Cultivation of Salvia Divinorum

Salvia divinorum is a semi-tropical perennial. That means that it can grow year after year, but only if it is not exposed to freezing temperatures. It is a green plant with large leaves and a distinctive thick, hollow, square green stem. It can grow several meters (yards) high if conditions are favorable. When it grows high enough, the branches will bend, or break, and may root if they come in contact with moist earth. Although Salvia divinorum can flower under natural lighting conditions, it almost never sets seed that will sprout. So the plant is almost always propagated by cuttings. The leaves are oval, weakly notched (serrated) and can be quite large (up to 9 inches in length). They are usually emerald green, but under some conditions, may be yellow-green or even yellow. They are covered with a fine coating of extremely short hairs (trichomes), giving the leaves a satin like velvety appearance in certain lights. The plants grow best in partial shade, in well-watered, but well-drained, soil. The roots must not be kept constantly soaked, or root-rot will set in and kill the plant.

Salvia divinorum can be grown indoors in any climate. It makes a beautiful house plant.

You can grow Salvia divinorum outdoors all year round if you live in a humid semi-tropical climate, with well-watered, but well-drained soil, with a high humus content. If you live in a colder or drier climate, you can still grow Salvia outdoors, weather permitting. But you may have to do it with some care, making sure it is protected from frost, watered frequently, and misted when humidity is low. Salvia will not live through freezing or drought. It can be grown outdoors in pots which can be brought indoors when it is cold (below 40 degrees Fahrenheit). That way it can be grown outdoors in summer and indoors in winter.

Salvia will tell you when it is getting too dry: its leaves will droop. Be sure to water it at the first sign of mild drooping–do not let the plant become limp. The soil should drain well but should be kept moist. If planting Salvia in pots, make sure the pot is large enough to allow the plant to grow well. Although your available space will limit possible pot size, use the biggest pot that is practical. It must have drainage holes. Placing gravel (or broken up pieces of crockery) in the bottom of the pot will help promote drainage and thus discourage root-rot. Most commercial potting soil will work well. Adding Vermiculite® or Perlite® to the potting soil is helpful but not essential.

Salvia will need fertilizer. Any good general-purpose fertilizer will work. Fish emulsion is a good organic fertilizer choice, but because it has a very unpleasant odor, it is suitable only for outdoor use. Satisfactory results can be achieved with chemical fertilizer products. Some of them are:

Scott’s® All-Purpose Plant Food (18-13-13) lightly sprinkled on the soil about once every six weeks. Miracle-Grow® (15-30-15) or MirAcid® (30-10-10) added to the water once a week (1/4 tsp. per gallon). Peter’s® Professional Soluble Plant Food (15-30-15) 1/4 tsp. to gallon of water once per week.

If growing indoors, take the plants outdoors when it is warm enough, and let rain fall on them. This will prevent mineral salts from building up in the soil and killing your plant

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 when grown indoors near a window. It can handle more sun if kept well watered and misted frequently. It can also handle moderately deep shade. When changing the lighting conditions or the humidity conditions your plants are exposed to, do so gradually. Given enough time, Salvia is very adaptable, but it may take weeks to get used to a new environment.

Many pests can attack Salvia. 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 on leaves. It is not known which plant viruses attack Salvia divinorum, but probably some do, as many attack other sages.

Aphids and scale insects can be removed with a cotton swab dipped in isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol.

Slug damage can be reduced by growing Salvia in pots on a raised deck or palette. Some may still get by and attack your plants. Keep an eye out for these slimy pests. One slug can eat an awful lot of Salvia! Beer can 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, get drunk, and drown.

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 some reports of soap damaging leaves, so don’t use too much.

Your garden hose is your best friend in fighting most outdoor 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 underside of the leaves too. A fine mist nozzle works best for this.

Salvinorin A has been identified as a potent, highly selective kappa-opioid receptor agonist. Experimental evidence indicates that the psychoactive effects of salvinorin A result from its activity at these receptors.

Endemic to the sierra inhabited by the Mazatec, its distribution anthropogenic. Plants spread vegetatively, flourishing in shaded, humid sites, flowering sporadically from October until June. Flower nectar and corolla dimensions suggest ornithophily, and the only pollination event observed involved a single hummingbird, but other factors suggest that visits by birds to the flowers in their present range are opportunistic, and not a product of plant-pollinator co-evolution. The species is diploid with n=11, pollen fertility is reduced, there is no active pollen tube inhibition within the style, but some event or process after the pollen tube reaches the ovary is aberrant, as no fully developed nutlet has ever been collected from a Mexican plant, and greenhouse cross-pollinations led to only 3% seed set. Hybridity is suggested, although intermediacy between two known species has not been recognized.

