How to Care for Purple Salvia

Select a site in early spring that has well-draining soil and full to partial sun. Choose sites with afternoon shade in hot regions of the country.

Enrich the soil by mixing in at least 2 inches of organic matter, such as rotted manure, peat moss and compost. Use garden tools or a mechanized tiller to mix these amendments into the soil, and then rake the area level.

Transplant purple salvia early in the morning on an overcast day or late in the afternoon. Dig holes for each transplant equal to the depth of the nursery container or the plant's roots.

Space purple salvia according to the expected mature size, which varies from dwarf varieties that grow 10 inches tall, to large plants that grow more than 2 feet tall. Find this information on the plant's marker, or ask about it when purchasing. Spacing usually ranges from 10 to 24 inches.

Soak the newly planted purple salvia to settle it in place and remove any air from the soil. Apply a starter fertilizer as instructed on the label. Add a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch around the purple salvia to keep the area weed free.

Water the purple salvia plants deeply once a week from spring through fall any time there is less than 1 inch of rain.

Apply a balanced fertilizer, such as 20-20-20, monthly as directed while the purple salvia is actively growing. Another option is to use a time-released fertilizer at planting that will last several months.

Trim off the spent blooms to encourage branching and flowering into late fall.

Prune returning purple salvia plants in the spring when growth begins. Cut off any parts of the plant that died over the winter. This is also the best time of the year to dig up and divide clumps of overgrown purple salvia.