Have you ever heard of the Perovskia atriplicifolia? Perhaps, if we give you the name of Russian sage, this plant sounds a little more familiar to you, but what is it like? What characteristics does it have?
Next we are going to give you a guide so that you know what the Perovskia atriplicifoliaher care and other information that you should know about her.
Features Perovskia atriplicifolia
From the almost complete Perovskia atriplicifolia You should know that another of the names by which it is known, perhaps much better, is that of Salvia Rusa. It is an evergreen shrub native to Asia.
Physically, the bush has very long and woody stems. These always grow vertically and can easily reach one and a half meters. Later, they bloom, with some very showy violet flowers, always two by two, alternated in position. As for the leaves, they are somewhat sticky and aromatic, of a greyish green color, and shaped like a long diamond.
The plant itself can easily reach one meter in diameter. And it does it in a very short time since it is very fast growing.
The Perovskia atriplicifolia blooms from mid-summer to early winterthat is, we basically speak from July to November, and even December.
Caring for the Perovskia atriplicifolia
Although the Perovskia atriplicifolia It can be considered a “field” plant, the truth is that it can be grown at home and kept, either in the garden, or in a pot. But, for this, it is important to know what will be the needs that must be met so that you have good health.
Among them, the most important are the following:
Location
Russian sage is a plant that you are going to need always put it in semi-shade if you live in a warm climate, or in full sun if the climate is colder. In fact, you have to be careful with frosts as they are not good for this plant.
Some consider that it is better to have it in the sun, or at least with a large amount of light because that encourages more flowering; But, as we tell you, it will depend on the type of climate you have. For example, if it is the Mediterranean, it would be better in semi-shade because, otherwise, it would end up burning, especially the part of the logs.
Temperature
Speaking of temperature, the Perovskia atriplicifolia resists high temperatures well, but not so with casualties. It must be protected when the thermometer drops too low or there is a risk of frost.
In general, we talk that it would withstand low temperatures of down to -10, -5 degrees while, on the other hand, it could withstand beyond 40 degrees.
Earth
As for the substrate that Russian sage needs, you should know that it does not tolerate heavy soils very well. In return, a soil that has good drainage will be perfect to help you not to retain too much water.
This is important since the plant does not tolerate too much water and prefers a dry soil to a humid one.
Irrigation
Based on what we have told you before, you will know that the Perovskia atriplicifolia It is not a plant that needs abundant watering, quite the contrary. It is best to water it very little.
Only the young specimens or the newly transplanted ones will need more watering, as well as those that you have in a pot.
And how much are we talking about? Well, we talk about once a week in summer and once a month in winter. Of course, this will have to be varied according to the climate in which it is, since if it is warmer or colder it will affect a greater amount of irrigation or a lesser amount (keep in mind that it tolerates drought better than waterlogging).
Fertilizer
This plant, as we have mentioned before, is more wild, which makes it do not need compost to flourish nor to increase the quality of life.
Of course, you have to control the type of soil you have and also the transplants, especially in the case of having it in a pot.
Pruning
As for pruning, there are two ways to do it. There are those who prefer at the beginning of winter, to cut the stems and prune it completely. However, others say of wait for the month of march to do so, in such a way that winter frosts can be avoided and that these adversely affect the health of the plant.
Be that as it may, you should bear in mind that the plant must be at a height of between 20 and 30 centimeters so that they favor the appearance of buds and that the flowering is much more abundant.
Plagues and diseases
Russian sage is a plant that resists many of the common pests and diseases in gardens or in pots, so, at first, you should not worry about this problem.
Really the biggest problems you can have with Russian sage is excess water since this can cause the appearance of fungi or that it rot. If that happens, the solution you can give to try to save it is to remove it from the pot or the place where it was planted to remove as much as possible the damp soil, add some fungicide to prevent problems and replant it in a dry substrate. And observe her in case there are any symptoms that make her sick or have pests.
Multiplication
The multiplication of the Perovskia atriplicifolia it is quite easy to get. To do this, you can use both seeds and cuttings.
If it is by cuttings, these are obtained from the autumn or spring pruning and always from young stems that are easier for them to take root.
To do this, you have to plant them with a rooting in a shady area and keep the soil moist (unlike in an adult specimen).
After what you’ve seen, you’ll see that the Perovskia atriplicifolia It is one of the easiest plants to care for so it is ideal for beginners or those forgetful of watering. It will decorate the house and that lavender color of its flowers will make it a very beautiful decoration both in the garden and in a room. Have you ever had Russian sage? What experience do you have with it?
