, which would take a lot of effort. Once any part of a plant turns
brown and brittle it may be removed without harming the plant, since brown and
brittle indicates a dead part of the plant.

If you want to promote branching in salvias, you can cut off the tip of each
stem, which will usually result in two new stem tips being produced from the
axils of the last pair of leaves left on the plant. When I grow fall blooming
salvias I usually cut or pinch back the stem tips regularly until about the end
of July, when I stop cutting to allow the plants to produce flowers. It is
necessary to remove only the growing tip of the stem to encourage branching,
and I try to cut back after a few inches of growth has occurred to encourage
the maximum number of branches. I try not to remove more than an inch or so of
the stem, but if you salvias have gotten too tall you might remove much more
than an inch to prevent them from becoming weak-stemmed and falling over in a
late summer thunderstorm. This type of cutting back is good for salvia elegans,
s. mexicama, s. iodantha, s. madrensis, s. involucrata, s. puberula, s.
slendens "van houtte", s. leucantha, s. purpurea, s. gesneriflorae, and
probably lots of others which I haven't grown. it also works for abutilons,
winter shrimp plants, and lots of other types of plants. Cutting back isn't usually necessary with cupheas, which branch by themselves, or for salvias
which bloom all summer, because cutting back would delay flowering. Once
salvias flower, they generally branch out below the old flower stem
automatically, so species like s. guaranitica and s. greggii don't need to be
cut back.

Ron Rovansek
Reno, NV

Bill Wood wrote:

> Dear Humnets and all,
>
> Should the stems that produce the flowers on salvia's, mainly greggi and
> guaranitica, be cut to promote new growth after the flowers have fallen off
> or the stems turns brittle and brown?
>

=====================================================

>Date: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 08:59:59 -0500
>From: RONALDJ ROVANSEK
>Subject: pruning winter bloomers

>Scott,
>Most plants, including most winter hummer
plants, bloom from new
>growth, so cutting them back encourages, or at
least doesn't discourage,
>flowering. Also most plants bloom at the ends of
a branch or stem, so
>cutting back, which typically encourages two new
tips to replace the
>one that was removed, means more blooms.
Abutilons, winter shrimp
>plant, and salvias all bloom on new growth
mainly from the ends of the
>stems, and can be cut back in the spring. I am not
sure which really need
>to be cut back - I suspect that they all would have
more flowers without
>cutting back, since they would be much larger in
the fall if not cut back.
>However, if space is limited, then cutting back in
the spring will mean
>more flowers in the space available. So, cut em
back if they are filling
>available space. You can cut salvias and cupheas
back to a foot or so if
>you like, and they will regain their former size by
mid summer. Abutilons
>and justicias (e.g. winter shrimp) should
probably be cut back to not less
>than half of their current size if you want them to
grow next year to the
>same size they are this year. With abutilons I try
to cut back any long,
>weak stems, which on orange abutilon are many,
since these are weak
>and will be stronger if cut back now.
>
>I often pinch the tip (1/4 inch or so) of each
growing stem of fall blooming
>salvias and abutilons during spring and early
summer to encourage
>bushy growth. When a stem has grow six inches
or so it can be
>pinched, and should produce two new shoots
from the based of the last
>two leaves not removed. Each of these can then
be pinched after they
>grow four to six inches. This process will delay
flowering, so don't do it
>too long into the fall.
>
>Cupheas and justicias need less pruning and
pinching that salvias and
>abutilons (especially orange abutilon).
>
>The one common hummer plant that blooms on
old wood is winter
>honeysuckle (lonicera fragrantissima). Wood
produced last summer will
>bear flowers next winter, which means flowers
are borne on wood
>about 18 months old. If I am wrong about this,
please don't hesitate to
>correct me.
>
>Ron Rovansek
>
>Scott Knaus wrote:
>
>Since 90% of my fall and winter-flowering plants
made it through the
>"winter" here, I think I need to simulate a frost
(whack them back) to
>stimulate new, vigorous growth. Any discussions
on when and what
>works best for certain plants?? Is it a rule of
thumb that most of
>these plants bloom best from new growth rather
than the older woody stems??
>

================================

Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2001 20:10:09 EST
From: Ron Rovansek <Rrovansek@AOL.COM>
Reply-To: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast
<HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu>
To: HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu
Subject: Re: [HUMNET-L] To Prune or Not?

