While deadheading salvia is not necessary for its survival, it can promote better blooming, encourage new blooms, and help in your plant’s overall vigor when done correctly.
The ideal time to start deadheading your salvia is after the initial flowering period when the blooms start to fade. Using a pair of sharp pruning shears, remove the faded flowers just above the highest set of leaves or side shoots. Multiple salvia blooms will grow from a central stalk so you will likely see more blooms grow, and that is why you only want to deadhead those with dead or fading flowers and blooms. You may have to deadhead multiple times over the course of the season, but you will be rewarded for your efforts with many beautiful blooms.
Once your blooms are done for the season you have a decision to make about the last set of spent flowers: You can either deadhead to prevent seeds or let them be to encourage reseeding.
Hi Mary,
While deadheading salvia is not necessary for its survival, it can promote better blooming, encourage new blooms, and help in your plant’s overall vigor when done correctly.
The ideal time to start deadheading your salvia is after the initial flowering period when the blooms start to fade. Using a pair of sharp pruning shears, remove the faded flowers just above the highest set of leaves or side shoots. Multiple salvia blooms will grow from a central stalk so you will likely see more blooms grow, and that is why you only want to deadhead those with dead or fading flowers and blooms. You may have to deadhead multiple times over the course of the season, but you will be rewarded for your efforts with many beautiful blooms.
Once your blooms are done for the season you have a decision to make about the last set of spent flowers: You can either deadhead to prevent seeds or let them be to encourage reseeding.
Hope this helps!