How to Deadhead Salvias: The Step by Step Guide
Deadheading Salvias
Deadheading is one of the most important steps in how to care for salvia plants. Deadheading, or cutting off spent flowers and faded blooms, encourages new growth and prevents plants from seeding. The deadheading process is quick but tedious so it's best to have a sharp pair of pruning shears on hand!
This article will provide you with step-by-step instructions for how to deadhead salvias. These instructions are based on how we do it for Herbaceous perennial salvias. It is important to note that there are over 960 types of salvia and they can require different types of care. The kind of salvia that I will be talking about is the first one to come to mind for most people, the kind that you can find at your local nursery; salvia nemorosa.
The items listed are accompanied by affiliate links, meaning I earn a small commission if a purchase is made through my links. This has no impact on the cost to the consumer. I link to products this way whenever possible, and it has no bearing on the products I choose to review or recommend.
Characteristics of Salvia Nemorosa
“There are over 960 types of salvias.”
The Salvia nemorosa is also commonly known as woodland sage. The foliage is woody based with dark purple stems and blue-violet flowers that grow in clusters of three above the leaves.
Salvia nemorosa thrive in full sunlight, is drought tolerant once established (except during the first year), and are wonderful pollinators.
This type of salvia can grow to be 18-36” tall and 24” wide. They will need to be deadheaded in order for them to look their best.
Salvia nemorosa is known as one of the easiest types of salvias to grow and is commonly seen as perennial garden borders.
Perennial Salvias
This salvia is looking beautiful, healthy, and full of deep purple blooms. This is how you want your salvias to look.
How to Deadhead Salvia to Increase Blooming
It is a common misconception that once salvias initially bloom that they are done for the season. If you want to have a beautiful plant that blooms all summer long, it's important to how to deadhead salvias. Deadheading causes the plant to be focused on producing flowers which is what you want. If you don't deadhead the plant will go to seed.
Here are the steps you need to take to successfully deadhead salvia:
Timing:
Perhaps the most important step in deadheading salvia is knowing the best time to deadhead them. Salvias tend to start blooming in May/June and will continue to bloom right up until your first hard frost if you deadhead them.
It is best to deadhead them in the middle of summer once the blooms on the flower spikes start to fade and brown. When it’s time to deadhead your salvias look for a color fade starting at the bottom of the blooms and working its way up to the stem. The tips will be the last to see any color fading. You know the flower is past its prime when about 70% of the blooms have faded or died.
Why is timing important?
If you deadhead too early your salvias will only bloom for a few weeks. If you wait until they start to fade and brown, they are guaranteed to last twice as long or more.
You can see that salvias grow in clusters with a central stalk and two side shoots. The color has faded to almost a brown color signaling that it is time to remove the spent flowers spikes.
You can see the new buds that are starting to form. Deadheading will encourage more of this new growth.
Preparing to Deadhead
Before you make any cuts, you need to make sure that you have the proper tools. You will need clean and sharp pruning shears.
A sharp set of pruning shears will help prevent any disease or infection from spreading into the plant. When you deadhead you can potentially spread pathogens to the plant and cause it to die.
To avoid possibly spreading disease, it is important to clean your tools before use. The best way to clean your shears is to use one tablespoon bleach solution to two cups of water.
If you do not have this available, it is acceptable to clean the blades by spraying down both sides with rubbing alcohol or another cleaning agent that will disinfect them thoroughly.
You also want to make sure that your shears are sharp. Dull shears can cause more damage than good and will make the process take much longer. You want to make good strong clean cuts.
After you have your tools, it is time to deadhead!
Making Cuts
Now that you know it's time to deadhead and you have the proper tools, how do you make the cuts?
Salvias are fascinating flowers that generally grow in clusters of three with a central stem and two side stems. If all the flowers are dead, then it is best to remove them; but if only the central stem has a flower that's outlived its usefulness, cut off just the central flower while leaving any new blooms on either side alone. New blooms will usually grow off the sides of the stems.
To begin, look for the place where the plant’s stem meets its highest set of leaves. You will then either cut off or pinch off the entire stalk to encourage new growth in that spot.
The goal is to remove the wilted and dead flowers, this will encourage more blooms in future seasons!
The process can be time-consuming but overall a satisfying task.
Deadheading a spent salvia flower.
How often should you cut Salvias back?
Deadheading is a process that needs to be done every few weeks or so, depending on how fast the flowers are growing. When you notice that your plant isn't looking as vibrant and colorful, it is probably a good time to deadhead. Also, if you have floppy salvias, deadheading can help with that problem as well.
You will probably need to deadhead at least 2 to 3 times a season to get a good amount of flowers and to keep the plant looking nice.
Try giving them a little feed in the middle of the summer and maybe you will be lucky enough to get an additional bloom cycle out of them.
Making a cut above the set of leaves below the flower spike.
You will probably need to deadhead at least 2 to 3 times a season.
Pin for later!
Preparing your Salvias for Winter
It is important to prepare your salvias for winter. To do that you should cut salvias back to an inch or two from the soil line after they have been hit with the first hard frost. Make sure to cover them in mulch. This should help protect it better against the cold.
The salvias will grow back in the springtime once temperatures rise again, so don't worry! You've done your job as a good homeowner and gardener by keeping them alive through winter.
Deadheading Salvias: The Secret to More Blooms
When you think about it, the deadheading process for a plant like a salvia is really just an extension of how we care for our plants throughout their lifetime. We trim them back to encourage new growth and keep them healthy by removing any excess foliage or flowers that might weigh down branches as they get heavier with each passing season. Deadheading your salvias will not only help increase blooming but also ensure continued success in years to come when winter comes knocking on your door!
