Salvia 'Hot Lips' syn. Salvia x jamensis 'Hot Lips', Salvia microphylla 'Hot Lips'

Morning folks, hope its a terrific Thursday for all, salvia now autumn trimmed (as recommended)

What’s the recommendation @jpea? I have this salvia (amongst others) but they don’t look nicely mound formed like yours, they are wildly spreading up and out and seem quite invasive; do I need to be more drastic with the pruning?

Helen, the advice I got here was to cut back about 1/3rd to neaten it up and protect the crown over winter, in spring it's taken down about the same again to shape it, hope that helps @halfy21

Thanks v helpful; I’ll deffo give that a go 😊👍🏼

@halfy21 The way to keep them tidy is to give them a Hampton Hack midsummer. There are videos on YouTube by Will Dyson, the breeder of salvias, on pruning salvias.

Thanks for the suggestion Urszula @ublaszko; I watched the vid; I’m not being mean enough with mine, I’ll work to get them more compact; they’ve taken over at the mo - great for flowers and scent, but crowding out other plants 😅

There's another breeder of salvias I don't remember the name of but his motto is 'treat them mean, keep them keen' 😂😂😂 @halfy21

I thought that was Dirk Bogart's line...

Went to town pruning hot lips, hope she doesn't pout now 🙄😄

Mine has grown loads.. It's in a container.. I feel my garden is looking ok then I buy more plants and have to fit them in.. Makes me feel I need to pull them all out and start again always feel I can improve it.. 😬😬😬😱😱😱 not this year though

I've a fair bit of space at the moment but the way the small plants have grown showing their real size, I'm definitely going to be in your situ 😅😅😅

Morning everyone, hope it's as lovely a sunny start to the day as it is here where ever you are. Salvia 'hot trumpet' just beginning to smile ☺️

Morning and it wont be long before it has a sister too 😁 see you later 🙋

Pruning question, when you prune this hot lips Salvia do you just take the finished centre branch out or prune it all to a more compact 18" bush? Thanks 🤔

When I first got given this by a friend I pruned it first till there was only about a foot of it left, the next year I pruned it a bit taller. Now when it grows to my neck's height and spreads too wide, I just prune the new growth: no matter what I did I still get a huge bush every year. I'm sure this isn't the answer to your question, but I wanted to share my experience of how easy maintenance this plant is :)

Thanks @RenataJegereva that makes sense to me but do you remember when you pruned it?

@jpea last time I cut it back (a lot) was the day before yesterday 🙂- it just gets out of control. Usually I cut it back in the middle of winter some time after everything else's done and a few times left it until late February! For the very first time though when I got given it the plant was pruned very short in early spring. I just didn't have a proper plan for it, because it does not better or worse no matter what I do to it :) It loves chicken manure pellets, that's for sure

Sounds like a good plan @RenataJegereva , I'll wait until there are fewer flowers and then prune to a more compact shape

2nd acquisition in #bed4jpea

Mine spreads massively - each year I prune it at winter till around 30cm heigh stumps and it grows back again into waist-high 1.5 metres spread bush that kills all the weeds around it - bees love it, it doesn't stop flowering. Mine loves chicken manure pellets, I just sprinkle it around the bush and they slowly dissolve

I'll try that Renata, thank you @RenataJegereva