I'm not trying to get high or I'd just buy some 10x or 20x. Instead I'm cultivating rare, unusual, and endangered plant species, beginning with this one. Started here: http://www.hipforums.com/newforums/showthread.php?t=357926&f=124 I have indeed stuck around, so far. If everything goes well, I might eventually offer cuttings. Got 4 rooted cuttings from Arena EB, only Blosser was offered: One I would call a real plant, matching Arena EB's description Two sickly, weak little cuttings with roots less than an inch long, both uprooted during shipping One with almost no roots, a midstem cutting with severe brown slimy rot in the stem, also uprooted during shipping. Arena should be replacing the most wretched cutting, although I could certainly have gotten a replacement of 3 of them due to false advertising, product not matching the description, blah blah. They seemed nice and quite willing to help, although maybe that's because I immediately threatened to file a complaint with the BBB, etc. I'll probably put some pics up sometime and maybe parts of my growing log. - - = - = - = - = - = - - All plants are 8 to 12 cm from the lowest exposed node to the top node. They have 4 exposed nodes each, and all have most of their leaves except the mid-stem cutting which only has one or two hanging on. Plant A "Beefcake" is quite strong with good roots and an extra shoot from the root ball. It's the most recovered from drooping, and the top leaf stems (can't remember the botanical term) are actually vertical. I'll probably remove the extra shoot soon, as the plant looks very healthy compared to the others, probably because it actually has ROOTS. Listen up, Arena, get your sh** together! Hmmm... what should I call the little shoot? Beefcake.. Beefcake.... Snackycake? Lol, maybe I just need something to eat... Plant B "Squee" is very slowly recovering. It has curled leaves at every node. Plant C "Shmee" is nearly identical to B, but missing a couple of leaves. I noticed the other day that one dropped leaf and the top I'd pinched off were still in the tray.. and were damp enough to have stayed alive! I know the leaf might root and won't shoot, but I planted it anyway. The top pinch looked like it might have a little living node in it! I shall call him... "Mini-Shmee!" Plant D "Stumpy" is the only mid-stem cutting. 3 mid-stem nodes, and one new stem growing from the side of the uppermost node. It had few leaves to begin with, bad stem rot, and it has since dropped almost all of the leaves it did have. I removed the mush blackened stem with a sterilized razor, but it keeps spreading. I don't know if it will live. - - = - = - = - = - = - - All of the plants were droopy when I unpacked them, so I put them in humidity tent made from a sheet of plastic and some dowels. This led to them being overwatered without me watering them, but it kept them from dropping more leaves until they stabilized. They have a bit of browning up the corners of the square stems, probably from the overly-damp conditions they were shipped in. Now that they're perking up, I'm opening one side of the humidity chamber. I mist a few times a day, sometimes I'm gone though. I also take time to breathe into the chamber once or twice a day if I'm home. Keeping the CO2 up like this seems to have helped in less than a day. I think they were a bit suffocated in their own oxygen. There are tiny leaves starting on the nodes since pinching, but growth is extremely slow on all but Beefcake. Gee, I wonder what the difference could be. I'm still quite disappointed at Arena for having shipped plants with such small roots, but I suppose they did ship much sooner than anyone else would have. Everybody was on backorder at the time. - - = - = - = - = - = - - As far as ordering from Arena, expect to pay a slight premium, but don't expect plans with "roots coming out the bottom of the pots" like they advertise. They'll have 1 inch roots on average, BUT you will get prompt and attentive support and maybe plant replacement if there's a problem that's obviously not your fault. They do seem to really care about their customers. Personally I might go with Bouncing Bear next time if they're noticeably cheaper. Arena's straight leaf is pretty good too and didn't last long.
salvia plants prefer humid conditions. and little water every few days. not much to it, as far as i know.
I too ordered a plant from Arena EB it came in a brown package and said where it was from, which also was a false ad a few leaves were pinched so i removed them and some of the leaves have a lil black. i was wondering how I would go about fixing this. other then that the plant is fine its starting to straighten up. I keep it in my snake's tank and take it outside for a few hours on warm days.
from my expirience, salvia does quite well in a sunny or even in a semi-sunny window. she drinks lots of water (at least mine does, but she's grown to be at least 5 feet by now...big lady with big thirst) mines grows in spurts, somtimes no progress for extended periods of time...somtimes increadible growth in no time at all. i think offering enough room in a large pot for her roots is what is going to make her real happy with you, salvias root system can be expansive and it likes to take up lots of space. at least a foot deep by a foot wide to start. roots grow before shoots. its a farily easy plant to take care of. also, have you tried giving your new transplants willow water? willows produce lots of salicylic acid, which is a rooting hormone. (this is why you can take a willow twig and just stick it into the ground) take some willow twigs and soak or boil them in water then soak your lil cuttings in it for a day or two (helps a cutting take root) , or just water the soil of your plants to further help estabish the root system
its part of the plants cycle for the leaves to turn black and fall off. they'll stay green and stick around longer when your plant is comfortable (and properly hydrated), but your always going to have leaves with blackened edges.
