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How to propagate and grow Salvia divinorum
Salvia divinorum is a relatively easy plant to propagate.
Small cuttings will usually root within two or three weeks. Cuttings seem to root
best when they are between two and eight inches long. They should be cut off of
the mother plant using sharp, clean shears. The cut should be made just bellow
a node.
To root the cuttings in water: Put each cutting into a glass of water. Each glass
should be filled about 4 -5 cm (1 1/2 - 2") deep. It is a good idea to use a separate
glass for each cutting so that if one starts to rot it doesn’t spoil the water
and kill the others. Leave the glasses indoors in diffuse light and add a little
water as necessary to maintain the water level. In about two weeks you should
see some roots starting to form. Some cuttings may root more quickly than others.
I find that they root just fine in plain water and no rooting hormones are necessary.
When the cuttings have several roots 1 - 2 cm (1/4 - 3/4")long, they should be
planted in pots of loose potting soil and watered well so that the soil is completely
moist. Keep them indoors for another two or three weeks so that they can establish
a good root system in the pots with out having to deal with the wind and big temperature
swings of the outdoors. You will need to keep the plants in a moist environment
for a few days after moving them from the water to the pots to keep them from
wilting. The easiest thing to do is to just cover the whole plant with a large
upside down jar or use a big plastic bag with a wire cage support to keep it from
collapsing on the plant. Spraying them with a fine mist occasionally is also a
good idea. Don’t wait too long to move the cuttings from the water to soil. If
you do the roots will be more prone to damage and the cuttings will begin to starve
for nutrients.
After the plants have been in the pots for a month and seem to be established
you should give them regular light applications of fertilizer. Just about any
general purpose fertilizer will work fine but don’t over feed them. They respond
well to regular feeding but they seem sensitive to excess fertilizer and will
put out deformed growth if over fed.
The plants appreciate a lot of room for their roots so they should be re-potted
to larger pots every few months if they are growing quickly. They grow best in
light shade with no more than three or four hours of direct morning or afternoon
sun. They do not like any strong direct light. On the other hand they do not do
well in deep shade either. You may want to plant them in the ground if you have
a suitable location. They can grow very fast in the ground, as much as two meters
in six months.
The stems of Salvia divinorum are not very strong, when the plant gets taller
than about one meter tall it will fall over if not given support. Sometimes the
stem will break off, but usually it will just bend over and if the bent over stem
is in good contact with moist soil it will quickly root and eventually send up
new stems from the new location. This is the main way that the plant spreads in
the wild since it almost never produces viable seed.
The ideal temperature range for the plant is about 15 - 27C (60 - 80F). They will
readily tolerate temperatures about 10C (18F) above and below this range but the
plants tend to grow slowly outside of their ideal temperature range. It also prefers
a fairly moist atmosphere and will be happiest when the relative humidity is above
50%. Dry air tends to cause the plant to put out deformed growth.
