How to Grow and Care for the Sage Plant in Containers
Intro: Sage is a wonderful-smelling herb often used in medicines and in food dishes. Sage is a great addition to an urban kitchen garden for gardeners who like its smell (for a better smell, rub a leaf between your fingers) and who like to cook with sage. Sage’s flowers, which bloom in late spring or summer, are most commonly blue to purple, but some sage varieties can have pink or white flowers.
This container plant grows up to 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide, and it can be pruned back to live in a large plant container. It is best to avoid cultivars if you are growing this plant for cooking. Sage cultivars are generally grown for aesthetic properties. This container plant grows well in the same container with rosemary, carrots and cabbage.
Scientific Name: Salvia officinalis
Plant Type: Perennial evergreen dwarf shrub
Light: The sage plant does well in partially shady balcony gardens to full sun.
Water: This plant does better in more dry soil and does not do well when overwatered.
Zone: Zones 4 to 9
Fertilizer: Fertilize your sage plant with an all-purpose fertilizer once a month during the growing season.
Pests and Diseases: Slugs and spider mites are garden pests can bother this plant. Few diseases affect the sage plant, but mildew and root rot can be a problem.
Propagation: Propagate sage with by taking cuttings or by collecting seeds. After about three years, the sage plant will become too woody and will not taste as good as younger specimens.
Misc. Info: Do not harvest sage during the cold winter months, as it can damage the plant. It is best to harvest sage in the late spring and summer. Sage tastes best if harvested before the plant flowers.
Sage flowers attract bees and other pollinators.