I think there is no advantage to before-winter pruning of any salvia that is
expected to be perennial. I consider salvia elegans - pineapple sage likely
to be perennial in the Atlanta area, but not guaranteed. I would definitely
let it alone until it freezes. After that you might prune it back to 6 or 8
inches,( or not at all) then mulch with leaves or pine straw over the
standing stems, which will help create lots of air pockets and help insulate
the plants over winter. One of the things you will want to avoid is having
the plant try to sprout during a warm spell only to be killed again by
another cold snap. Half-hardy plants like saliva elegans have only so much
energy in their roots and can muster only one, or maybe two attempts at
resprouting after a cold snap. Better to keep your salvias uniformly cool
under a thick mulch until spring, when you will remove the mulch and they can
then begin to grow again.

There are some plants which should not be mulched necause the mulch will
encourage rot, which may kill the plant. Cardinal flower is an example of
such a plant. For the most part, however, I like to mulch after a hard
freeze, but I don't usually cut back at all, since I don't think standing
dead stems look bad in the garden, and they provide some extra habitat for
sparrows, etc. during winter.

Ron Rovansek
Reno, NV

================================================

Date: Tue, 13 Nov 2001 00:20:22 EST
From: Ron Rovansek <Rrovansek@AOL.COM>
Reply-To: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast
<HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu>
To: HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu
Subject: Re: [HUMNET-L] To Prune or Not?

I think winter care of salvia "van houttei" and salvia minata (belize sage)
in Atlanta is probably unnecessary, since neither of these salvias is likely
to survive the winter. If they were in my yard, however, I would take my best
shot at saving them by cutting back to a few inches tall before they are
completely frozen. I would then add a foot or more of fallen leaves as a
mulch, and hope that the base of the plant doesn't freeze, but stays very
cool over winter.

Both of these salvias can be grown from cuttings, so I would try to start a
bunch of new plants while I still have lots of healthy stems to start with.
They both grow fast, and you can have large plants by mid summer starting
with small transplants in the spring.

Ron Rovansek
Reno, NV

===============================

Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2002 19:47:24 EST
From: Ron Rovansek <Rrovansek@AOL.COM>
Reply-To: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast
<HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu>
To: HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu
Subject: Re: [HUMNET-L] Care of Vines - prunning?

I wouldn't prune the coral honeysuckle (lonicera sempervirens) unless you
wish to make it smaller. It is unlikely to suffer much die-back from the cold
in Louisiana, and will continue to grow in the spring.

Cape Honeysuckle (tecomaria capensis) will likely die back to the ground. I
would leave at least some of the old growth on the plant until spring,
because I think this will help protect the live tissue at the base of the
winter-killed stems. Also, cutting back might induce the live tissue to sprout now, which you don't want. Better that the plant says 'shocked' for
another month or two, and then tries to resprout in the spring. Repeated
sprouting and being frozen during the winter kills plants by sapping their
energy. Plants that are frozen once, then don't regrow until spring have a
better chance of survival. The cape honeysuckle is only marginally hardy as
far north as north LA, so don't be too surprised if it is killed by the next
several freezes.

Ron Rovansek
Huntington Beach, CA,

=========================================

Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2002 07:37:05 -0600
From: John/Susan Beree <beree@INTERCONNECT.NET>
Reply-To: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast
<HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu>
To: HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu
Subject: [HUMNET-L] Care of Vines - prunning?

We have 6 cape honeysuckle plants. I like my plants "bushy" and wait until
the danger of frost has passed (mid-February to early March). In early
spring we cut our plants down about even with our knees. It doesn't make
for a pretty landscape for a month, but they start getting all kinds of new
growth after a month, and have a very nice shape in the summer/fall. If you
let it grow, the bottom tends to start getting bare and the plant starts
looking more like a tree, without growth down low, where birds like to perch
and hide. If you like your plants full, cut them drastically in the spring and only once a year. The plants we pruned last spring are taller than we
are.

=====================

DATE: Tue, 20 Jul 1999 10:23:22
From: RONALDJ ROVANSEK <ROVANSEK.RONALDJ@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV>
To: Multiple recipients of list HUMNET-L <HUMNET-L@listserv.lsu.edu>

HUMNETters, I wrote this unsolicited garden advice for
a friend in Baton Rouge and decided to send it to the
list in case anyone is interested. It applies mainly
to gardens on the gulf coast.

