Plant tips

[jus407]

Plant tips for growing? i have heard so many diffrent types of firtilizers to use and the only thing that matches in the diffrent topics of feritlizer to use is 'high in nitrogen' but im not just asking about fertilizer i  mean your secrets of the trade or tips for just overal health.do you play music to your plants i watched myth busters where they played heavy metal and they yielded the best plants out of the intire batch (good thing of me too i  like my metal music) so my plants have heard the most heavy music i have for  atleast 1 hour a day. anyone else have tips or secrets willing to share i have baby plants and if they yield good crops i might get a little salvia happy and have myself a give-a-away for people needing some salvia thats freshly picked and healthy when picked cause you caint ever be sure that when you buy it on ebay it came from a healthy and fresh plant.

[winder]

Definitely have well draining soil.
Let the soil get dry(ish) between watering.
Use clay pots, not plastic.
Do not use saucers.

The above all help prevent root rot.

Even with my cactus soil mix, my salvia in plastic pots indoors are easily overwatered and root rot is easily started.  In clay pots, root rot is almost impossible.

Also, a humidifier is a helpful idea.

I have the wicking Holmes model that costs about $40, but can be set high or low fan speed, and has a humidistat on it.  No matter, it is running 24/7.  To avoid filling the tank as a daily chore, I am cheating and have plumbed in a slow drip from what had been the ice maker line, to keep the wick wet.  Since it is in my basement, I can let it gently overflow and run across the slab into the drain.

Regular fertilization, not full strength, and with a balanced mix.

I mix Plant Tone from Espoma into the soil mix.


As for rooting, cuttings, that is easily done without a humidity tent.
Use a bubbler (fish tank pump and air stone) in a 1 quart jar.
Leave plenty of leaves on the cutting.
Too often I think people remove too many leaves which are the plants reserves..
Also, use larger stem cuttings, not puny ones, to root.
Too thin, and the cutting is struggling without reserves to push out the new roots.
And don't worry about leaves under the water, the are fine.
In fact, if the leaves are cut off, the stems (left from the leaves removed) that are put under the water will fall off and rot.
Just leave the leaves.
After rooting, you'll have all the more leaves for you new plant.

Another hint, root your salvia with another plant that roots more easily.
Many plants secrete auxins when rooting and get quorum sensing thing going on.
That is, they sense that rooting is a feasible activity and therefore one plant's roots help stimulate another plant's roots.
I use Brugmansia cuttings to help my salvia rootings along.

I had read elsewhere that pussy willows are high in auxins, which is what got me to try co-rooting different plants, and once you have a Brugmansia, you will always have a source of easy-to-root cuttings, even if you don't need them.

[Jupe]

good advice from Winder, I would add that indirect Bright  light  will let them grow to their full potential.  50%shadecloth if outside or Halides 10-20 ft away kind of bright!!   They will grow fine with flouros, but when they are strong they can rsesist and outgrow any problems which arise.

[Veracohr]

Here's a tip: don't put it outside for a short while, and forget about it. I just lost my last plant because I forgot about it outside, and it froze over night. I'm so mad at myself.  :evil: