Very Sad Salvias

I received my long awaited salvias last week and popped them on top of the planting basket in my barrel pond. I would add that the water level is low and they weren't any deeper than if I'd kept them in a tray of water. They've been happy as Larry but when I went to plant them yesterday, two of them had been knocked in (possibly by pigeons trying to drink) and were now a lot less happy. I removed a lot of the sodden compost they were in and planted them in the raised beds, mixing up the soil with some coir compost and Miracle Gro continuous release plant food. Are they likely to recover? One of them looks as though new growth may come through OK but the other one looks like it may have had it. Is there anything I can do to salvage them?

 

I think you have done what you can for now. Let them rest a while, hopefully they will pick up. Don't try more feed or anything as they are already stressed. Anything submerged in water for more than 2-3 days is likely to suffer a bit. Roots need air as well as water. Keep the soil around them just damp not wet.

 

Hi

are they the perennial type ? Had they come straight out of a greenhouse then straight into the garden

 

Mostly salvias like well drained conditions, being sitting in a tray of water for a week could well have rotted the roots, being knocked into the pond was possibly the final straw.

If they do survive it could be a while before they recover.

 

Which variety of salvia are they ?

 

@Spruce Yes, they are perennial. I don't know whether or not they were grown in a greenhouse but the weather here has been mild so I didn't have any concerns about them being outside.

@pete They've been in the barrel pond since they arrived but where they were placed, was no deeper than a tray (The metal straps holding the barrel together have snapped off so I haven't bothered to refill the evaporated water as I'll be getting rid of it). Fortunately, the third salvia which remained where it was put, is still fine and dandy but like you say, being knocked into deeper water could have been the final straw for the other two. I'll be happy as long as they recover. I wouldn't be surprised if the current leaves don't recover but it does look as the newer shoots aren't as affected. So far they don't seem to look any worse so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

@AnniD Moonlight Serenade.

 

I've copied the link from Middleton nurseries for that variety @Februarysgirl .
Salvia x jamensis 'Moonlight Serenade' | Middleton Nurseries

As with all shrubby salvias they hate wet and sitting water, but could well be "rescuable", especially the one in your first photo.

I would get them into small (9cm perhaps) pots with fresh dry compost if you can, and don't water for at least a couple of days.
When you do, water from below and just leave them sitting in a tray of water for literally just a couple of minutes. I can't guarantee that it will work, but I have had some success in a similar situation.

If they do recover, make sure they have really good root systems before planting in full sun and very well drained soil. Hope this helps .

 

I agree with the others, shrubby salvias are much happier kept on the dry side. There was no need to keep them standing in water.
There's still some green so they might recover. Best to leave them alone, as long as the soil they're in has good sharp drainage, not enriched with a lot of compost, manure etc. I would also pull the bark mulch back a bit so it's not right up to the stem.

 

@AnniD It was Middleton's that I got them from. I'd already put them in the ground when I took the photo and have left them as I don't want to disturb the roots when they're already unhappy. Good thing is that some of the stems on the worst one have straightened out and others are on their way so it looks as though recovery is in progress. The leaves are still very wilted so I don't whether they'll recover or not. I'm just not sure when to start watering again.

@JennyJB I immediately put plants in water when they arrive to recover from their journey. These got left because I wasn't ready to plant them which was definitely a huge mistake on my part. The soil I use in my raised beds is Wickes topsoil which is loam based and everything seems to love it. Previous salvias I've had in it have gone from plug plants to monsters in the space of about 6 months. That being said, the ones I put in last year didn't seem to grow at all but everything in the garden was erratic last year. Or eaten.

 

As they got such a soaking I wouldn't water them at all until after they've perked up and started growing, and then only if they show signs of needing it. Waterlogging can cause wilting because roots need air as well as water to be able to function. And (worst case) being underwater for days could have made some of the roots rot in which case recovery will be slow if at all .

Having said that, I find shrubby salvias hard to kill, so fingers crossed! They might drop the wilted leaves and regrow from the stems/base. Stressed plants often sacrifice leaves that they're unable to support.

 

It's tempting to leave dry plants sitting in water, particularly if they're delivered when you're busy, but I've found the best way to re-wet a completely dried out pot is to dunk it in a bucket of water, hold it down until air bubbles stop rising, then take it out and allow the excess water to drain away.

 

@JennyJB The problem I've had the last few days is that because the weather has been so warm, some plants have been wilting because of the heat. It feels counter-intuitive to not water a wilting plant in warm weather but so far I've restrained myself around the salvias!

 

Stick your finger into the soil by the root ball. If there's any moisture there, they don't need watering. As they're still wilted after several days, the plants might have given up on those leaves and be concentrating on growing new roots. Or the roots might be so damaged that they can't take up the water. I'm afraid it's a case of wait and see.

 

Buy a soil water meter they are dead cheap. Meter on a long prong that you just stick in where you want to test. Great for my potted chilli plants when the top looks dry but is still wet around the roots.