Got my Salvia plant!

[taozen]

So I got my plant today, as soon as I saw it I was very disappointed. It really took a bad beating on the way, because it lost all it's leaves pretty much. I don't know if it was bad packaging or what but at least the root system was inside the soil (sort of!). I took it out with the utmost care but kept finding torn off leaves everywhere. The roots seemed ok although some of it was just hanging out. I did my best to find the stem, (which wasn't easy btw) and figure out which way to put it in the pot. There was no way I was going to leave it there. I misted off some soil at the top and found a broken stem and the only leaf left is a rotten one. I tried putting the broken stem back with tape but it wouldnt stick so I inserted a sterilized sowing needle in it, we'll see if it can stick. The guy who sent it told me the plant didn't need any humidity dome but it looks so bad that I think otherwise. I misted and misted, (the soil has very good drainage btw) and put a plastic bag for humidity and cut some holes in it for circulation.....

Should i leave the rotten leaf? (my logic is it might still give some nutrients to the plant)?

Should I leave the needle in? or will it just kill it?

Whats the best humidity for recovery? should I keep the bag on?

cold or warm temps?

should I blame packaging?

:'(

Edited June 18, 2010 by taozen

[psili sausage]

I'm confused. What is the needle holding in place?

Don't worry about the leaves, My cutting (pre 2002) wilted and I removed all the shitty looking leaves except for the two little ones at the tip. It looked like shit for a few weeks but then send out growth from several nodes and bushed right out.

If the stem and root system are intact it's probably recoverable. From the photos it looks like the growing tips (terminology?) are okay too.

IMO that was one poorly packaged plant.

Edited June 18, 2010 by psili sausage

[Alice]

Good lord

[psili sausage]

How much did you pay that bozo btw?

[mutant]

I doesn't look good, but it could survive I guess

[Magicdirt]

It looks like the courier played soccer with that poor thing.

Once a leaf is damaged to that extent it's not going to "stick back on". Keeping it there would be asking for trouble from fungal and bacterial organisms.

Like Psili said, why have you got that needle poking out of it?

I understand you tried to rescue that leaf, but there is no reson for the needle. You may be worlds first salvia accupuncturist.

Oh yeah Psili I believe a "tip" in technichal terms is referred to as an "Apical Miristem" and the small leaves surrounding it are called Rudimentary leaves.

But everyone just calls them tips, at least I do anyway.

Like Psili said the tips look fine so you are in with a good chance of saving that thing.

Good luck !

Edited June 18, 2010 by Magicdirt

[Shroomey Goodness]

Um Oh Dear God.... that don't look good keep the RH up and fresh air and near a window and hope G/L

[mac]

I have only had experience growing S. officinalis, coccinea, guaranitica

But i would it a few days to a week to recover from the shock & before doing anything else (you can pull the needle out tho)

Dont mist or water it for a few days unless the soils surface looks like its drying out or new shoots look wilted

then let it recover in indirect light (a bright but shaded area) they like a temperature range 15 - 25C & humidity above 50% http://www.sagewisdom.org/salvgrow.html

Edited June 18, 2010 by mac

[taozen]

I paid $18 dolars + $13 shipping, great investment right! ...Anyway, the needle is holding the stem in place not the leaf. If you look closely theres a line at the bottom of the stem, it´s broken, and without the needle it would´nt stand erect. So I intend to keep it there until its sticks back, I just hope it doesn´t get infected. I will take out the dead leaf btw, just wanted to be sure. Guess I'll just give it some time and hope for the best.

[Evil Genius]

Dude that looks like the postman raped an elefant on the package. Remove all the rotten plant material and make sure there is some air humidity. My first thought was that it´s going to live if you do it right. If some parts of the plant die, remove em asap or they will rot. Salvia is a good recoverer but that one looks really stressed. Next time think about ordering a few at once to increase the chance that at least one survives. Salvia might also been banned where you live some day and then it´ll be almost impossible to get plants. bye Eg

Edited June 18, 2010 by Evil Genius

[indigo264nm]

You should look at tapin\tying it as opposed to pinning it... That way you've got a better chance of keeping out bacterial or fungal illnesses and it is firmly in place where it should be. Whenever 2 vascular plants are grafted together the join is tied and covered with a tape or plastic tie and left for a long period to allow for the two stems to join and develop vascular and bark tissue so I can't see any reason why you should repair a broken stem in the same fashion

As long as the root system okay you've still got a fighting chance but I'd be very careful with moisture and humidity.. with that stress it could be very prone to fungal problems especially with the snapped stem. If you've got decently warm temperatures atm then I wouldn't have plastic bag around it during the hottest part of the day and just let it get some fresh air, but keep humidity on for when the temperature is lower.

If you can smell faint odour of rotting eggs at any point get it the hell outta that plastic bag, wash the root system gently of all medium and re-pot.

.

[Teotzlcoatl]

I would almost bury the entire thing in soil except for the very top shoots.

Then keep it at about 80% humidity.

Mist often.

[mutant]

hey cheers teotz!

hey mate, if that trick with the pin succeeds you should be instantly called master of grafting and should consider getting your hands on cacti grafts!

[taozen]

Dude that looks like the postman raped an elefant on the package.

 

hahahahahahha! definately