The Salvia divinorum Research and Information Center - Shroomery

The Salvia divinorum FAQ
Q. What soil mixture should I use?
A. Commercial potting soil will do. Make sure the pot is large. It should have a drain
hole. Placing gravel (or broken up chunks of styrofoam) in the bottom of the pot will
help promote drainage and thus discourage root rot.
Q. Does it need fertilizer?
A. Yes it will. There is no one fertilizer that is clearly best.Satisfactory results can be
achieved with different products. Some of them are: Scotts All-Purpose Plant Food 18-
13-13 lightly sprinkled on the soil about once every six weeks; fish emulsion (but this is
not for indoor use as it stinks); Miracid added to the water once a week (1/4 tsp. per
gallon); Peters Professional Soluble Plant Food (15-30-15) 1/4 tsp. to gallon of water
once per week.
Q. How much sunlight is needed?
A. Salvia divinorum can do well in a variety of different lighting conditions. It does best
with a few hours of partial sunlight a day. It can do well grown indoors near a window.
It can survive full sun if kept well watered and misted frequently. It can also handle
moderately deep shade.
Q. What pests are a problem?
A. Too many! Whitefly is a big problem for greenhouse grown plants. Aphids, slugs,
caterpillars, thrips, spider mites, and scale insects can also damage your plants. Root
rot and stem rot can be problems. Fungal spots can appear in leaves. It is not known
which plant viruses attack Salvia divinorum but many attack other sages.
Q. What is the best way to deal with pests?
A. Your garden hose is your best friend in fighting pests. Spray the leaves hard enough
to blow the pests away but not hard enough to damage the leaves. Don't forget to spray
the undersides of the leaves too. If the hose method does not do the trick then more
specific methods will be needed. Aphids and scale insects can be removed with a cotton
swab dipped in isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. Slugs can be kept away by growing in pots
on a raised deck or palette. Beer can also be used to attract and drown slugs. Set a
saucer of beer in a slight depression in the ground; the surface of the saucer should be
flush with the soil so slugs can get in. Slugs and snail are said to be repelled by copper
surfaces. Copper foil strips can be placed as a protective barrier on the soil surface
around plants. Keep them a distance away from the plants. Do not let the copper touch
the plants as it may kill them. Snail pellets (effective against both snails and slugs) are
available from garden stores. They are poisonous. Spider mites can be controlled by
dissolving Castile soap in water and spraying the leaves, including the underside.
Repeat at two week intervals for three applications. Caution: there have been reports of
soap damaging leaves. Using a garden hose outdoors, or a mister indoors, to spray both
tops and bottoms of the leaves may be able to control spider mites without using soap.
Q. How can I propagate Salvia?
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