This would be your last opportunity to trim the fall
blooming salvias and not affect their blooming dates;
later trimming would result in delayed fall
blooming. Fall bloomers include salvia madrensis
(forsythia sage, the one with yellow flowers, behind
abutilons on the side and in the rear corner to the
right of the feeder), salvia mexicana (mexican sage,
purple flowers, there is one in the front between the
erythrina tree and the electrical box), salvia
elegans, (pineapple sage, red flowers, there was a lot
of it in the back yard around the crepe myrtle), and
salvia involucrata (rosebud sage, wasn't there some in
the back by the oak tree?). Of course you could trim
any of the plants that are in your way, but the fall
blooming salvias could be trimmed a lot and would
rebound nicely in time for fall. If the salvia
leucantha (mexican bush sage, purple and white flowers
in front yard) has bloomed it probably has a set of
worn out stems with a few remaining flowers. These
stems can be cut off to reveal another set of stems
starting from the base of the plant, which will bloom
in a month or two. If the abutilons, especially the
orange ones, are getting out of hand you could trim
them back a foot or two. They are really needed later
in the fall when other things stop flowering or cold
weather nips less hardy plants, so the temporary loss
of a few flowers caused by a little trimming won't be
a big deal right now. If abutilon stems are trailing
on the ground you should leave then or cover them with
a little soil to encourage rooting. Abutilons don't
live very long, so you want to encourage new plants to
start to ensure that your clump will live on and
remain thick. The same technique - placing a little
soil over the middle portion of stems that touch the
ground - can be used to encourage other plants to
spread. By rooting now you can create a new plant. If
cold weather should kill the above-ground parts of the
plants you will get new sprouts in the spring from
both the old roots and the new and this will mean your
clump of plants will rebound more quickly from a
freeze. Turks cap (malvaviscus arboreous), ugly shrimp
plant (justicia brandegeanna), salvia "brazil" (salvia
guaranitica cultivar), and salvia elegans (pineapple
sage), and abutilons all spread this way. Almost any
plant can be rooted this way, but some will take a
long time to root.

Ron Rovansek

===================================

Date: Thu, 4 Jul 2002 22:15:34 -0400
Reply-To: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast <HUMNET-L@LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>
From: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast <HUMNET-L@LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>
Subject: Re: [HUMNET-L] RFI Pruning hints
To: HUMNET-L@LISTSERV.LSU.EDU
Bcc: najames@lsu.edu

In a message dated 7/1/02 3:53:32 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
msimmons@COMPASSNET.COM writes:

Some of the plants that need pruning the most are Salvia
elegans, Salvia mexicana, Salvia 'Indigo Spires', Salvia guaranitica 'Costa
Rica
Blue', Justicia spicigera and Cuphea micropetala. Many are just too tall
and some
are crowding other plants. Do any of you have special cautions or advice on
pruning any of these or should I just whack away?

I would not hesitate to prune the fall-flowering plants now. This includes
salvia elegans, salvia mexicana, and to some extent salvia guaranitica
"Costa Rica Blue" If you really want to keep them small, cut back to about
two feet tall, but otherwise I would trim to a size about 2 feet smaller
than I want them to be when they bloom in the fall. The cuphea should be
cut a little less than the salvias, since it will grow back more slowly.
The justicia tends to grow slwoer still, and I would cut back carefully.
Also, justicia spicigera blooms all summer, so cutting it now will reduce
flowering during august, when you probably have lots of hummers. Indigo
spires blooms mainly in the summer, so cutting it back will reduce
flowering now, but it grows quickly, and I find isn't half the hummer plant
the others on your list are. So I would cut it enough to keep it from
crowding the really good hummer plants.

This is also a good time to fertilize to encourage rapid growth after
pruning.

Ron Rovansek
huntington Beach, CA USDA zone 10

================

Date: Thu, 25 Jul 2002 11:30:15 -0400
Reply-To: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast <HUMNET-L@LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>
From: BB for Hummingbirds and Gardening for them in the Southeast <HUMNET-L@LISTSERV.LSU.EDU>
Subject: [HUMNET-L] Pruning Update

Humnetters
After listening to the many discussions about pruning salvias recently,
Martha and I decided to do a little testing.  Our subject test plot was a
bed of Guaranitica that measures approximately 20 feet by 15 feet.  It
contains many hundreds of plants and has been awesome this summer until it
"bloomed out".

Rather than attempt the almost impossible task of hand-dead-heading each
plant, we opted to use electric hedge trimmers to do the job.  The average
height of the plants involved was approximately 60" tall.  On July 3rd I
cut them back to appoximately 30" high over the whole bed.  They looked
pretty awful, but it allowed us to easily broadcast a fresh round of time
release fertilizer in the bed.  Today, July 25th, the first of the new
bloom heads are beginning to open.  We apparently have not lost a single
plant.  Each pruned stalk has two or more new bloom heads about ready to
burst open in nectar-dripping splendor.  The timing appears to be perfect
as the new southerly flow of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds begins to build.

When this patch is in in full bloom, I may find I have shot myself in the
foot with my feeder activity.  I can live with that.

The whole deal sounds like something super-gardener Doris Hope of
Diamondhead, Mississippi might do.  The more brutal her pruning job, the
more spectacular her gardens seem to become.  I love that woman.

Bob and Martha Sargent
Trussville, Alabama