Growing Salvia

GROWING las Hojas de Maria el Pastora
"the Leaves of Mary the Shepherdess"

Follow these steps to produce an abundence of Salvia...

SOIL: Use a high Nitrogen, Organic soil. Look for quality ingredients, e.g. Bat Guano.

CONTAINER: When repotting, select a container that will "breath", e.g. Fiber , or a Clay pot. Use as large a container as possible - the more soil you use, the less precise your fertilization and watering will have to be.

WATER: In a dry climate, Salvia must be watered liberally, daily. Water retention crystals will help soil remain moist. Don't be afraid to over-water. Use filtered water if available.

HUMIDITY: Unless you live in a humid climate, you must use a humidifier in your growing area. Misting the plant with a spray bottle is insufficient, and a humidifier only costs $20. Use a Warm Mist humidifier if your growing area is below 70 degrees, a Cool Mist humidifier if above 70. In a dry climate, Salvia will not grow outdoors.
TEMPERATURE: Salvia will grow fastest at between 70 & 85 degrees, but avoid dry heat.

FERTILIZER: Look for a High Nitrogen organic fertilizer. Look at the label for three numbers - the first is Nitrogen, and should be higher than the following two numbers. For example, Earth Juice is 2-1-1.
SUNLIGHT: Salvia should Never be exposed to direct sunlight. Just a few minutes a day of direct sunlight will harm the plant. If you use sunlight, diffuse it with clear, thin plastic sheeting or frosted privacy window film .
ARTIFICIAL LIGHT: For fastest growth, use artificial light 24 hours a day.
- Do not use regular incandescent light bulbs, even incandescents that are sold as plant lights as they are inefficient and produce excess heat.
- Flourescent lights are cool and efficeint, but bulky. Three 80Watt, 4-foot long "shop lights" would be needed to light a garden with a width of 2 feet. If, however, the growing space is short in height, they may be benificial, as the lights can be attached directly under the top of the growing space, e.g. a shelf. Also, since flourescents run cool, plants can grow much closer to them, thus less vertical space is needed.
- For a small 2'x2' garden, the best choice would be a 150 Watt Hydrofarm® AgroSun® Power-Gro Self-Ballasted Mercury Vapor Plant Grow Light for $60.
- Commercial gardeners should consider profesional Metal Halide systems at 250, 400, or 1000 Watts. These lights start at $200.
- Placing your garden in a corner next to two walls, painted white, will add reflected light to your plants. A small 3 x 3 closet with four white surfaces will also work well. Cardboard panels, spray painted white work well to reflect light. Use care if you use mylar sheeting, as hot spots may be created.
Coming Soon:
Cloning and Salvinorin-A Extraction techniques.

Cloning in rockwool:

Grow Tips:
Erowid grow tips
Cloning tips

Feel free to Email us with any comments or questions