Salvia Divinorum species specifics/how to grow

[Ulmdorgr]

This thread details the specifics of Salvia Divinorum (SD) cultivation. If it is missing information, please add a reply to this thread with the info. You will not be credited for your contributions, but people who read the thread will recognize where this information is coming from. This post will be updated as necessary.

Salvia Divinorum
Salvia Divinorum (SD) enjoys a tropical, coastal climate. Therefore, it is ideal to place it within a humidity dome (note that if you don't have a humidifier an an enclosure, you should not attempt this; the misting method is just a rumor, and is not advisable because it produces a breeding ground for herbivorous pests; additionally, over-watering from misting can help root rot to develop).

Watering
Salvia Divinorum doesn't require a lot of water. Guides usually talk about how you can get away with not watering your plants for a few weeks at a time (this is not desirable, but it means you don't have to worry about your plant dehydrating if its temperature conditions are optimal). Some also talk about how you should not use a pot that drains into a saucer, because it will not give the plant air for its roots, and it promotes root rot.

Know your water! Some tap water contains nasty chemicals, minerals, or lacks filtration altogether. Think about purchasing a barrel to collect rain water throughout the year.

Autonomous watering systems
The rope method: see http://www.iamshaman.com/salvia/growing.htm, starting at "First thing you will need is a very large clay pot. At least one foot in diameter for one plant and the larger pots for 2 or more plants."

Temperature
Between 60 and 85 °F (15.55 - 29.44 °C). Under 40 °F (4.44 °C) will kill the plant very quickly.

Humidity
Ideally at least 50%. In the Sierra Mazatec region the humidity ranges from 10% to 100% (rainy season; late June to early October), but these extremes are not ideal for SD growth.

Soil PH
According to Erowid, Salvia Divinorum prefers 6.1-6.6 PH (slightly acidic).

Seeds/Cuttings
Seeds rarely germinate (rumored viability rate is 1/10; which doesn't seem too bad) and many new strains die. Because of this, SD is typically propagated through stem cuttings.

Read http://members.cox.net/sageseeds/ for an excellent guide on how to achieve flowering and seed production. Note that the amount of darkness you need to give your fully grown SD plants is roughly 11-14 hours a day. SD can flower every 6 months. After a flower cycle, 8 hours of darkness is optimal for the first 3 months. The final three months of the sixth month cycle, prior to flowering, should be 11-14 hours of darkness. Each cycle should produce hundreds of viable seeds (a single raceme can produce over a thousand seeds), and the sage seeds guide gives an estimated 10% viability rate (you could end up with a few viable seeds, or over 100).

Getting roots from a cutting
There are a few methods of doing this:

Pruning/Trimming
There should be little reason to remove leaves, other than if they are completely dead (black/brown) or if you are harvesting them.

Pruning is usually done on plants that are producing flowers or fruit. It is unlikely that you will have a flowering salvia divinorum.

Fertilizers and growth solutions
When transplanting cuttings after roots have been well established or when bringing an established plant from one green house to another, water it with a bit of B-Vitamins. Superthrive is a formula that contains a hormone(s) and B-Vitamins that boosts growth. It is also very good at regenerating plants. Superthrive can also be used year round, especially if you notice plants that are not growing (idle plants; works as "Wake-up Juice").

References:
http://www.salviacenter.com/library/sc_growing.php
http://www.iamshaman.com/salvia/growing.htm

[Whiterasta34]

The ideal temperature is in the 60 to 70 degree range, but my plants have survived hot spells of 100 degrees and night time chills as low as 35 degrees. In hot weather make sure the plants have enough shade and plenty of water with frequent misting.

Cutting & Transplanting

To take a cutting, first cut off a branch tip that has four to six sets of leaves on it with about four inches of stalk below that. Place the cutting in water so most of the bare stalk is covered - tap water is fine and you don't need to add any nutrients. The cutting may wilt for a day or two, but should recover nicely. Mist the cutting frequently or keep it in a high humidity environment to ease the shock of being cut. In summer wait until the evening to take cuttings to prevent excessive wilting.

In about one week nodes will appear on the stalk where the roots will eventually emerge. In another week the roots will appear and grow to a length of 1/4" to 3/4" long. This is the time to transplant the cutting into soil. Keeping the cutting in water beyond this point will deprive it of nutrients, and longer roots are more susceptible to damage during transplanting.

