Hi I've been given this salvia thanks to a Freind on the nexus !

And thought is share my growth chart with you if allowed !

But I'd like to hear a few growing tips from fellow nexians if
Youde be so kind ! Climate is Australia Mid East coast but I'm watering every 2-3 days it's in succulent potting mix and I'm keeping it indoors !!

Don't baby it.

The vast majority of the people who have trouble with their salvias can't leave well enough alone and end up doing more damage with constant maintenance than they would if they just let the plant do it's thing. It's a very adaptable plant. If you change it's conditions, the leaves may wither and brown, but the next generation of leaves will do just fine.

Ideal temperature is 60-80 deg F, but it can candle +-10 degrees outside that range. Plant it in a big pot, since it will grow quickly, especially the roots. Let the plant tell you when it wants to be watered: I water when I notice the leaves are wilted and when I do, I give it a good soaking. Otherwise, I just let it be. Normal organic potting mix will be fine.

I live in Massachusetts and I just left my plant outside all summer and it has done beautifully with minimal care. Temperatures range from 60-90, it rains intermittently, and is generally pretty humid. Got about a 1ft of growth, a lot of branching, minimal browning, and nice, healthy-looking leaves.

It's a strong plant, trust it to take care of itself.

Blessings
~ND

Also, I think this should go in Ethnobotanical Garden.

I recently had a bad accident with my salvia plant. I went away for several days and at some point maintenance power-washes my apartment building. They moved my plant but they put it in the direct sun. When I came back 3-4 days later almost all of the leaves were turning brown . One week later and even more of the leaves have dropped off, I don't see any new growth yet.

Luckily I also had a new cutting that was in a humidity tent that fared better.

I'd be abit peaved off at maintenance , they should return thing back were they found it ! btw how long do these plants last ? And an updated pic !

That new growth is looking good, it seems to be very happy where it is.

When I was growing them I found they can last about 2-3 years (sometimes more) but they start to lose vigour after the first year. So a good rule with these things is to take cuttings every year. Sometimes they will get smashed by microscopic mites and they really knock them around so it's good to have a backup in a separate area that is isolated from other plants that may harbour pests.

They really are a lot tougher than many would have you believe, I had some growing in full sun in summer and temps were getting up around 45 C. They struggled in those extreme conditions but they can survive if kept well watered.

If they do start to lose vigour they can be regenerated by taking cuttings from juvenile growth - the etiolated new growth from the lower parts of the plant are best for regeneration.

Nice plant!

Salvia loves bright indirect light, and will even adapt to full sun if introduced to it gradually. It’s rate of growth is significantly affected by the amount of sunlight it gets.

A salvia cutting given plenty of bright indirect light will grow very quickly – I’ve had plants that grow about ½” (1.25 cm) per day.

Under ideal conditions, a typical cutting will grow very rapidly for about 12 – 15 weeks, then its growth will slow significantly. This is when I take cuttings and harvest the remainder of the plant. If you’re interested in maximizing your leaf yield, I would suggest harvesting an entire plant rather than just pruning. An older pruned plant will grow very slowly, whereas a new cutting will grow very fast.

Depending on your local environment, plants may do better inside rather than out. Where I reside, it's been very windy and stormy throughout the summer, and this has been very rough on my outdoor plant. I have several indoor plants that have done much better.

The photo shows an indoor plant on the left and an outdoor plant on the right, both started from cuttings about 10 weeks ago.

Good luck with your salvia growing efforts!