Gardening Question From Leslie:

Planted 5 5-gallon Salvia Greggi (red sage) in my brand new drought tolerant garden in mid November. With the winter rains the plants grew and are bearing many beautiful long sprigs of red flowers that hummingbird enjoy. When should I prune and how long should I leave the stems?

Photo by The Greenery Nursery

Answer From Pat:

Prune Salvia greggii frequently in warm weather to remove dead flowers and keep it blooming and looking good. Meanwhile you can let this densely foliaged shrub grow as much as you want—it will grow to be about three feet tall. In time, however, the plant may become floppy. If you prefer a more compact look, cut back the most recent foliage along with the spent flowers as much as you desire. Some people grow this plant as a hedge and prune it to achieve this look. In winter this plant will pull in its horns grow less rapidly and most likely stop blooming unless the weather stays warm, so don’t prune hard then. Instead, clean it up a bit and wait until you see signs of growth again in spring, then you can resume shaping and dead-heading.

Photo by Aka Hige