Transplant the cutting into a medium sized pot using either commercial potting soil or your own formula. Salvia likes a friable soil rich in humus and with good drainage, so avoid heavy soils with a lot of clay. The plant also likes a lot of root space, so re-pot often for maximum growth. When you see growth starting to slow down, or the plant looking ragged, it's probably time to re-pot.

[caktalfraktal]

Canadian Water
- I've heard that the SD reacts badly to Canadian water from the person I bought my plant from *they were located in southern USA*, I was told from this one guy that a few people's he's sent his to have all complained of their plants dying if fed canadian Tap water... I'm not to sure the validity of this, I can't really see how that can be a cross country problem, perhaps some mineral or something in the water that is specific to the canadian water filtration systems? I'm not sure, however I took his advice and haven't tried watering any with Tap water.

I've got some aquarium water cleaner instant chlorine remover, perhaps that would work. I figure it's better safe than sorry, plus a big liter and a half bottle is only 99c so it's worth it.


SuperThrive or B-Vitamins

For Transplanting cuttings after well established roots, or even when bringing an established plant from one green house to another, I like to water it with a bit of B-Vitamins, theres a good formula called Superthrive that has a hormone in it which boosts growth and it's very very good for regenerating plants!!! It's also got B-Vits.

{EDIT: Plus, Superthrive is good all year long anyways! It's like Wake-up Juice if you've got any idle plants that just wont grow.}

[Ulmdorgr]

Yeah you just gotta know your water. My hometown has some of the best tap water in the country (world?), but the place I live at now has some sort of mineral in it (probably calcium because a white residue forms on surfaces where it dries). Rain water is the best!

[ChemistKen]

I use tap water which I then filter with a silver ionization filter, and add whatever nutrients the specific plant needs at that time...

[Chewy]

I really wish i could say i do amazing things with my water but i let it sit 24 hours before i feed the plants, usally. ive used water right outta the tap before i never see any change. I have many healthy plants so, we load it up with fertilizer anyway.

[ChemistKen]

yes I also like to let mine set for 12-24 hours, after the silver ionization.

But I do notice a difference, especially with some herbs(like my mints), when I give them the silver water...I'm just a chemist but maybe it is because of the sterility of the water or maybe some plants like a small amount of silver in their diet

[Ulmdorgr]

Well, maybe you can theorize something based on plant proton pumps: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6T36-4NCMCV3-J-7&_cdi=4938&_user=10&_pii=S0014579307003225&_orig=search&_coverDate=05%2F25%2F2007&_sk=994189987&view=c&wchp=dGLbVtz-zSkzS&md5=9c4cdbd1a07f933c23ce5a210690c912&ie=/sdarticle.pdf

[ChemistKen]

Good read there...and yes salt causes osmotic stress, which is very bad

[Ulmdorgr]

What silver compound are you treating them with? I'm looking for the official name or molecular formula.

[ChemistKen]

I use a simpe silver ionization technique which is meant soley to sterilize the water and prevent bacterial growth, the water will contain colloidal silver after the silver ionization. Colloidal silver(sometimes called nanosilver) is seen as nontoxic and is actually sold at some health/vitamin stores as a supplement as some believe it can cure some illnesses, although this is very unlikely. However silver ionization purification systems are used in some countries to santize water and is actually used in some humidifiers.

[Chewy]

I am definitly not a scientist. I like to think of the fact that all plants originate from the ground. Soil, by nature, has a shit ton of different elements that leach into the plants. And after fertilizers are added, whats the diference weather or not its filtered. Just my opinion. Im sure if i worked with chemistry more maybe i'd care, or if my plants werent growing, but thats not the case.

[Ulmdorgr]

Ken you reminded me of this guy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahihGKZC5Kk

@Chewy: yeah, biological systems are able to adapt to various chemical compounds, so looking at it from one perspective (straight chemistry) doesn't help too much.

[ChemistKen]

lol...yea that guy is crazy...drank a crap load of colloidal silver and turned blue

But yes good tap water(good=low chlorine content) unfiltered is really good stuff for plants. It usually has lots of minerals which plants need, and a little bit of fertilizer added turns it into liquid food for plants.

[nothim]

it is a fake(y) one, i saw him in avatar lol ,

are his kids blue navy too?