Traditional Mazatec Methods

The two traditional Mazatec methods are quite inefficient in that they require many more leaves than do the other methods. But they are very safe. Traditionally the leaves are taken in a semi-darkened room as part of a healing or religious ceremony. At least one sober person is present to watch over the people who have taken Salvia. A water-based drink made from ground-up fresh leaves is one of the traditional Mazatec ways of using this herb. It requires a lot of leaves and tastes somewhat unpleasant, so this method is seldom used by non-Mazatecs. Salvinorin is very poorly absorbed from the stomach so it requires enormous amounts of leaves to make the drink effective. But it does work, and the effects last longer than from any other method. Chewing and swallowing a large number of fresh leaves is the other Mazatec method. When this is done the leaves are nibbled slowly for about 1/2 hour. Although the chewed-up leaves are swallowed, most of the effect is due to salvinorin that is absorbed through the tissues of the mouth during the chewing. This is a less efficient way of chewing Salvia than the quid method (see below). Most people find chewing and swallowing fresh leaves to be unpleasantly bitter, and for some, it causes gagging.
The Quid Method

A ball or cylinder of rolled-up leaves is made. This is called a quid. It is to be chewed. The leaves are chewed slowly--about one chew every 10 seconds. They are kept under your tongue between chews. For half an hour keep the quid that is being chewed, and the juice that forms, in your mouth. If you can, hold it in your mouth without spitting or swallowing. Then, after the half-hour chewing time is over, spit it all out. Have a bowl to spit into, and a towel handy. Salvia juice stains carpets and other fabrics, so be sure the bowl won't tip over.

Smoking Salvia Divinorum

(1) Use a water-cooled smoking device (a water pipe, or bong). This makes it much easier to inhale large quantities of smoke. Because the smoke is cooled, it can be inhaled more comfortably without coughing.

(2) Make sure that the pipe stem and screen are not clogged with residue from previous use. It is important that the pipe draws well. Check it before use to make sure that you can draw air through it easily when you inhale.

(3) Salvinorin A requires a high temperature to vaporize. This can be easily achieved by making certain that the leaves are in direct contact with a flame the entire time that you are inhaling. When inhaling, hold a flame directly over the bowl of the pipe so that the flame is drawn down into the leaves as you inhale the smoke.

(4) Try to inhale the full dose in three big inhalations. Each one should be inhaled slowly and deeply, then held for 20 - 30 seconds before exhaling. It is very important to retain each inhalation of smoke deeply in the lungs long enough for it to be absorbed efficiently. Do not pause between exhaling and taking the next inhalation (except for a short breath of fresh air if necessary). This insures that the whole dose will be consumed within the 2 - 3 minute period required. If the dose is smoked too slowly, the salvinorin A will be metabolized faster than it is ingested.

(5) Use a torch-flame lighter. Many people report better results when using this type of lighter. These produce a very hot torch-like flame that causes rapid combustion of the smoking material and hence produces more concentrated smoke. Because of the extra heat generated by these devices, it is important to use them in conjunction with a water-cooled smoking device.

Salvia Divinorum is an extraordinary visionary herb. It is not a recreational drug. It produces a profoundly introspective state of awareness that is useful for meditation, contemplation, and self-reflection. Its effects are unique and cannot be compared with the effects of other drugs. The effects of Salvia do not appeal to many people (young or old). The people who are most drawn to it are both mature and philosophically minded. Beware of inaccurate information. There are many unethical vendors who try to lure naive customers by portraying the effects of Salvia as more appealing than they are. The news media often sensationalizes stories about Salvia, exaggerating its effects, risks, and popularity. Much of what has appeared in the popular press is inaccurate and misleading. Salvia is not "legal pot." It is not "legal acid." It is not a substitute for any other drug. Before trying Salvia, it is important that you know about its effects, appropriate uses, and the potential risks associated with irresponsible use.

Cultivation of Salvia Divinorum

THE NEUROLOGICAL MECHANISM OF ACTION FOR SALVINORIN A

Useful Salvia Information

Salvia divinorum and the Mazatec Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico

Traditional Mazatec Methods

The Quid Method

Smoking Salvia Divinorum