As a Salvia, I feel the days growing shorter and the chill in the air deepens. This is my signal to begin the great shift inward, preparing my very being for the trial of winter. From my roots to my highest flower spike, here is what I need from you to see me through to spring.
Please, do not fertilize me late in the season. Any new, tender growth you force upon me will be soft and vulnerable, certain to perish at the first hard frost and potentially draining my precious stored energy. Instead, allow my stems to naturally harden off (a process we call "lignifying"). Let my final flowers fade. This is not neglect; it is a crucial period where I pull energy from my leaves and send it down to my roots for safekeeping. This stored energy is my lifeblood for the dormant months ahead.
My most vulnerable part is my crown—the point where my stems meet the roots at the soil surface. A hard freeze can be fatal here. After the first few hard frosts have truly settled me into dormancy, please provide me with a deep, loose mulch. Apply a generous 3 to 4-inch layer of straw, shredded leaves, or pine boughs around my base. This blanket does not heat me, but it regulates the soil temperature, preventing the damaging cycle of freeze-thaw-freeze that can heave my roots right out of the ground. It also protects my crown from the coldest extremes.
You must understand my lineage. If I am a tender perennial like Salvia elegans (Pineapple Sage) or Salvia coccinea, I simply cannot tolerate freezing soil. My cells are not built for it. For me, the only path to survival is to be brought into a sheltered, dormant state. Before the first frost, please dig me up carefully, keeping a good root ball. You can pot me and place me in a cool (40-50°F / 4-10°C), dark place like a basement or garage, where I will not freeze. Water me only sparingly, just enough to prevent my roots from completely desiccating. I will appear dead, but I am merely sleeping.
When the grip of winter finally loosens and the days lengthen again, your care is still vital. Please do not remove my protective mulch too early. A late frost can severely damage my new, emerging growth. Wait until the danger of hard frost has truly passed and you see consistent signs of warming. Then, gently pull back the mulch to allow the soil to warm and my new shoots to reach for the sun. For my potted cousins who wintered indoors, acclimate us slowly to the outdoors before replanting. This patience ensures I emerge strong and ready for a new season of growth.
