Transplanting salvias

LornaP

I have a shrubby salvia in a pot which was covered in flowers the first year I had it, but has gradually become less attractive each year. It could well be that it doesn't get enough sun on my east facing patio so I was thinking of moving it to a south facing border. Is this a good time of year to do that?

Fairygirl

I think the problem is that it's in a pot. If it's had no attention re the soil, it will have struggled. Ideally, it would be planted in the ground.
If you've had it for several years, it probably needs divided or cuttings taken from it too. That will rejuvenate it. 

borgadr

Tagging along as I have a similar question. Interested to hear if we should cut them back first or just move them as they are.

Fairygirl

I would always cut back if moving a plant, but when it's moved from a pot into the ground, it's less of a problem than moving one to a new site when it's already in the ground.
I'd probably still cut back to help reduce stress, especially in something that's straggly. 

Jac19

That is probably because the rootball has outgrown the pot and it is all root logged with barely any space for soil to get nutrition from.  Sometimes the pot gets to be all roots growing round and round, all the soil used up.  What is needed then is to put the plant in the ground somewhere where roots will always find places to grow deeper underground.

I only plant annuals, bulbs, tubers, and nursery plants I intend to plant out in pots.  With rooting plants it is only a matter of time till they hit this problem.

LornaP

Thanks. I'll go dig a deep hole 

Jac19

I've lived in the city without a garden, with just a patio or a balcony.  I considered myself lucky if I could get my rooted plant to be happy in year 4 in a pot before outgrowing it.  I'd give the plant to a friend who has a garden and start again with new soil and a new baby plant in the pot. Of course I plant a new pot every year so that my last 2 years' pots are happily flowering when I start with a baby in the outgrown pot.

Buttercupdays

The flower colour looks a bit like one I have, called Icing Sugar, I think.  What you do depends where you live and on your soil, because Salvias are often not hardy enough to withstand a very cold or very cold and wet winter and need some protection. Water retentive/ poorly draining soils like clay are not good for them. I daren't leave them outside where I live because we usually have heavy rainfall and very low temperatures. As yours has survived in a pot for several years it must be warm enough where you are, but if your soil isn't well drained it might be safer to keep it in a pot, but a larger one with fresh soil. If you cut it back hard in the spring it will send up new shoots from the base and you could use some of the clippings as cuttings if they look suitable

Jac19

Add a John Innes compost half and half with a multi-purpose compost, or just add some sand into your compost and mix in well to get good drainage in the ground.

Over-wintering in the ground is much safer than in a pot.  Since your plant has thrived despite over wintering in a pot, it is nothing to worry about in the ground.

LornaP

I'm in sunny Berkshire, but my soil has a lot of clay. It's not a big garden, so I do try to have lots of pots on the go, and if they are just annuals it gets quite labour intensive, and potentially expensive. Good to know the signs when they have outgrown the pot though.

Jac19

Buttercup, I worry about some Jasmine Officinale that I planted out in April which are supposed to be very tender.  I am hoping for a mild winter this year so that they can have a second year to get hardy for frosty cold weather.