Growing Sage

Sages encompass a large group of plants, although just a few are really considered to be good culinary herbs. First and foremost is garden sage (Salvia officinalis), a hardy perennial recognized by its gray-green foliage and beautiful blue flowers in the spring. Plants can get quite tall and leggy, so the dwarf form (Salvia officinalis var. nana) is a better, more compact specimen. It has as equally good flavor but is not as hardy as its standard counterpart.

The Best Sages

There are several cultivars of garden sage that are highly ornamental because of their leaf color. Purple sage (Salvia officinalis cv. Purpurescens), golden sage (Salvia officinalis cv. Aurea), and tricolor sage (Salvia officinalis cv. Tricolor) can add great variety and accent to the garden although all tend to be less hardy than regular sage.

Growing Sage

You can start plants easily indoors from seed or in the garden in early spring. However, plants grown from seed may not have the same leaf shape and color as the parent plant. A better way to grow true-to-form, high-quality sage is to get cuttings from a friend’s best-looking plants. Set plants or thin seedlings to stand 24 to 30 inches apart. Sage thrives in a sunny garden location and, while plants are young, needs a steady moisture supply in well-drained soil. Each spring, prune the heavier, woody stems from the plants. The quality will drop off after 4 or 5 years, so dig up older plants and replace them with new ones started from seed or by cuttings.

Harvesting Sage

Don’t harvest too heavily the first year; give the plants time to get established. The leaves can be harvested at any time. They keep well dried or frozen.

By: National Gardening editors

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