Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a hardy perennial (USDA zones 5 through 9) with an aromatic and slightly bitter flavor. It is easy to grow, because it has only three needs: lots of sun, good drainage, and good air circulation. This aromatic herb grows well in many different climates and can survive very cold temperatures, even reaching as low as -15 ° C. It looks great in the garden and produces beautiful purple, pink, blue or white flowers in the summer. Once picked and dried, it can be used in recipes based on poultry, rabbit, pork and baked fish, as well as for meatloafs and sausages. Learn how to grow sage so you always have a few leaves on hand.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Growing Salvia
Step 1. Buy sage seeds or a plant
You can start growing this herb in a variety of ways. If you've never had one, you can plant fresh seeds (which could give you problems); alternatively, buy a seedling from a nursery, then transfer it to the garden or into a clay pot.
Conversely, if you already have a sage plant, you can obtain another with a cutting or multiplication by propagation
Step 2. Prepare the ground
Sage grows best in clayey areas that drain well and are rich in nitrogen. It prefers a soil with a pH of 6-6.5.
- If your garden soil is too clayey, try adding sand and organic material to lighten it and promote drainage.
- Sage grows best when planted alongside other perennial herbs, such as thyme, oregano, marjoram, and parsley.
Step 3. Plant the sage
Once the soil is prepared, you can bury the seeds or the seedling in pots or in the garden.
- If you want to transfer it to the ground, make sure it is buried at the same level as when it was in the pot.
- If you decide to plant the seeds, you should do it in late spring (in a flower bed or container) about 0.25 cm deep and leaving 60-75 cm between the seeds. It will take 10 to 21 days to germinate.
Step 4. Don't overdo the water
When sage seedlings are very young, you should mist them just to keep the soil moist.
- When they reach maturity, water them only when the soil around them is dry to the touch.
- Indeed, in some climatic zones you will not have to water the sage, because it will receive all the moisture it needs from precipitation.
- Sage is a very hardy plant and tolerates dry periods well.
Step 5. Provide adequate lighting
In theory, sage should grow in full sunlight, but in warmer areas it will also survive in slightly shaded areas.
- If the sage is exposed to too much shade, it will fold in on itself. Consequently, if you have decided to keep it in an area of the house that does not get a lot of light, you can use fluorescent light bulbs to solve the problem. Traditional models should be installed 5-10 cm above the pot.
- If you wish, you can use high-efficiency fluorescent lamps, compact fluorescent lamps or high-performance discharge lamps (metal halide or high pressure sodium), which work best and should be installed 60-120 cm above the plants.
Part 2 of 3: Caring for Salvia
Step 1. Prune the sage in early spring
Cut the oldest and most woody branches in the first days of spring, after the risk of frost has passed and when the plant has not yet started to grow again. Prune each stem about a third.
Step 2. Prevent mold
This is one of the few problems faced by sage growers. You can avoid this by carefully observing the plant during times of the year when the climate is hot and humid and pruning it regularly to promote air circulation.
- You can also try mulching the earth around the plants with a few pebbles, as this allows the moisture to evaporate sooner.
- If you notice mold on the plant, try spraying white mineral oil or a sulfur spray on it.
Step 3. Keep parasites under control
Sage is usually not infested, but in some cases it can attract spider mites, thrips, and bedbugs. If you notice pests, try to reduce their numbers by using an organic pesticide (such as pyrethrum) or insecticidal soap.
Step 4. Replace the plant every 3-5 years
After this period, the sage becomes woody and weak, so you need to replace it. You can start from a seed, a new plant, a cutting or an offshoot of the old specimen.
- To multiply the plant by propagation, bend a branch of the sage towards the ground. Hold it still with a wire about 10 cm from the tip. After about four weeks, roots will begin to form and at that point you can cut the branch and transplant the new plant to another location.
- To use a cutting, cut the first 7-8 cm of a branch of your sage. Remove the lower leaves from the stem or remove them with scissors. Dip the ends in rooting hormone, then place the cutting in sterile sand. Wait 4-6 weeks for roots to form, then move the plant into a pot and finally into the garden. It's best to make a cutting in early spring when you notice the plant starting to grow back.
Part 3 of 3: Picking the Salvia
Step 1. Pick the sage
During the first year, cut off only a few leaves when you need them.
- In the following years, you can harvest sage year-round by cutting entire stems of the plant. Its aroma is considered best just before flowering, which usually occurs in mid-summer.
- Complete the last crop about two months ahead of the first major frost of the year. This way, the newly formed leaflets will have time to grow before the cold season arrives.
Step 2. Dry the sage
It is one of the few herbs that develops a stronger flavor when dried. However, you need to do this quickly so that the plant doesn't get moldy.
- To dry the sage, tie a bunch of twigs together and hang them upside down in a warm, well-ventilated area away from direct sunlight.
- Once the leaves are dry, store them (crumbled or whole) in an airtight container.
Step 3. Use sage
In addition to using it as a spice in cooking, you can also use it in potpourri and for soaps. Here are some things you can do with this plant:
- Parmesan and sage biscuits;
- Herpes cream with violet and sage;
- Soap with oats and sage;
- Sage and ginger herbal tea.
Advice
- Sage reaches a height of 60-90cm and a width of about 60cm.
- Sage attracts bees and helps keep cabbages away.
- Some of the potential sage pests are slugs, bed bugs, whiteflies, mites, and scale insects.
- The most common diseases of sage are downy mildew, root and basal rot, powdery mildew or white sore.
