Cultivation of Sage

Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a small, perennial, evergreen shrub with a deep history in both the culinary and medicinal worlds. In modern times, sage is worked into ornamental gardens for its stunning flower display. Whether you are cultivating sage in the garden for kitchen uses or landscaping beauty, you'll never be let down by this unique herb.

Why Grow Sage?

· Kitchen sage has a unique peppery flavor perfect for flavoring fatty meats and other dishes including: pork, lamb, sausages and stuffing. Sage is most commonly associated with British and Italian cuisines.

· Essential oils from the leaves of sage can be harvested and used to treat a variety of ailments. Sage oil has many properties including: antibiotic, antifungal, and astringent qualities. Sage oil is well documented in ancient and modern medicine.

· When planted outdoors in the proper climate, sage will produce year after year. Most sage varieties will remain perennial in zones 7-11. If you're in a cooler zone, plant sage in containers and bring it indoors for the winter!

· Sage is easy to grow. Sage will tolerate average soil conditions and dry spells. All that is required of sage is full sun, well-draining soil, and a watering once a week. Sage is a great herb for apartment gardeners as it will grow well in brightly-lit window seals and under artificial lighting.

How to Cultivate Sage:

1. Sage can be grown from seed or from cuttings. I prefer seeds as cuttings can be unpredictable. If you are planting outdoors in the garden, you can sow sage seeds directly into the ground after all threat of frost has passed or you can start them indoors six weeks before the average last frost. Indoor and apartment gardeners can propagate seeds at anytime! To germinate seeds, use a seedling tray or plastic cups filled with an average nutrient soil. A standard organic potting mix will be fine. Sow 2-3 seeds in each cup. Place the seeds 1/4" deep into the soil. Keep the seeds moist but do not overwater. Place a humidity dome over the seedling tray or clear Ziploc bags over the cups to create a micro-environment for the seeds while they germinate. A warm well-lit window seal will be perfect for germinating sage seeds.

2. In 8-14 days, a majority of the sage seeds should have germinated. Thin the seedlings to the strongest plant per cup. Keep the seedlings moist until they reach 3-4 inches in height. At this point, the sage plants can be transplanted to the garden or into a larger container. If you are moving sage to the garden, plant 12" apart and in rows that are 18" apart. Containers can be planted more densely.

3. Plant sage where it will receive full sunlight (at least 6 hours of sun daily). This herb thrives in hot sunny weather. Water during dry conditions, usually only once a week. A feeding of compost tea twice during the summer will greatly improve the yield and quality of your sage. Indoor gardeners can find comfort growing sage in a south facing window seal. West and East facing window seals will also grow sage, but not to the quality that South facing window seals provide. For container and indoor gardeners, water sage plants only when the top 2" of soil are completely dry.

Keep it Simple. Keep it Fresh. Try some Sage in your garden!