There are a multitude of species and varieties of sage, annual or perennial, some being ornamental, others aromatic. There are even species of subtropical or shrubby sage. They can be used, depending on the case, in pots, rockeries, flowerbeds or beds, or even indoors. You can thus create a real magic in your garden or veranda by multiplying them, provided you choose them taking into account their needs in terms of type of soil or exposure. Here’s how to plant sage and care for them. Let’s also see if it is possible to prolong their flowering.
Grow sage
All sage must be installed in sunny and warm areas. They need light, well-drained and fertile soil. Some varieties particularly appreciate ultra-draining stony soils such as in a rockery. This is the case of Salvia pachyphyllaS. jurisdiction ou encore de S. caespitosa
Plant perennial sage
Planting directly in place is possible for perennial sages.
The non-hardy varieties are planted in May, when the soil has been sufficiently warmed by the spring sun, at least after the Ice Saints. They are usually grown as annuals. But to keep them for several years, it is better to plant them in pots or planters in order to be able to shelter them from the first frosts until the following spring. It is therefore especially in regions with a mild climate that the cultivation of non-hardy sages is possible in the open ground.
The hardy variety can be planted either in autumn or in spring, directly in the ground knowing that a large pot is also suitable for them. You can thus vegetate both your garden and your terrace.
Regardless of the variety chosen, all perennial sages should be spaced 40 to 50 centimeters apart.
Sow annual sages
These are especially the annual sages that we sow. The best sowing time is between the beginning of April and the end of May. When the plants emerge, it is necessary to thin out so that each sage can have enough room to develop. We recommend leaving a minimum space of 20 cm between plants.
If we have a tightor at least a frame, we can sow the annual sages between the end of August and mid-September and leave them under cover until the return of spring. Thus, at the end of March, all you have to do is put your plants in place, making sure to space them sufficiently from each other.
Care for sage
When summer is in full swing and the temperatures are quite high, it is essential towater the sage regularly but standing water should be avoided. Few sages appreciate soggy soils.
It can however be noted that the Swamp sage with beautiful soft blue flowers is among the only ones suitable for all gardeners who have land with particularly humid soil.
blooming sage
As is the case with many flowering plants, it is essential to cut faded flowers As things progress. This prevents the foot from getting tired unnecessarily and is preferable, let’s face it, so as not to harm the aesthetics of pots, beds and rock gardens.
The removal of faded flowers is a key issue so that sage, especially when it is a variety or a perennial species, can last for at least 4 or 5 years. After a few years, it may be useful to renew tired plants that no longer flower or flower little.
Propagation of sage
Sage occupies a prominent place in the garden, on the terrace and the balcony. It is not surprising that many of us want to perpetuate it. There are different ways to multiplier its sage plants: by dividing the stumps, by sowing sage seeds or by cuttings.
Sage Stump Division
This task is performed using a sharp-edged spade only on strains of great vigor and provided that it is a species of tuberous, cespitose, rhizomatous sage or even a suckering plant because all of them give few seeds, sometimes even do not provide any at all. This method of propagation is not suitable for all sages. Each chip thus obtained must be replanted without delay once the damaged leaves have been removed.
Sow sage seeds
Sowing makes it possible to renew certain species of botanical sages. The seeds are harvested when they fall spontaneously from the very dry chalices as soon as they are tapped.
Sowing is carried out in January and February in small crates of compost for seedlings of the trade or in which one deposits a layer of compost house obtained by mixing in equal parts of the river sand a you classic potting soil.
The seeds must be sufficiently spaced from each other and then covered with a very thin layer of substrate that we take care to keep wet with frequent spraying. The containers are to be placed either in a greenhouse or in a veranda. It is possible to get the afternoon sun from these small plantations in the southern regions only.
We then arm ourselves with patience because the transplanting can only be performed when each new foot has at least two real leaves. Once transplanted, the young plants should be kept warm for a few more months, namely as soon as the risk of frost is no longer to be feared (mid-May).
Cutting of a sage shoot
It’s about a mother plant duplication method thanks to which the genetic heritage of the plant is preserved: this method is possible on sages that cannot be divided. Cuttings are carried out in Mayor even until mid-June.
We take a grows 5 cm at most on a vigorous foot with sharp scissors to obtain a clean cut, just below the last node. We remove the flower bud, the lower leaves, then we immerse the stem inrooting hormone. Then simply place in a very small pot (egg cell type with a bottom pierced with several holes) a mixture made up of equal parts of sand and potting soil and then plant the stem (cutting) in it.
The substrate must always be moist thanks to regular sprays but not excessive. After a period of 14 to 21 days, the roots are clearly present. It’s time to transplant the shoot in a larger pot but it still needs to be kept well out of direct sunlight.
Among more than 900 botanical species of sage, each sage lover can therefore find the variety he prefers, whether to flower his garden in the countryside or his balcony in town. By multiplying species and varieties, we play as much on the shape of the leaves as on the color of the flowers (some are two-tone) and we take advantage of fragrant foliage. But that’s not all, since the sage (Sage officinalis) is renowned for its many medicinal properties.
As to sauges subtropicales, they require to be kept away from the cold and need much more water than the others. Finally, it is just as interesting to plant one or two varieties of shrub sagewith semi-evergreen or evergreen foliage, and whose flowers come in a wide variety of colours.